Michael Monks covers immigration enforcement and an interview with historians discussing Cole’s French Dip set to close permanently after more than 100 years in operation.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This
is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News
with you for the next couple of hours. We are
now officially passed the halfway mark of twenty twenty five,
and what a half year it has been in Los
Angeles and southern California. January wildfires destroy Pacific Palisades and Altadena. June,
(00:30):
Immigration enforcement ramps up, demonstrations against them start, local and
state officials go to battle with the White House. And
we still have six months to go before this year
is over. And keep in mind these major events are
happening on top of the everyday challenges of living here, homelessness, affordability,
(00:50):
challenging business climate, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Twenty
twenty five has been and will likely continue to be
a heck of a test for all of our mental wellbeing.
In our second hour today, we'll focus on where we
are six months since the wildfires in January, what's the
(01:12):
condition on the ground, how did we get here, and
where are we going. At the bottom of this hour,
we will turn to the terrible news out of downtown
LA this week. A staple of the restaurant's scene for
over one hundred years, Coles, has announced it is closing
the doors at Coal's, opened in nineteen oh eight, one
(01:33):
hundred and seventeen years ago. It survived World Wars, economic downturns,
different eras of civil unrest in LA. But now it's
all too much for Coals. So what's happened? A couple
of local historians and LA experts are with us to
share the story of Coals and to spell out how
(01:54):
difficult it is to operate in downtown Los Angeles these days.
But we start with immigration. What a week on this front.
It started with a bizarre show of force in MacArthur Park,
military vehicles, immigration agents on horseback, the National Guard, and
(02:15):
then the mayor, Karen Bass shows up to demand they leave,
and then they do without doing any sort of enforcement action.
Was very strange. On Thursday, agents hit farm Country in
Ventura County, and despite the rural nature of this area
near cam Rio, about one hundred protesters showed up there
(02:36):
and a tent standoff ensued. About two hundred people were
reportedly arrested. Suspected illegal immigrants working at a cannabis farm,
including miners, some of whom the federal governments say are
in this country without their parents. Between these two events,
LA County, the City of Los Angeles, and other cities
(02:57):
in the county moved to join a law lawsuit filed
by the ACLU and others against the Trump administration to
bring a halt to many of these immigration raids and
enforcement actions. Specifically, they pushed for a stop to agents
allegedly approaching people indiscriminately based on skin color, or language
(03:18):
spoken or accent. They basically pointed to events that have
happened in home depot parking lots, car washes, street vending areas.
Here is City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
But it's more than a month since Angelino's awoke to
a completely frightening and new reality on our city streets.
We have been using every tool available in my office
to fight back. We have filed amikas briefs in the
Attorney general suit up North. We have supported the government's
request for a temporary restraining order there. Local law enforcement
(03:52):
for this kind of force would require a showing of
real threat. That's not what's happening here. This seems to
be designed to be aggressive, to instill fear, not responsive
to respond to a threat.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And here's elliemer bass.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I don't want to say it's my pleasure to be
here with you, because it's not. It seems like day
after day we're up here saying the same thing. Aside
from the fact that this is unconstitutional, how do we
know the difference between this and a kidnapping?
Speaker 1 (04:22):
What we have experience over.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
These last few weeks has just been shocking, seeing troops, troops,
some on horseback, ride through a children in summer camp.
The courts we will still go to for a remedy
as we are today, it is critical that we use
every single venue.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
There was a hearing on this suit Thursday right here
in Los Angeles, and then late Friday, a US district
judge agreed with the acou La County and the others
and temporarily blocked federal agents from using what critics called
racial profiling in making their stop. So what does this
mean is federal action against illegal immigration over?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Is it finished?
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Well?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
If the federal government obeys this judge's order, it does
stop random stops of people with brown skin or who
are speaking Spanish around home depot and the other places
I mentioned. City attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto says it's a
win and while the judge's order is just temporary, it
could turn into a longer injunction. The White House is
(05:30):
expected to appeal this decision. A spokesperson says no federal
judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy, that only
Congress and the President have that authority. The White House
calls it a gross overstep of judicial authority, but the judge,
who was appointed by President Biden, says there was sufficient
(05:51):
evidence that race and other similar factors were being used
when federal agents would stop people. Judge Frempong wrote, what
the federal government would have this court believe in the
face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case
is that none of this is actually happening. President Trump's
borders are Tom Holman. He had said before the order
(06:13):
was issued that if the ACLU and LA were to prevail,
it would shut down immigration operations. He says, ice officers
and border patrol don't need probable calls to walk up
to somebody, briefly detain them and question them. They just
need be what he called the totality of the circumstances
and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who's
(06:35):
from Santa Monica, he says on X the judge is
a Communist who has ordered Ice to report directly to her.
He calls it another act of quote insurrection against the
US and its sovereign people. So now this fight is
not over. Immigration enforcement in this area seems to be
in a weird state of limbo. But it's something that
(06:57):
we will continue to keep our eyes on because this
was a massive, significant development this week on these events
that had been dominating our lives here in Los Angeles,
certainly here in the news business. And up next we'll
revisit this big immigration action, the big immigration actions really
(07:18):
of this past week, how they unfolded, and how they
led to that legal action taken by local governments. Plus
one thing political observers may ask when anything is going
on is who's winning when it comes to immigration enforcement
here in Los Angeles and across the country. Who's winning
President Trump or Mayor Bass. A new column in the
(07:40):
Orange County Register suggests both of them are. And we'll
also explore the history of Coles the one hundred and
seventeen year old restaurant in downtown Los Angeles that has
announced its closure. All that is ahead this hour on
Michael Monks Reports.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand, six.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This is Michael
Monk's Reports. So I'm Michael Monks from KFI Knew, spending
a couple hours with you on this weekend in southern California.
Coming up in the next hour, we look back on
six months since the January wildfires, including a conversation about
those houses in the Palisades and Altadena that are still
standing that seemed miraculously unscathed or barely scratched, even as
(08:26):
the neighboring homes completely evaporated. It turns out those homeowners
may not be as lucky as it seems. But first
we continue to wrap up a crazy week here on
the immigration front. It all started Monday with a strange
scene in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
It was midday when federal agents and fatigues and tactical
gear and National Guard troops began marching on foot and
on horseback through mostly empty MacArthur Park near downtown la
The Department of Defense says around ninety armed troops were involved,
with armored vehicles, had even military ambulances. In the end,
it appeared nobody was detained and very few people were
(09:05):
even in the park. Laay Or Karen Bass angrily showed
up on scene to oppose his show of force, later saying, we.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Have federal armed vehicles in our parks when nothing is
going on.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Alex stoneyb sins so the mayor herself shows up in
the midst of this. Keep in mind this is another
example of how the wildfires in January and the federal
immigration enforcement actions of late are related politically. First, Mayor
Bass took a major political hit by being out of
the country when the Palisades fire started to rage. But
she's positioning herself as a willing adversary to the Trump
(09:40):
administration on the issue of illegal immigration and that could
benefit her politically. Here we'll have more on that in
just a moment, But as the situation in MacArthur Park
was happening, the mayor was expected to be at a
press conference recognizing six months since the wildfires and what's
been done since. Instead, she made a beeline for the park.
