Originally Posted by obscure2k

A couple of legendary "Hollywood" restaurants come to mind:
1. Musso and Frank's. Pick up any book on Hollywood, any old or contemporary cop novel, books about old time journalists, and inevitably, there will be someone rolling his eyes about the great martinis and grill food at Musso and Frank's in Hollywood. I have been there many times, but, to be fair, have only gone for lunch, thus never had a legendary Musso martini. Food was always mediocre, even the "legendary" flannel cakes. I find the ambiance pretty depressing. It is of another era and has not held up well.
2. The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Nothing special here. Have never understood the hype. The last time I was there, about 2 years ago, I met a friend for lunch. I ordered the McCarthy salad (run-of-the-mill-chopped salad). This was chopped to the consistency of baby food. I think it was designed for patrons who eat salad with a spoon. I asked waiter if I could possibly have a salad with a little more "form." He said I had to request that the chopped McCarthy Salad not be chopped.