Humphrey Bogart Was Known To Fight With His Third Wife At This Old-School LA Restaurant
In 1936, Dave Chasen, a broke ex-vaudevillian, developed a chili recipe that led to him open an eponymous barbecue shack. Located at the corner of Doheny Drive and Beverly Boulevard, it had only six tables and a bar with eight stools. This chili was 25 cents a bowl. In just a few years, Chasen's expanded and cemented its place in Hollywood restaurant history; acclaim is sure to follow when you make Elizabeth Taylor's favorite chili. Frequented by the likes of Clark Gable, Alfred Hitchcock, and Greta Garbo, Chasen's was also where Humphrey Bogart and his wife Mayo Methot famously fought, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Bogart and Methot met on the set of "Marked Woman" in 1937 and married a year later. The third marriage for both, their relationship was stormy from the start. Both were known for struggles with alcohol, which fueled their brawls. Over the course of their seven-year marriage, their fights became increasingly volatile and violent. The couple's explosive relationship earned them the nickname "The Battling Bogarts" and resulted in them being banned from or kicked out of numerous places, including Chasen's. Long after their divorce, a 1952 article in the Saturday Evening Post, reported that Chasen, "throws Bogie out of his restaurant once or twice a month for old times' sake."
Chasen's was a glamorous old Hollywood restaurant where the stars came out at night
A deep banquette at Chasen's was the place to see and be seen in old Hollywood. It was one of many restaurants Bogart loved across the U.S., probably because of the white glove treatment they were known for. Chasen's created the Shirley Temple, grandmother of all mocktails, for the underage star. The spot was legendary in part because diners felt like members of a private club, reservations were a must and so was the dress code. Having a house account was the ultimate insider flex. Comfortable elegance was driven by soft lighting and plush leather seating.
In 1960, the menu at Tinseltown's most quintessential restaurant balanced high and low — it boasted both Beluga caviar and Michelob on draft, filet mignon and its famous chili. Bogart continued to patronize Chasen's until his death in 1957. Chasen's enjoyed at 58-year run before it closed in 1995. The iconic restaurant became a Hollywood supermarket called Bristol Farms, where some of the original booths are still in use.