(10:01):
Confronted federal agents and demanded they leave. She never even
ended up going to that fire press conference, So here's
some more of what she had to say immediately after
and a day after the MacArthur Park situation.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
To me, this is another example of the administration ractioning
up chaos by deploying would look like a military operation
in an American city. What happened to the criminals, the
drug dealers, the violent individuals who were in the park
(10:34):
today were children. It was their summer camp. There was
no protests, there was no disorder that required that yesterday
seeing troops, troops, some on horseback, ride through a children's
summer camp, disrupting that, traumatizing the kids.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Governor Gavin Newsom was also in town for that press
conference about the wildfires, so he also took a moment
to address what happened in MacArthur Park.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
Says everything you and I need to know about the
state of mind of the President of the United States
in this administration. I want folks to know we have
your back and we'll continue to come back and do
what we can to protect our diverse communities, to protect
the spirit that defines the best of this city and
(11:30):
our state. And to push back against this cruelty. Those
National guardmen and women that were out there protecting people
are now being used as political ponds.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
So that was Monday. On Thursday, another large scene raids
at two cannabis farms owned by the same company known
as Glasshouse, including one location in Camarillo.
Speaker 7 (11:50):
A dramatic scene northwest of Los Angeles protesters clashing with
massed federal agents conducting immigration raids at a cannabis farm
in Ventura County. Crowds quickly get gathering, federal agents setting
off smoke canisters and irritants to disperse them. Dozens of
men lined against the wall, heavily armed agents standing guard.
At least one person is seen kneeling on the ground
seemingly under arrest.
Speaker 8 (12:11):
The master agents had shown up at a cannabis farm
in Ventura County, northwest of La Men seemed lined up
against the wall with heavily armed agents and at least
one person appearing to be under arrest. Federal agents setting
off smoke canisters to disperse the crowds. The FBI now
offering a fifty thousand dollars reward for information on the
(12:34):
person who appeared to fire a gun at law enforcement.
Speaker 9 (12:37):
The search is underway for the man seen on video
allegedly firing at federal agents during a violent clash at
a cannabis farm near Los Angeles. It comes as a
federal judge overnight ordering the Trump administration to temporarily halt
quote indiscriminate immigration stops in seven California counties, including Los Angeles.
Speaker 10 (12:58):
The judge dating that the DHS cannot detain someone based
on their race, spoken language, or job, and that they
cannot deny a detainee the right to legal counsel. In
a late night social media post, President Trump described protesters
as thugs hurling rocks and bricks at law enforcement vehicles,
saying he's granting total authorization to protect officers and demanding
(13:21):
arrests immediately.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody there,
including miners. One migrant reportedly died from a fall That
calls a dispute between a farm workers union and the
federal government over the circumstances of that death. But you
heard President Trump has seen images of the protest in
cama Rio and now wants agents to be tougher on them.
(13:44):
Things here in southern California could get hotter and soon. Meanwhile,
a new column in The OC registered by political consultant
Matt klink I thought this was interesting. He says both
Mayor Bass and President Trump can win and are winning
political points in this immigration battle. He notes Bass got
(14:06):
knocked down politically and the Palisades fire because she was
in Africa when it started, but now she's jumped headfirst
into the fray with Trump over immigration. But across the nation,
President Trump is racking up points. Certainly with his strongest
supporters who clamored for widespread mass deportations. The only thing
they may not be happy about is there haven't been
(14:27):
enough deportations. But for other folks who may have voted
for Trump but aren't particularly passionate, when they see violent
protests in Los Angeles against law enforcement, that could also
be a win for Trump politically. It solidifies his support
among that crew of voters who find that appalling. On
(14:48):
the other hand, stories of immigrants taken from fruit stands
or social media videos showing agents roughing up somebody who
was trying to get a job outside a home depot,
or family being separated, images of children crying when their
parents are deported. There are people who may not be
firmly liberal, but who find that appalling. Clink writes it's
(15:11):
too early to declare winners and losers, but for now,
both Bass and Trump are gaining from these early clashes.
Now it's only July, there's still a lot of twenty
twenty five left, and you can bet KFI will be
at the ready to cover and talk about all of
this as it continues to unfold and up.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Next, we go to.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Downtown La Bad news from a historic restaurant calls the
originator of the French Tip sandwich will shut the doors
for good. Doors that open for the first time in
nineteen oh eight, one hundred and seventeen years ago.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
So what gives?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
How can a business that survive that long finally be
brought to its knees. A pair of local history and
culture experts join us to explain the story of Coals
and what's going on around it that led to its closure.
This is Michael Monks Reports.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Kf IAM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monk's Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
It was a gut punch to downtown LA this week
when it was confirmed Cohle's Restaurant and Bar, the originator
of the French Dip sandwich, would close its doors in
a few weeks for good. It opened in nineteen oh eight,
(16:27):
one hundred and seventeen years in business. That's a lot
of history and it's a big loss. Richard Shave and
Kim Cooper are local historians, tour guides, and the proprietors
of Esotoric tours into the secret heart of Los Angeles.
They're with us now to talk about it. Richard Shave,
Kim Cooper, thanks so much for being with us.
Speaker 11 (16:46):
Thank you for having us. Michael happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
It's absolutely a pleasure. You all are so informed about
Los Angeles history, especially downtown history where most of LA
history started. At least be the American Los Angeles that
we know and love. Coles Man, you know, hearing this
news is a gut punch. It's always sad when any
business fails, because you know people have put their heart
and soul into it. But this thing dates back to
(17:11):
nineteen oh eight. This isn't just another business closure. How
serious of a loss would this be to Los Angeles.
Speaker 12 (17:21):
This would be the kind of loss that people would
sort of measure time by.
Speaker 13 (17:25):
Oh remember when Coles closed, That's when we.
Speaker 12 (17:27):
Really knew something was really wrong.
Speaker 13 (17:31):
It can't happen.
Speaker 12 (17:32):
I mean, I know it's been announced that it's closing
in less than a month. But I think that there's
an opportunity here. There's got to be away keep this
from happening.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
What could the business conditions be like? I mean, downtown
is struggling in a lot of ways. Coals has been
an institution that has survived world wars, economic downturns, all
kinds of unrest that has taken place in this country
and in this city. But is there's something that could
(18:02):
be negatively impacting this business that we don't know about
that that's made it an unsuccessful venture at this point?
Speaker 13 (18:09):
No, I think we all know what's been going on.
Speaker 12 (18:11):
It's been a cascading series of really hard times, you know.
I mean, we've had strikes in Hollywood.
Speaker 13 (18:17):
We've had fires.
Speaker 12 (18:20):
Now we have ice rates on the street, which are
making people anxious. Some of the people who work at
Coals are probably not comfortable coming into work, especially because
that's you know, it's a nighttime environment, so you're leaving
early in the morning, and it's many many things are happening. Obviously,
there's a homeless crisis in downtown Los Angeles. That's been
an issue for a couple of decades. Now everything adds
(18:42):
up and when people stop being able to go out
and drink. Let's talk about what happened with city hall.
