To the many fans Musso & Frank, and especially to those who look upon a reservation at the celebrated eatery an absolute must for any LA visit, there is some sad news. Hollywoods oldest restaurant will be keeping their doors closed due to the COVID outbreak. The beloved Hollywood institution has been a "must-visit" destination for the TCMFF crowd ever since the inaugural Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival in 2010. Although the network has already announced its intentions, it makes it all the more difficult to bare knowing that the closure may impact the future of restaurant.
Mark Echeverria, John Mosso's great grandson and the current general manager of the grill, recently wrote a letter to the Los Angeles community to address the concerns of both the eatery and the community. "First, I would like to thank all of you for your remarkable loving support for Musso’s and our team members during the intense ordeal of this past year! We have all been greatly touched by your generosity, and your genuine outpouring of concern for our situation. Your actions have truly been extraordinary!"
Echeverria's optimism for the future continued with these encouraging words, "We are extremely excited to note the great progress and forward strides that we Angelenos have been making recently in overcoming the spread of this pandemic! As you are all most likely aware, Los Angeles County has just moved into the “Red Tier." For the restaurant industry, this means that a return to indoor dining at 25% capacity has just been approved. Although 25% capacity is still far from where we hope to be, it is most certainly an exciting first step in the right direction! One of our beloved guests, Mark Steinberg, recently told us: “We can see the martini at the end of the bar!” We couldn’t agree more with his optimistic sentiment!" While this does nothing to counter the loss TCMFF attendees feel about the virtual state of the fest, the Musso and Frank update does lift the spirits of those living vicariously through those of us locals who can do our part to help the TCMFF spirit live on at the favorite watering hole of classic film fans.
Echeverria goes on to say, "Yes, that martini is certainly getting closer - and we are now starting the extensive process of putting the gears in motion for a reopening in the near future. That being said, given the length and the stringent restrictions of this past year’s ban on indoor dining, we expect that our process to safely reopen may take several weeks. We remain VERY optimistic that our reunion is undoubtedly coming soon! Of course, we will keep everyone updated with developments as we move through the guidelines and logistics of the reopening process! Again, we thank you all for your continued love and support! Please continue your good work in beating this pandemic! Working together as a community, we WILL be seeing all of you soon!"
I'm sure I speak for many TCMFF attendees when I say that we miss you Musso & Frank. We hope you survive this time of economic uncertainty for your sake and ours, as we dream of once again lifting a cocktail glass to you and yours and the TCMFF. May. we all live long and prosper!
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