Old Hollywood is Present At The Smoke House In Burbank

Whenever we visit Burbank, California, we always have to eat at the Smoke House. The original location was built in 1946 and then moved to the current spot in 1948. Since it's right across from Warner Brothers Studios, actors and behind-the-scenes crew would stop in often. I'm talking Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney....to the Gilmore Girls cast. (In Kelly Bishop's book The Third Gilmore Girl, she mentions eating at the Smoke House!)

We love history, so being in the restaurant is thrilling. Be sure to check out the photos on the wall. There's one of Walt Disney! 

Oh, and yes, movies and TV shows were filmed inside. La La Land. The Office. The Studio. There's a list on their website. 

At the moment, the restaurant is decorated for the holidays, so everything looks festive:

Is the food any good though? Yes! They are famous for their garlic bread sticks, so get them! 

I've had their pasta, their meat, their salad...it's all scrumptious. My son Tommy has autism and can be quite picky, and the Smoke House is one of his all time favorite restaurants. He is graduating with his Bachelor's in Film & Media and his goal is to get a job in Burbank, so he can eat the the Smoke House frequently. (He wants to order the Tomahawk Steak when he makes it big.)

Here's my son after he ate. He was happy. And full. 

But he wasn't too full for dessert. They have a TON of sweet options. They bring you out a tray and are like, "Can we tempt you?" YES YOU CAN! I want one of each! PLEASE.

We settled on the mini chocolate bundt cake, ice cream, and fresh fruit. It was blissful. Gone in minutes, even though we were all stuffed.

Keep your eyes peeled when you dine as well. Since it's close to the studios, you might see a celeb. We didn't, but we heard executives nearby boasting that they just "closed a deal with ABC." Good for them. 

And yes, you can make reservations on their website. You can walk in as well, but the wait could be long. I didn't make a reservation and we waited an hour and a half. But it was worth it. Truly.

Until next time, we will be dreaming of the garlic cheese sticks.

The next time you're in Burbank, stop in at the Smoke House!

Smoke House Hours

Monday-Thursday: 1130 AM-1030 PM

Friday-Saturday: 1130 AM-11:00 PM

SUNDAY BRUNCH (we need to do this!)

10:30 AM-2:00 PM

DINNER

3:30 PM-9:00 PM

All The Gilmore Girls Actors We Saw At Holidays Made Here

We just returned from the Holidays Made Here event at the Warner Brothers Studios and were lucky enough to see many actors from Gilmore Girls since it's the 25th anniversary. Scott Patterson, who played Luke Danes, was doing his podcast live aptly called I Am All In, and these were the people we spotted.

First up was Scott Patterson, of course, and he explained that he's not really like Luke in real life, but he is in a way because he believes in love. He's been married 25 years. 

Then he brought out his trusty cook, Caesar, played by Aris Alvarado. He seems like such a sweet guy, and answered some questions. He also brought out a Santa Burger, which you can buy at the event at Jojo's Burgers. 

We also got to meet Robert Lee, who was a background actor on the show. I thought he was the original Ceasar, as there was a scene where Luke asks him to watch everything, but it was announced that wasn't the case. You might spot Robert in different areas of Gilmore Girls. We need to do a re-watch and point him out. He is the sweetest man and will take a pic if asked. 

Mrs. Kim, aka Emily Kuroda was hilarious. She explained her audition process and if she's Team Dave or Team Zach. (Team Dave, obvi.)

Then Mr and Mrs Huntzberger, played by Gregg Henry and Leann Hunley, walked out. Gregg was asked if he thought Rory didn't have it, and he said he felt his character was just being a gruff grump since there were the family issues going on. Leann was asked if it was scary being told off by Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop) and she said she was in awe how fast Kelly was speaking to her. 

And guess who else was there? Matt Czuchry, who played Logan Huntzberger. He came out for the podcast, and then we got to see him even closer when he crashed the town meeting we attended. He just strolled in and took some questions. My daughter asked what his favorite book was (I shared a video of it here) and he replied The Catcher In The Rye. (It is a good one!) He truly is a beautiful human.

And we also got lucky and Scott also popped in and did a Luke rant. Scott will be at the Holidays Made Here event daily, so you might get to see him if you go!

It was surreal to see so many of the actors I have watched on my screen for years. Holidays Made Here is going on until January 4th, so there is still an opportunity to get tickets. As I mentioned, Scott will be there daily, and Mrs. Kim also will be present on select days. I imagine Robert Lee will also be wandering around sometimes. 

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

.....to be heading to Burbank this week for the Gilmore Girls Holidays Made Here event. It's a quick trip, but I know it'll be a memorable one. 

.....to also be popping into Bob's Big Boy and the Smoke House (which has been around since the 1940s and has served many Old Hollywood actors!)

......to hope the flight goes smoothly We are flying Southwest, and it's normally fine, but I always get nervous in the air. I try to go to sleep or read to distract me.

....to currently be reading The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand. It's about the students and teachers in a prep school called Tiffin Academy. There is always drama going on--and especially now, ever since the Zip Zap app started circulating. Anonymous people can share secrets, which is the recipe for disaster in a fancy high school. No one is safe. The book is intriguing to me, because I never went to prep school, so it's been an eye-opening read. Plus my daughter's college has an app similar to Zip Zap called Fizz. 

......to think Natalie did a good job teasing her hair. She's into the 80s big hair look these days.

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