They chose to impose a curfew. A lot of people
in the neighborhood said, I don't really know that we
need a curfew, but that hit the bottom line and
if that's what killed Coals, we should talk about it.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
No doubt about it that the conversation needs to be had,
because I've often said on the air that what I
notice in covering the local government is that there seems
to be a lack of urgency specific to downtown Los Angeles.
I think about the trees that were hacked by allegedly
by a homeless man who was clearly having some mental issues.
Speaker 13 (19:22):
And the scarborist. Shocking is that.
Speaker 14 (19:26):
Right he did This gentleman was arrested by the California
California Park or At State Parks Ranger two months earlier
for similar vandalism in the area and LEKA and they're
an LAPD, and the city attorney and the council office
(19:47):
just chose to be unaware of.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
That, you see.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
And that's obviously another conversation to be had is our
approach to penalties for various things. But the point I'm
making here is that when those trees were hacked, and
it is a serious issue. I mean, urban canopy is important,
not just some trees. They help foster a healthy environment.
But the response was significant and it was swift. But
we don't see that kind of response to the every day,
(20:14):
let's just say, general unpleasantness of being in and around
downtown Los Angeles. I know that you are cultural and
history buffs and experts, but this is a local government
thing that you two also pay very close attention to. Richard,
Am I right that there's a lack of urgency here.
Speaker 11 (20:32):
Okay, Well, what you're correct about is that there's a
lack of response. And I believe the lack of response
is that, in addition to downtown Los Angeles singing within
Council District fourteen, which currently has as well Yurado as
its council member, formerly Kevin de Leonen. Before that, Jose.
(20:55):
We saw who was down in federal prison for twelve years,
we have to say confessed tora.
Speaker 8 (21:00):
Okay.
Speaker 14 (21:00):
In addition to the municipal governments by the Council District
and just the fact that it is the seat of
the City of Los Angeles where City Hall sets, so
there are appointed bureaucrats whose vested interest is in keeping
the civic center relatively habitable. In addition to that, you
have business improvement districts. In the nineteen nineties, the Community
(21:26):
Redevelopment Agency, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles ran
downtown as a blighted redevelopment site for nineteen sixty through
through several iterations, dissolved in twenty twelve.
Speaker 11 (21:42):
They're gone.
Speaker 14 (21:43):
That vacuum caused by Governor Brown dissolving all community redevelopment
agencies I think has caused is showing us that City
Hall and Council District fourteen historically have very little institutional
understanding of how to manage downtown. And then you have
the business improvement districts with the switch the series created
in the nineteen nineties, Fashion District, Historic Core, Downtown, Central
(22:06):
Business District, and all of these entities have to interact
and talk, which they do, and it's just very hard
to get anything done. And I'm sorry if that's a
little long, but that's that's the big picture of When
you ask what's happening here?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Why, well, no, the fact that your answer has to
be as lengthy as it is is illustrative of the
situation because everything you said is accurate. There are just
multi layers of unelected people that have a hand in
the way downtown Los Angeles is governed, and it just
doesn't seem to be very effective. But let's get back
to the core of this story. The environment is obviously
(22:39):
played a role in the closure of Coles, which has
long claimed to have created the French dip sandwich, that
beef sandwich that is dipped in an o'ju sauce, and
obviously something that Philips also lays claim to. So that's
been a long running story. Let's start with that because
we're going to talk about the history of Coals. You
(23:00):
two know it, well, why is that so important to them?
They put it in their name, Coal's originator of the
French dip is like their full government name.
Speaker 13 (23:08):
That's their new name.
Speaker 12 (23:09):
So when said Moses took it over. Wait, we can
go backwards when said Moses took it over. Around two
thousand and seven, Cole's pe buffet became Cole's French dip
and pe, you know. I mean, these are initials that
used to be on everybody's tongue in Los Angeles and
southern California. The Pacific Electric was the streetcar system that
could allow you if you wanted to leave your home
(23:32):
anywhere in the LA area, dress up in your mountaineering
gear and go to the San Gabriel Mountains for a
hiking trip. You could go to almost any beach. I mean,
like the entirety of southern California was available. And I
love hearing about like adventurous kids who just went and
explored this massive municipality. And the Pacific Electric building was,
(23:53):
you know, the heart of this. This is the brains
of the operation, and that's where everybody ate and drank.
Speaker 13 (23:59):
And it's I'm.
Speaker 11 (24:01):
Going to interrupt you, Ken. We actually haven't met at
this point. They're now quite old.
Speaker 14 (24:05):
We've met older people who in the fifties work downtown
and this is what they did on their weekends. They
they just got in the red car. They went to
betterly got up and went everywhere, and it's the thing
they all say, It's the one thing I miss was
you could go anywhere and it was amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
We continue this conversation next. It's not just that Cole's
is in the building where the old train system operated.
Pieces of the old train system are still part of
the interior of this place. We'll jump into that next
when Michael Monks Reports continues.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We're talking about Coles, the one hundred and seventeen year
old restaurant in downtown Los Angeles that announced its upcoming
closure on August second. It's in the historic building that
was once home to the Pacific Electric Railway Company, and
(25:03):
though those trains are long gone, pieces of them are
still part of Coals. The proprietors of Esoturic Tours into
the Secret Heart of Los Angeles, Richard Shave and Kim Cooper,
are with us to help us understand the history and
the conditions downtown that led to Cole's closure, and there
are elements of the old streetcar system, physical elements inside
(25:26):
this restaurant.
Speaker 13 (25:27):
Oh and outside too, because if you walk down Main Street,
go around the corner and head.
Speaker 12 (25:31):
Towards the cecil, it says danger in the sidewalk where
the trains used to come out.
Speaker 11 (25:36):
Right and let me up. Going back to history and
things that are lost. The Pacific Electric building had an
elevated track that came down in the late nineteen fifties.
So when you walked outside of Coals, turned to the
turn to the east and walked to Los Angeles Street,
(25:57):
and you turned right to go to the backside of
the building on Los Angeles Street, you'd be under an
elevated track.
Speaker 13 (26:02):
Yeah, you're right, you might as well be in New York.
I mean, it's an amazing lost.
Speaker 14 (26:06):
An amazing lost ecosystem and infrastructure.
Speaker 12 (26:11):
Woud and Melly and then you'd go into this basement
and you were sort of just like in this womb
of food and drink and good fellowship, and it's it's
a really special place. I mean, if I had a
time machine, that's definitely one of the places I go.
But I don't think they had French dip sandwiches in
nineteen oh eight.
Speaker 13 (26:27):
I think it came around.
Speaker 12 (26:28):
Closer to nineteen thirty, and there were French dip places
all over Los Angeles, but only two of them survive.
And it just shows you what a great sandwich it is.
