Climb Aboard the L.A. Time Machine

As the nation's prime repository of Mid-Century commercial kitsch, greater Los Angeles is home to a boatload of nearly-extinct restaurant types such as Googie coffee shops, spaghetti houses, French dipperies and exquisitely decorated food palaces like Clifton's Cafeteria (pictured here).

Although many of these restaurants have been torn down and others (such as the last Brown Derby building) face demolition, Los Angeles Time Machine has a comprehensive listing of still-operating L.A. eateries and bars built before 1970. Plenty of photos, too. This is great stuff.

One of these days, I'm going to go out to Los Angeles and just drive around looking at stuff like this.