Clifton's Cafeteria

In the Langer's thread, Est Nyboer offers the following advice:

If so, must counter that it's dangerous NOT to go to Langers, in the midst of a rare part of L.A. with actual street life. It's a big city; keep your wits about you and enjoy it.

Somewhat in that spirit, I went to Clifton's, 648 S. Broadway today. As for street life (where's Randy Crawford when we need her voice?), it's got it. You could say the area is dirty and foul, or you could say it's reminiscent of a Spanish version of the scene in which Travolta swings down the street in Saturday Night Fever. In any case, Clifton's is a major time warp that really has to be seen to be appreciated (I'd seen it in a Huell Howser piece but it looks a lot "newer" on TV than in life). As for the food, strictly steam table stuff and pretty unexciting tho the pies looked like they might be okay. I had some forgettable mac n cheese.