Whoever invented it, it's got staying power.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well, it looks like Cole's may have staying power in
terms of the dish. It's claimed to have created the
French dip sandwich. But they're saying they're closing August second,
and with that is not just the loss of their
version of this sandwich, it's the loss of one hundred
and seventeen years of active living history. What are some
(27:03):
key moments that we might know about or keep people
from history that have some connection to Cole's.
Speaker 12 (27:10):
Well, I mean you have to start with Harry Cole,
because that's the man whose name is still on it.
Speaker 13 (27:14):
And this is a guy who.
Speaker 12 (27:17):
You know, he did what a lot of people did
in that era, which is that he recognized that you
wanted to give working men a place to drink. Now,
prohibition was definitely something people were talking about. In fact,
prohibition as a national movement was largely pushed by Southern
California women through the Women's Christian Temperance Union, a very
powerful politically organization. But a big part of wanting to
(27:42):
have something good to drink.
Speaker 13 (27:43):
Was that a lot of the water that you could
get wasn't necessarily healthful.
Speaker 12 (27:47):
People didn't want to go and get a glass of
water somewhere. God knows what's in that. You know, if
you're getting beer, it's been steamed and it's healthful. And
then you got to feed these guys or they're just
going to be vomiting everywhere. So you've got a steam
table and you're cut in the meat, and this becomes
your identity. And over time, because it's in the Pacific
Electric building, you know, people start bringing down bits of
(28:08):
ephemera and they end up on the walls and then
they end up as part of the restaurant. Now famously,
this is something that when said Moses redesigned the place
with Ricky Klein, his designer. I don't know why they
took it out. I guess they just they looked at
the space and they felt like it wasn't.
Speaker 13 (28:22):
A good use of space.
Speaker 12 (28:23):
But those little tables that they had, and I remember
them were made from the sides of decommissioned Pacific electric cars,
which means they would have had, you know, little bits
of carving in them, and they would have had soul
and you put your hand on it and be like
my grandparents rode around in this car when they were recording.
Speaker 13 (28:40):
That's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
It's a physical connection to the past that you really
can't get elsewhere. Now, tell me about the urinal. I
know you guys have to know about this. What's the
placard over one of the urinals? Somebody famous took a
leak there.
Speaker 13 (28:53):
Yeah, so there's no of them. I believe they have
been stolen by now. They're in the men's rooms, so
I can't tell you.
Speaker 12 (28:58):
But one was for Charles Bakowski, and we have Bokowski Tour.
Speaker 11 (29:02):
That as someone who's entered the men's erman thirty some
years that was there, Yes.
Speaker 12 (29:09):
Yeah, so there was one one honored Charles Bokowski who
dragged a lot of beer.
Speaker 13 (29:14):
And sweet wines and he had to relieve himself.
Speaker 12 (29:18):
And another I'm not convinced that this was a Bokowski
place when he came down he I know he went
to Philip's wh wrote a beautiful poem about the alcoholic
men rolling off the hill at dawn and getting coffee there. Beautiful,
beautiful poem. He said they had the most beautiful faces
in town. And then he wrote a poem about Clifton's,
which is practically around the corner.
Speaker 11 (29:37):
Yeah, and he went to the King Edward.
Speaker 13 (29:40):
He definitely did the.
Speaker 11 (29:41):
King Eddie Saloon in the King Edward Hotel fifth in
Los Angeles, which is one block from Coles.
Speaker 13 (29:47):
He well might well have gone to Coles. I mean
everyone did.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
And Mickey Cohen, the mobster.
Speaker 12 (29:52):
Yeah, the mobster, the Boyle Heights boy, the Great La character.
He was definitely a patron and he didn't drink, So
he's a guy you know, would get a non alcoholic
beverage and hang out.
Speaker 11 (30:03):
And he enjoyed.
Speaker 13 (30:04):
He enjoyed that place.
Speaker 12 (30:04):
And as a guy who famously, you know, was a
clean freak, that tells you what was a nice place
to be. I don't think you would have been there
if it was the skid row dive that some people
liked to think get it turned into.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
So you're talking about a poet, a mobster. I mean,
this was a place that attracted all.
Speaker 12 (30:20):
Kinds characters because it's welcoming, and that's what southern California
used to have, is these incredibly well run establishments that
didn't really change from generation to generation. The only thing
that was a constant, and it's a real constant, is
that you're going to find people in there who are
happy to be there and are congenial, both on both
(30:41):
sides of the bar.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Big picture, this is a big deal. And for the
closure of this restaurant, it's not the first significant restaurant
that has deep historic connections to the soul of downtown
Los Angeles. What does it mean to lose these places?
Speaker 12 (30:59):
It kills the soul of Los Angeles. It takes away
from the people of the future the opportunity to feel
like they are part of a continuous golden thread of
living in a place, of participating in a culture. And
for me personally, you know, what they turned Coals into
isn't really my kind of place, which is fine, it
(31:20):
doesn't have to be. But just before it got remodeled,
a bunch of my art geek weirdo friends from the
Tacophony Society were doing events in the back room, which
became the Varnish.
Speaker 11 (31:30):
We did an event there, Yeah, we did, Actually, yeah.
Speaker 12 (31:32):
I mean, people were having avant garde music. There was
a guy who made sandwiches with his feet. It just
breaks my heart that you walk through downtown LA and
we do it, you know, almost every week on a tour,
and you point out all these empty buildings and you
try to bring them to life and talk about what
they were.
Speaker 13 (31:47):
Like in the past and what they could be. Is
not an option.
Speaker 12 (31:51):
Because the landlords have the doors locked and they don't
want anyone using them. A place like Coals, I mean,
if it doesn't work anymore as a high end and
exclusive sort of speakeasy and back of a relatively expensive
sandwich place, could it be a neighborhood bar again.
Speaker 13 (32:08):
That's what it was for a long long time.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I think we're all hoping that some miracle comes through
and that we get the opportunity to enjoy calls beyond August.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Second.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
One thing is for certain, we can enjoy more lessons
about Los Angeles history. Courtesy of Esoturic and Richard Shave
and Kim Cooper. You got a couple of events, I mean,
you've got plenty events coming up. We'll make sure that
people can check out sooturic dot com. That's e s
O t O ric dot com the Weird West Adams
(32:41):
Walking Tour on August sixteenth, but there are plenty of
other tours coming up. Black Dahlia Tour, East Hollywood Silent
Comedy Show. Check out their website. I know you're going
to find something that is interesting to you. These two
quirky characters will tell you about the even quirky characters
of Los Angele Kim Cooper and Richard Shave. I do
(33:02):
appreciate the time and the history lesson that you both
gave us today.
Speaker 12 (33:06):
Oh it's our pleasure, you know, if we can take
you on a time travel trip and maybe bring you back.
Speaker 13 (33:11):
I think we're doing good things for Ali.
Speaker 11 (33:13):
Well, we'll see you soon, Michael, thank you.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
We've got another hour ahead here on Michael Monks Reports.
