LA Union Station's Fred Harvey Room is officially restored

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Well, this is exciting, I'll be there this week. I can't tell from the article - is the space open to the public now?
 
Well, this is exciting, I'll be there this week. I can't tell from the article - is the space open to the public now?
It doesn't appear so, not when they say it will open as a gastropub "at a date to be determined". I doubt the new owners went thru all that expense for their new business to open the building "tomorrow" to the masses, not to customers.
 
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I wonder what will happen to the Traxx Restaurant when the new gastropub opens?

As a child, I recall having a meal--not sure which--in a Chicago station restaurant. It would have been either Union Station (traveling on PRR) or the Chicago & Northwestern Station.

Might that have been a Fred Harvey Restaurant?
 
A gastropub? I can just envision a petunia-flavored lite pilsner that will have the yuppies beating a path to the front door. :p
 
I wonder what will happen to the Traxx Restaurant when the new gastropub opens?

As a child, I recall having a meal--not sure which--in a Chicago station restaurant. It would have been either Union Station (traveling on PRR) or the Chicago & Northwestern Station.

Might that have been a Fred Harvey Restaurant?
There was a Fred Harvey restaurant at Union Station.
 
This is great news. I have long lamented the unused space in the station. Now that's a reason to go back to LA. Gastropub or not you'll find me there boarding the SWC to Winslow and Mary Colter's La Posada hotel. Even though it has a southwestern flair, the Art Deco touches remind me of Cincinnati Union Terminal.
 
I wonder what will happen to the Traxx Restaurant when the new gastropub opens?
Probably nothing -- the gastropub will be a different, unaffiliated restaurant/bar.

The Fred Harvey space has been open to the public on occasion before -- I went to an Amtrak food tasting in there on a past National Train Day.
 
A gastropub? I can just envision a petunia-flavored lite pilsner that will have the yuppies beating a path to the front door. :p
Yuppy is apparently a less common word than gastropub at this point.

Screen Shot 2017-05-17 at 4.17.37 PM.png

The term gastropub ≠ hipsterbar. In my experience gastropub primarily implies some English and/or Irish cuisine and drinks, at least when it's used outside of Britain. Inside the commonwealth it generally implies hot meals.
 
A gastropub? I can just envision a petunia-flavored lite pilsner that will have the yuppies beating a path to the front door. :p
Hey, it's the 21st Century. There are no yuppies, they've been replaced by hipsters drinking IPAs and fruity beer, not lite. :)

edit: And wearing funny little hats
 
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On my way through LAUS this afternoon (my daily Metrolink commute), took a look in the front door/windows. Still work going on, ladders, plans laid out, etc. The U-shaped lunch counter in the center has been removed. Will be interesting to see if it returns. Probably final work to suit the requests of the gastropub.
 
I haven't been there yet, which is a bit odd since I've been to LA quite a few times. However, I'm a huge fan of the work of Mary Colter - especially her work at the Grand Canyon on behalf of Fred Harvey.

https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/wom/2001/colter.htm

I also remember there was a restaurant in Old Sacramento that called itself "Harvey House". It was right across from the California State Railroad Museum. I don't know how they managed to use the name (which Xanterra still uses) but it was a breakfast and lunch place where the servers were wearing classic serving outfits. I saw some special for a $10 purchase of $20 credit (Groupon like) but they closed after less than six months.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/harvey-house-sacramento-2

o.jpg
 
Stopped by the Harvey again this afternoon and grabbed a couple of shots.

1) The entrance. Right after you enter LAUS from Alameda Street on the west, go through through the doors on your right...the restaurant is across the breezway.

20170518_162447_1.jpg

Looking in through the front doors. You can see on the floor where the U-shaped lunch counter used to be. I hope they bring it back/keep it but, it may not fit into their plans.

