"You can almost tell what time it is by the crowd," says Terri Bloomgarden, co-owner of the landmark Canter's Deli on Fairfax Avenue. The deli is a Los Angeles staple, welcoming people from all over the city for 95 years. Plenty of celebrities have eaten here - even former President Barack Obama has stopped by the deli - but it's also a place where you can stop by and grab a table late into the evening on weeknights and 24 hours on the weekends.
There are regulars who eat multiple meals at Canter's every day, multi-generational families that come here to dine together, and party people who show up in the wee hours of the morning for a bite after last call. That's not to mention the people who roll in for a quick stop at the bakery, sometimes heading there straight from the airport to pick up some sweet treats.
Canter's has been family run since its inception. Bloomgarden's grandfather, Ben Canter, took the train to Los Angeles with his two brothers in 1929 and a couple of years later, opened Canter Brothers Delicatessen in Boyle Heights, east of Downtown L.A. "They were what I call strong, Russian stock, so if they had to sell watermelons from place to place or do whatever they had to do, they did it," she says, noting that while they say that Canter's opened in 1931, "it is possible that there was a restaurant before that."
The much smaller space was located at 2323 Brooklyn Ave. (now Cesar Chavez Avenue) in what was then a heavily Jewish neighborhood. By the 1940s, people in the community were leaving Boyle Heights and moving near Fairfax Avenue - so too did Canter's. Bloomgarden's parents brought the deli to a spot not far from the current location. Meanwhile, Bloomgarden's grandfather had intended to retire, but that didn't happen as planned. He ended up buying the Esquire Theatre, which became the main dining area of today's Canter's.
The bustling restaurant is divided into three sections. The bakery and primary dining area opened in the early 1950s. Near the end of the decade, Canter bought the next-door deli, and that became the second dining area.
While Canter's added salads to the ample menu in 2012, they still have all the deli staples, like pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup, that remain popular. Now, they also offer vegetarian versions of classics like the Reuben sandwich.
Celebrities have noshed at Canter's for generations. The famous faces include Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Mel Brooks, Tommy Lasorda, Gene Simmons, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Sandler, Taylor Swift and Seth Rogen. Artist Gary Baseman, who grew up in the neighbirhood and whose mother worked at Canter's for over 30 years, has a dedicated booth adorned with his illustrations at the restaurant.
Bloomgarden has seen the neighborhood change since she was a kid taking ballet lessons across from the restaurant. Back then, she recalls, there was an open-air market, a shoe repair shop and other spots for people to take care of their day-to-day needs. "It was quite Jewish then," she says. "Holidays, people observed them, even if they were not kosher."
Some things, though, don't change. While Canter's has undergone some slight alterations over the decades, its decor stays true to its 1950s self. There are sputnik lights in the restaurant and a room divider between the two dining areas covered in brightly colored circles.
With its mid-century interior, Canter's has made numerous film and TV appearances, including Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures, the Tony Scott thriller Enemy of the State, and episodes of Mad Men, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, NCIS Los Angeles and Private Practice. More recently, you may have seen Canter's in season three of Euphoria.
Adjacent to Canter's is the famed Kibitz Room, which opened in 1961. Located in a space that was once a candy store, the small bar is open daily and features live entertainment.
Over the years, rising and established artists have played in the Kibitz Room, including Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Haim, The Kooks, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. Check out the photos of Guns N' Roses on the wall; co-owner Marc Canter shot the band early in their career and you might find his book, Reckless Road, in the restaurant near the cash register.
Canter's Deli
419 N. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles
323.651.2030
www.cantersdeli.com