It's been six months since the January wildfires destroyed Pacific
Palisades and Altadena. People who lost their homes have a
long road ahead, but some people whose homes were miraculously
spared are also facing challenges they did not expect. That's
(33:36):
next right here on KFI AM six
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Four, KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This
is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News
with you for the next couple of hours. We are
now officially passed the halfway mark of twenty twenty five,
and what a half year it has been in Los
Angeles and southern California. January wildfires destroy Pacific Palisades and Altadena. June,
(00:30):
Immigration enforcement ramps up, demonstrations against them start, local and
state officials go to battle with the White House. And
we still have six months to go before this year
is over. And keep in mind these major events are
happening on top of the everyday challenges of living here, homelessness, affordability,
(00:50):
challenging business climate, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Twenty
twenty five has been and will likely continue to be
a heck of a test for all of our mental wellbeing.
In our second hour today, we'll focus on where we
are six months since the wildfires in January, what's the
(01:12):
condition on the ground, how did we get here, and
where are we going. At the bottom of this hour,
we will turn to the terrible news out of downtown
LA this week. A staple of the restaurant's scene for
over one hundred years, Coles, has announced it is closing
the doors at Coal's, opened in nineteen oh eight, one
(01:33):
hundred and seventeen years ago. It survived World Wars, economic downturns,
different eras of civil unrest in LA. But now it's
all too much for Coals. So what's happened? A couple
of local historians and LA experts are with us to
share the story of Coals and to spell out how
(01:54):
difficult it is to operate in downtown Los Angeles these days.
But we start with immigration. What a week on this front.
It started with a bizarre show of force in MacArthur Park,
military vehicles, immigration agents on horseback, the National Guard, and
(02:15):
then the mayor, Karen Bass shows up to demand they leave,
and then they do without doing any sort of enforcement action.
Was very strange. On Thursday, agents hit farm Country in
Ventura County, and despite the rural nature of this area
near cam Rio, about one hundred protesters showed up there
(02:36):
and a tent standoff ensued. About two hundred people were
reportedly arrested. Suspected illegal immigrants working at a cannabis farm,
including miners, some of whom the federal governments say are
in this country without their parents. Between these two events,
LA County, the City of Los Angeles, and other cities
(02:57):
in the county moved to join a law lawsuit filed
by the ACLU and others against the Trump administration to
bring a halt to many of these immigration raids and
enforcement actions. Specifically, they pushed for a stop to agents
allegedly approaching people indiscriminately based on skin color, or language
(03:18):
spoken or accent. They basically pointed to events that have
happened in home depot parking lots, car washes, street vending areas.
Here is City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
But it's more than a month since Angelino's awoke to
a completely frightening and new reality on our city streets.
We have been using every tool available in my office
to fight back. We have filed amikas briefs in the
Attorney general suit up North. We have supported the government's
request for a temporary restraining order there. Local law enforcement
(03:52):
for this kind of force would require a showing of
real threat. That's not what's happening here. This seems to
be designed to be aggressive, to instill fear, not responsive
to respond to a threat.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And here's elliemer bass.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
I don't want to say it's my pleasure to be
here with you, because it's not. It seems like day
after day we're up here saying the same thing. Aside
from the fact that this is unconstitutional, how do we
know the difference between this and a kidnapping?
Speaker 1 (04:22):
What we have experience over.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
These last few weeks has just been shocking, seeing troops, troops,
some on horseback, ride through a children in summer camp.
The courts we will still go to for a remedy
as we are today, it is critical that we use
every single venue.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
There was a hearing on this suit Thursday right here
in Los Angeles, and then late Friday, a US district
judge agreed with the acou La County and the others
and temporarily blocked federal agents from using what critics called
racial profiling in making their stop. So what does this
mean is federal action against illegal immigration over?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Is it finished?
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Well?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
If the federal government obeys this judge's order, it does
stop random stops of people with brown skin or who
are speaking Spanish around home depot and the other places
I mentioned. City attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto says it's a
win and while the judge's order is just temporary, it
could turn into a longer injunction. The White House is
(05:30):
expected to appeal this decision. A spokesperson says no federal
judge has the authority to dictate immigration policy, that only
Congress and the President have that authority. The White House
calls it a gross overstep of judicial authority, but the judge,
who was appointed by President Biden, says there was sufficient
(05:51):
evidence that race and other similar factors were being used
when federal agents would stop people. Judge Frempong wrote, what
the federal government would have this court believe in the
face of a mountain of evidence presented in this case
is that none of this is actually happening. President Trump's
borders are Tom Holman. He had said before the order
(06:13):
was issued that if the ACLU and LA were to prevail,
it would shut down immigration operations. He says, ice officers
and border patrol don't need probable calls to walk up
to somebody, briefly detain them and question them. They just
need be what he called the totality of the circumstances
and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who's
(06:35):
from Santa Monica, he says on X the judge is
a Communist who has ordered Ice to report directly to her.
He calls it another act of quote insurrection against the
US and its sovereign people. So now this fight is
not over. Immigration enforcement in this area seems to be
in a weird state of limbo. But it's something that
(06:57):
we will continue to keep our eyes on because this
was a massive, significant development this week on these events
that had been dominating our lives here in Los Angeles,
certainly here in the news business. And up next we'll
revisit this big immigration action, the big immigration actions really
(07:18):
of this past week, how they unfolded, and how they
led to that legal action taken by local governments. Plus
one thing political observers may ask when anything is going
on is who's winning when it comes to immigration enforcement
here in Los Angeles and across the country. Who's winning
President Trump or Mayor Bass. A new column in the
(07:40):
Orange County Register suggests both of them are. And we'll
also explore the history of Coles the one hundred and
seventeen year old restaurant in downtown Los Angeles that has
announced its closure. All that is ahead this hour on
Michael Monks Reports.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand, six.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This is Michael
Monk's Reports. So I'm Michael Monks from KFI Knew, spending
a couple hours with you on this weekend in southern California.
Coming up in the next hour, we look back on
six months since the January wildfires, including a conversation about
those houses in the Palisades and Altadena that are still
standing that seemed miraculously unscathed or barely scratched, even as
(08:26):
the neighboring homes completely evaporated. It turns out those homeowners
may not be as lucky as it seems. But first
we continue to wrap up a crazy week here on
the immigration front. It all started Monday with a strange
scene in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
It was midday when federal agents and fatigues and tactical
gear and National Guard troops began marching on foot and
on horseback through mostly empty MacArthur Park near downtown la
The Department of Defense says around ninety armed troops were involved,
with armored vehicles, had even military ambulances. In the end,
it appeared nobody was detained and very few people were
(09:05):
even in the park. Laay Or Karen Bass angrily showed
up on scene to oppose his show of force, later saying, we.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Have federal armed vehicles in our parks when nothing is
going on.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Alex stoneyb sins so the mayor herself shows up in
the midst of this. Keep in mind this is another
example of how the wildfires in January and the federal
immigration enforcement actions of late are related politically. First, Mayor
Bass took a major political hit by being out of
the country when the Palisades fire started to rage. But
she's positioning herself as a willing adversary to the Trump
(09:40):
administration on the issue of illegal immigration and that could
benefit her politically. Here we'll have more on that in
just a moment, But as the situation in MacArthur Park
was happening, the mayor was expected to be at a
press conference recognizing six months since the wildfires and what's
been done since. Instead, she made a beeline for the park.