20170518_162417_1.jpg20170518_162430_1.jpg
 
Before there was any such thing as fast food, Harvey House restaurants once dotted the landscape from Chicago going West to California. I believe that there was large Harvey House restaurant at Chicago Union Station but it was located in the adjacent train shed building that was demolished years ago. This restaurant was a part of the railroad era of the early 20th century. Today only the name only remains on several independent restaurants and in museum buildings. All this was before my time but it must have been great being able to dine on fresh cooked food while waiting.in the station. If you are into nostalgia there is a place that I imagine is somewhat similar to Harvey House two blocks from Union Station on Jackson Blvd.( Route 66) , It's called Lou Mitchells.and its been there since 1923.

http://www.loumitchellsrestaurant.com/
 
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The whole history of the Fred Harvey Company started with railroads. The railroads were instrumental in building visitor infrastructure in southwest national parks. ATSF of course worked with Fred Harvey, but Union Pacific owned the Utah Parks Company that build at Zion, Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and the Grand Cayon north rim.
 
Anyone else remember when the rest areas on the Illinois Tollway featured Fred Harvey restaurants located in the Bauhaus-esque glass boxes that sat astride the traffic lanes? I never ate in one, alas - my folks couldn't afford it. I believe they lasted into the 1970s. "Civilizing the roads - one meal at a time"
 
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The Fred Harvey restaurants at the tollway oasis were white tablecloth, traditional affairs. Today, various fast food counters occupy those buildings. And people wonder why dinning on Amtrak is not the same as pre-Amtrak experiences.
 
Those Tollway Oasis' were built to last - stainless everything and marble (I've seen the original 50's drawings of a few of them). In the 70's Howard Johnson's took over some and brutalist-ed them up a bit (the angled walls at the entries). I worked on the late 90's refurbishments at an early stage - the original plan was to really jazz them up and make them jazzy and jet age, but then the budget realities set in.
 
Stopped by the Harvey again this afternoon and grabbed a couple of shots.
Muchas Gracias! Those are some very nice photos that are worth at least a thousand words.

The Fred Harvey restaurants at the tollway oasis were white tablecloth, traditional affairs. Today, various fast food counters occupy those buildings. And people wonder why dinning on Amtrak is not the same as pre-Amtrak experiences.
How many of those fast food counters are losing money serving cafeteria meals at Amtrak prices?
 
On a semi-related note: there's a display of Harvey House china and other memorabilia in the grand hall of Kansas City's Union Station - right next to the very nice Pierpont's Restaurant. There is also a less expensive full service restaurant called Harvey's there (it's open for breakfast and lunch and probably shares Pierpont's kitchen). I was in town for a convention and stumbled across these while looking for an alternative to the Westin's restaurants. You'll pass a nice a nice photo timeline of the station construction and history of trains in KC if you walk over via the elevated walkway, as opposed to going outside.
 
Anyone else remember when the rest areas on the Illinois Tollway featured Fred Harvey restaurants located in the Bauhaus-esque glass boxes that sat astride the traffic lanes? I never ate in one, alas - my folks couldn't afford it. I believe they lasted into the 1970s. "Civilizing the roads - one meal at a time"
As a "road enthusiast", I loved those old chains of highway rest stops during their golden era in the '50's and '60's, be they Fred Harvey, Howard Johnson's, Hot Shoppes, or whatever....

There was a television movie set on the Illinois Tollway, with extensive scene's in an Oasis.... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058406/
 
Before there was any such thing as fast food, Harvey House restaurants once dotted the landscape from Chicago going West to California. I believe that there was large Harvey House restaurant at Chicago Union Station but it was located in the adjacent train shed building that was demolished years ago. This restaurant was a part of the railroad era of the early 20th century. Today only the name only remains on several independent restaurants and in museum buildings. All this was before my time but it must have been great being able to dine on fresh cooked food while waiting.in the station. If you are into nostalgia there is a place that I imagine is somewhat similar to Harvey House two blocks from Union Station on Jackson Blvd.( Route 66) , It's called Lou Mitchells.and its been there since 1923.

http://www.loumitchellsrestaurant.com/
Actually, the main Harvey House at CUT was off the great hall, occupying three floors. It was badly damaged by fire after closing. I found an article in Crain's from two years ago that talks about the station including the old Harvey House with current and historical photos.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20151111/BLOGS02/151119975/the-hidden-union-station-take-a-tour
 
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