(10:01):
Confronted federal agents and demanded they leave. She never even
ended up going to that fire press conference, So here's
some more of what she had to say immediately after
and a day after the MacArthur Park situation.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
To me, this is another example of the administration ractioning
up chaos by deploying would look like a military operation
in an American city. What happened to the criminals, the
drug dealers, the violent individuals who were in the park
(10:34):
today were children. It was their summer camp. There was
no protests, there was no disorder that required that yesterday
seeing troops, troops, some on horseback, ride through a children's
summer camp, disrupting that, traumatizing the kids.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Governor Gavin Newsom was also in town for that press
conference about the wildfires, so he also took a moment
to address what happened in MacArthur Park.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
Says everything you and I need to know about the
state of mind of the President of the United States
in this administration. I want folks to know we have
your back and we'll continue to come back and do
what we can to protect our diverse communities, to protect
the spirit that defines the best of this city and
(11:30):
our state. And to push back against this cruelty. Those
National guardmen and women that were out there protecting people
are now being used as political ponds.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
So that was Monday. On Thursday, another large scene raids
at two cannabis farms owned by the same company known
as Glasshouse, including one location in Camarillo.
Speaker 7 (11:50):
A dramatic scene northwest of Los Angeles protesters clashing with
massed federal agents conducting immigration raids at a cannabis farm
in Ventura County. Crowds quickly get gathering, federal agents setting
off smoke canisters and irritants to disperse them. Dozens of
men lined against the wall, heavily armed agents standing guard.
At least one person is seen kneeling on the ground
seemingly under arrest.
Speaker 8 (12:11):
The master agents had shown up at a cannabis farm
in Ventura County, northwest of La Men seemed lined up
against the wall with heavily armed agents and at least
one person appearing to be under arrest. Federal agents setting
off smoke canisters to disperse the crowds. The FBI now
offering a fifty thousand dollars reward for information on the
(12:34):
person who appeared to fire a gun at law enforcement.
Speaker 9 (12:37):
The search is underway for the man seen on video
allegedly firing at federal agents during a violent clash at
a cannabis farm near Los Angeles. It comes as a
federal judge overnight ordering the Trump administration to temporarily halt
quote indiscriminate immigration stops in seven California counties, including Los Angeles.
Speaker 10 (12:58):
The judge dating that the DHS cannot detain someone based
on their race, spoken language, or job, and that they
cannot deny a detainee the right to legal counsel. In
a late night social media post, President Trump described protesters
as thugs hurling rocks and bricks at law enforcement vehicles,
saying he's granting total authorization to protect officers and demanding
(13:21):
arrests immediately.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody there,
including miners. One migrant reportedly died from a fall That
calls a dispute between a farm workers union and the
federal government over the circumstances of that death. But you
heard President Trump has seen images of the protest in
cama Rio and now wants agents to be tougher on them.
(13:44):
Things here in southern California could get hotter and soon. Meanwhile,
a new column in The OC registered by political consultant
Matt klink I thought this was interesting. He says both
Mayor Bass and President Trump can win and are winning
political points in this immigration battle. He notes Bass got
(14:06):
knocked down politically and the Palisades fire because she was
in Africa when it started, but now she's jumped headfirst
into the fray with Trump over immigration. But across the nation,
President Trump is racking up points. Certainly with his strongest
supporters who clamored for widespread mass deportations. The only thing
they may not be happy about is there haven't been
(14:27):
enough deportations. But for other folks who may have voted
for Trump but aren't particularly passionate, when they see violent
protests in Los Angeles against law enforcement, that could also
be a win for Trump politically. It solidifies his support
among that crew of voters who find that appalling. On
(14:48):
the other hand, stories of immigrants taken from fruit stands
or social media videos showing agents roughing up somebody who
was trying to get a job outside a home depot,
or family being separated, images of children crying when their
parents are deported. There are people who may not be
firmly liberal, but who find that appalling. Clink writes it's
(15:11):
too early to declare winners and losers, but for now,
both Bass and Trump are gaining from these early clashes.
Now it's only July, there's still a lot of twenty
twenty five left, and you can bet KFI will be
at the ready to cover and talk about all of
this as it continues to unfold and up.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Next, we go to.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Downtown La Bad news from a historic restaurant calls the
originator of the French Tip sandwich will shut the doors
for good. Doors that open for the first time in
nineteen oh eight, one hundred and seventeen years ago.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
So what gives?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
How can a business that survive that long finally be
brought to its knees. A pair of local history and
culture experts join us to explain the story of Coals
and what's going on around it that led to its closure.
This is Michael Monks Reports.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Kf IAM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monk's Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
It was a gut punch to downtown LA this week
when it was confirmed Cohle's Restaurant and Bar, the originator
of the French Dip sandwich, would close its doors in
a few weeks for good. It opened in nineteen oh eight,
(16:27):
one hundred and seventeen years in business. That's a lot
of history and it's a big loss. Richard Shave and
Kim Cooper are local historians, tour guides, and the proprietors
of Esotoric tours into the secret heart of Los Angeles.
They're with us now to talk about it. Richard Shave,
Kim Cooper, thanks so much for being with us.
Speaker 11 (16:46):
Thank you for having us. Michael happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
It's absolutely a pleasure. You all are so informed about
Los Angeles history, especially downtown history where most of LA
history started. At least be the American Los Angeles that
we know and love. Coles Man, you know, hearing this
news is a gut punch. It's always sad when any
business fails, because you know people have put their heart
and soul into it. But this thing dates back to
(17:11):
nineteen oh eight. This isn't just another business closure. How
serious of a loss would this be to Los Angeles.
Speaker 12 (17:21):
This would be the kind of loss that people would
sort of measure time by.
Speaker 13 (17:25):
Oh remember when Coles closed, That's when we.
Speaker 12 (17:27):
Really knew something was really wrong.
Speaker 13 (17:31):
It can't happen.
Speaker 12 (17:32):
I mean, I know it's been announced that it's closing
in less than a month. But I think that there's
an opportunity here. There's got to be away keep this
from happening.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
What could the business conditions be like? I mean, downtown
is struggling in a lot of ways. Coals has been
an institution that has survived world wars, economic downturns, all
kinds of unrest that has taken place in this country
and in this city. But is there's something that could
(18:02):
be negatively impacting this business that we don't know about
that that's made it an unsuccessful venture at this point?
Speaker 13 (18:09):
No, I think we all know what's been going on.
Speaker 12 (18:11):
It's been a cascading series of really hard times, you know.
I mean, we've had strikes in Hollywood.
Speaker 13 (18:17):
We've had fires.
Speaker 12 (18:20):
Now we have ice rates on the street, which are
making people anxious. Some of the people who work at
Coals are probably not comfortable coming into work, especially because
that's you know, it's a nighttime environment, so you're leaving
early in the morning, and it's many many things are happening. Obviously,
there's a homeless crisis in downtown Los Angeles. That's been
an issue for a couple of decades. Now everything adds
(18:42):
up and when people stop being able to go out
and drink. Let's talk about what happened with city hall.
They chose to impose a curfew. A lot of people
in the neighborhood said, I don't really know that we
need a curfew, but that hit the bottom line and
if that's what killed Coals, we should talk about it.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
No doubt about it that the conversation needs to be had,
because I've often said on the air that what I
notice in covering the local government is that there seems
to be a lack of urgency specific to downtown Los Angeles.
I think about the trees that were hacked by allegedly
by a homeless man who was clearly having some mental issues.
Speaker 13 (19:22):
And the scarborist. Shocking is that.
Speaker 14 (19:26):
Right he did This gentleman was arrested by the California
California Park or At State Parks Ranger two months earlier
for similar vandalism in the area and LEKA and they're
an LAPD, and the city attorney and the council office
(19:47):
just chose to be unaware of.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
That, you see.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
And that's obviously another conversation to be had is our
approach to penalties for various things. But the point I'm
making here is that when those trees were hacked, and
it is a serious issue. I mean, urban canopy is important,
not just some trees. They help foster a healthy environment.
But the response was significant and it was swift. But
we don't see that kind of response to the every day,
(20:14):
let's just say, general unpleasantness of being in and around
downtown Los Angeles. I know that you are cultural and
history buffs and experts, but this is a local government
thing that you two also pay very close attention to. Richard,
Am I right that there's a lack of urgency here.
Speaker 11 (20:32):
Okay, Well, what you're correct about is that there's a
lack of response. And I believe the lack of response
is that, in addition to downtown Los Angeles singing within
Council District fourteen, which currently has as well Yurado as
its council member, formerly Kevin de Leonen. Before that, Jose.
(20:55):
We saw who was down in federal prison for twelve years,
we have to say confessed tora.
Speaker 8 (21:00):
Okay.
Speaker 14 (21:00):
In addition to the municipal governments by the Council District
and just the fact that it is the seat of
the City of Los Angeles where City Hall sets, so
there are appointed bureaucrats whose vested interest is in keeping
the civic center relatively habitable. In addition to that, you
have business improvement districts. In the nineteen nineties, the Community
(21:26):
Redevelopment Agency, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles ran
downtown as a blighted redevelopment site for nineteen sixty through
through several iterations, dissolved in twenty twelve.
Speaker 11 (21:42):
They're gone.
Speaker 14 (21:43):
That vacuum caused by Governor Brown dissolving all community redevelopment
agencies I think has caused is showing us that City
Hall and Council District fourteen historically have very little institutional
understanding of how to manage downtown. And then you have
the business improvement districts with the switch the series created
in the nineteen nineties, Fashion District, Historic Core, Downtown, Central
(22:06):
Business District, and all of these entities have to interact
and talk, which they do, and it's just very hard
to get anything done. And I'm sorry if that's a
little long, but that's that's the big picture of When
you ask what's happening here?
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Why, well, no, the fact that your answer has to
be as lengthy as it is is illustrative of the
situation because everything you said is accurate. There are just
multi layers of unelected people that have a hand in
the way downtown Los Angeles is governed, and it just
doesn't seem to be very effective. But let's get back
to the core of this story. The environment is obviously
(22:39):
played a role in the closure of Coles, which has
long claimed to have created the French dip sandwich, that
beef sandwich that is dipped in an o'ju sauce, and
obviously something that Philips also lays claim to. So that's
been a long running story. Let's start with that because
we're going to talk about the history of Coals. You
(23:00):
two know it, well, why is that so important to them?
They put it in their name, Coal's originator of the
French dip is like their full government name.
Speaker 13 (23:08):
That's their new name.
Speaker 12 (23:09):
So when said Moses took it over. Wait, we can
go backwards when said Moses took it over. Around two
thousand and seven, Cole's pe buffet became Cole's French dip
and pe, you know. I mean, these are initials that
used to be on everybody's tongue in Los Angeles and
southern California. The Pacific Electric was the streetcar system that
could allow you if you wanted to leave your home
(23:32):
anywhere in the LA area, dress up in your mountaineering
gear and go to the San Gabriel Mountains for a
hiking trip. You could go to almost any beach. I mean,
like the entirety of southern California was available. And I
love hearing about like adventurous kids who just went and
explored this massive municipality. And the Pacific Electric building was,
(23:53):
you know, the heart of this. This is the brains
of the operation, and that's where everybody ate and drank.
Speaker 13 (23:59):
And it's I'm.
Speaker 11 (24:01):
Going to interrupt you, Ken. We actually haven't met at
this point. They're now quite old.
Speaker 14 (24:05):
We've met older people who in the fifties work downtown
and this is what they did on their weekends. They
they just got in the red car. They went to
betterly got up and went everywhere, and it's the thing
they all say, It's the one thing I miss was
you could go anywhere and it was amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
We continue this conversation next. It's not just that Cole's
is in the building where the old train system operated.
Pieces of the old train system are still part of
the interior of this place. We'll jump into that next
when Michael Monks Reports continues.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI News.
We're talking about Coles, the one hundred and seventeen year
old restaurant in downtown Los Angeles that announced its upcoming
closure on August second. It's in the historic building that
was once home to the Pacific Electric Railway Company, and
(25:03):
though those trains are long gone, pieces of them are
still part of Coals. The proprietors of Esoturic Tours into
the Secret Heart of Los Angeles, Richard Shave and Kim Cooper,
are with us to help us understand the history and
the conditions downtown that led to Cole's closure, and there
are elements of the old streetcar system, physical elements inside
(25:26):
this restaurant.
Speaker 13 (25:27):
Oh and outside too, because if you walk down Main Street,
go around the corner and head.
Speaker 12 (25:31):
Towards the cecil, it says danger in the sidewalk where
the trains used to come out.
Speaker 11 (25:36):
Right and let me up. Going back to history and
things that are lost. The Pacific Electric building had an
elevated track that came down in the late nineteen fifties.
So when you walked outside of Coals, turned to the
turn to the east and walked to Los Angeles Street,
(25:57):
and you turned right to go to the backside of
the building on Los Angeles Street, you'd be under an
elevated track.
Speaker 13 (26:02):
Yeah, you're right, you might as well be in New York.
I mean, it's an amazing lost.
Speaker 14 (26:06):
An amazing lost ecosystem and infrastructure.
Speaker 12 (26:11):
Woud and Melly and then you'd go into this basement
and you were sort of just like in this womb
of food and drink and good fellowship, and it's it's
a really special place. I mean, if I had a
time machine, that's definitely one of the places I go.
But I don't think they had French dip sandwiches in
nineteen oh eight.
Speaker 13 (26:27):
I think it came around.
Speaker 12 (26:28):
Closer to nineteen thirty, and there were French dip places
all over Los Angeles, but only two of them survive.
And it just shows you what a great sandwich it is.
Whoever invented it, it's got staying power.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well, it looks like Cole's may have staying power in
terms of the dish. It's claimed to have created the
French dip sandwich. But they're saying they're closing August second,
and with that is not just the loss of their
version of this sandwich, it's the loss of one hundred
and seventeen years of active living history. What are some
(27:03):
key moments that we might know about or keep people
from history that have some connection to Cole's.
Speaker 12 (27:10):
Well, I mean you have to start with Harry Cole,
because that's the man whose name is still on it.
Speaker 13 (27:14):
And this is a guy who.
Speaker 12 (27:17):
You know, he did what a lot of people did
in that era, which is that he recognized that you
wanted to give working men a place to drink. Now,
prohibition was definitely something people were talking about. In fact,
prohibition as a national movement was largely pushed by Southern
California women through the Women's Christian Temperance Union, a very
powerful politically organization. But a big part of wanting to
(27:42):
have something good to drink.
Speaker 13 (27:43):
Was that a lot of the water that you could
get wasn't necessarily healthful.
Speaker 12 (27:47):
People didn't want to go and get a glass of
water somewhere. God knows what's in that. You know, if
you're getting beer, it's been steamed and it's healthful. And
then you got to feed these guys or they're just
going to be vomiting everywhere. So you've got a steam
table and you're cut in the meat, and this becomes
your identity. And over time, because it's in the Pacific
Electric building, you know, people start bringing down bits of
(28:08):
ephemera and they end up on the walls and then
they end up as part of the restaurant. Now famously,
this is something that when said Moses redesigned the place
with Ricky Klein, his designer. I don't know why they
took it out. I guess they just they looked at
the space and they felt like it wasn't.
Speaker 13 (28:22):
A good use of space.
Speaker 12 (28:23):
But those little tables that they had, and I remember
them were made from the sides of decommissioned Pacific electric cars,
which means they would have had, you know, little bits
of carving in them, and they would have had soul
and you put your hand on it and be like
my grandparents rode around in this car when they were recording.
Speaker 13 (28:40):
That's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
It's a physical connection to the past that you really
can't get elsewhere. Now, tell me about the urinal. I
know you guys have to know about this. What's the
placard over one of the urinals? Somebody famous took a
leak there.
Speaker 13 (28:53):
Yeah, so there's no of them. I believe they have
been stolen by now. They're in the men's rooms, so
I can't tell you.
Speaker 12 (28:58):
But one was for Charles Bakowski, and we have Bokowski Tour.
Speaker 11 (29:02):
That as someone who's entered the men's erman thirty some
years that was there, Yes.
Speaker 12 (29:09):
Yeah, so there was one one honored Charles Bokowski who
dragged a lot of beer.
Speaker 13 (29:14):
And sweet wines and he had to relieve himself.
Speaker 12 (29:18):
And another I'm not convinced that this was a Bokowski
place when he came down he I know he went
to Philip's wh wrote a beautiful poem about the alcoholic
men rolling off the hill at dawn and getting coffee there. Beautiful,
beautiful poem. He said they had the most beautiful faces
in town. And then he wrote a poem about Clifton's,
which is practically around the corner.
Speaker 11 (29:37):
Yeah, and he went to the King Edward.
Speaker 13 (29:40):
He definitely did the.
Speaker 11 (29:41):
King Eddie Saloon in the King Edward Hotel fifth in
Los Angeles, which is one block from Coles.
Speaker 13 (29:47):
He well might well have gone to Coles. I mean
everyone did.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
And Mickey Cohen, the mobster.
Speaker 12 (29:52):
Yeah, the mobster, the Boyle Heights boy, the Great La character.
He was definitely a patron and he didn't drink, So
he's a guy you know, would get a non alcoholic
beverage and hang out.
Speaker 11 (30:03):
And he enjoyed.
Speaker 13 (30:04):
He enjoyed that place.
Speaker 12 (30:04):
And as a guy who famously, you know, was a
clean freak, that tells you what was a nice place
to be. I don't think you would have been there
if it was the skid row dive that some people
liked to think get it turned into.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
So you're talking about a poet, a mobster. I mean,
this was a place that attracted all.
Speaker 12 (30:20):
Kinds characters because it's welcoming, and that's what southern California
used to have, is these incredibly well run establishments that
didn't really change from generation to generation. The only thing
that was a constant, and it's a real constant, is
that you're going to find people in there who are
happy to be there and are congenial, both on both
(30:41):
sides of the bar.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Big picture, this is a big deal. And for the
closure of this restaurant, it's not the first significant restaurant
that has deep historic connections to the soul of downtown
Los Angeles. What does it mean to lose these places?
Speaker 12 (30:59):
It kills the soul of Los Angeles. It takes away
from the people of the future the opportunity to feel
like they are part of a continuous golden thread of
living in a place, of participating in a culture. And
for me personally, you know, what they turned Coals into
isn't really my kind of place, which is fine, it
(31:20):
doesn't have to be. But just before it got remodeled,
a bunch of my art geek weirdo friends from the
Tacophony Society were doing events in the back room, which
became the Varnish.
Speaker 11 (31:30):
We did an event there, Yeah, we did, Actually, yeah.
Speaker 12 (31:32):
I mean, people were having avant garde music. There was
a guy who made sandwiches with his feet. It just
breaks my heart that you walk through downtown LA and
we do it, you know, almost every week on a tour,
and you point out all these empty buildings and you
try to bring them to life and talk about what
they were.
Speaker 13 (31:47):
Like in the past and what they could be. Is
not an option.
Speaker 12 (31:51):
Because the landlords have the doors locked and they don't
want anyone using them. A place like Coals, I mean,
if it doesn't work anymore as a high end and
exclusive sort of speakeasy and back of a relatively expensive
sandwich place, could it be a neighborhood bar again.
Speaker 13 (32:08):
That's what it was for a long long time.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I think we're all hoping that some miracle comes through
and that we get the opportunity to enjoy calls beyond August.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Second.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
One thing is for certain, we can enjoy more lessons
about Los Angeles history. Courtesy of Esoturic and Richard Shave
and Kim Cooper. You got a couple of events, I mean,
you've got plenty events coming up. We'll make sure that
people can check out sooturic dot com. That's e s
O t O ric dot com the Weird West Adams
(32:41):
Walking Tour on August sixteenth, but there are plenty of
other tours coming up. Black Dahlia Tour, East Hollywood Silent
Comedy Show. Check out their website. I know you're going
to find something that is interesting to you. These two
quirky characters will tell you about the even quirky characters
of Los Angele Kim Cooper and Richard Shave. I do
(33:02):
appreciate the time and the history lesson that you both
gave us today.
Speaker 12 (33:06):
Oh it's our pleasure, you know, if we can take
you on a time travel trip and maybe bring you back.
Speaker 13 (33:11):
I think we're doing good things for Ali.
Speaker 11 (33:13):
Well, we'll see you soon, Michael, thank you.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
We've got another hour ahead here on Michael Monks Reports.
It's been six months since the January wildfires destroyed Pacific
Palisades and Altadena. People who lost their homes have a
long road ahead, but some people whose homes were miraculously
spared are also facing challenges they did not expect. That's
(33:36):
next right here on KFI AM six
Speaker 1 (33:39):
Four, KFI AM six forty on demand
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