THE FOODIST / NEW TABLE TOP BOOK OF FAMED MUSSO & FRANK GRILL CELEBRATES THE ICONIC HOLLYWOOD EATERY’S C-NOTE BIRTHDAY.

 On September 27, the legendary Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood will mark its 100th-anniversary milestone. Easily one of the top destinations of choice for a full century among countless luminaries from the world of film, television, music, and literature running the gamut from Charlie Chaplin to Keith Richards and about to "co-star" in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time...In America," Musso's will also celebrate its centennial with an

early October publication of a richly-detailed table topped book entitled: "The Musso & Frank Grill," which features an intro by best-selling author Michael Connelly. 

Chronicling its century-long evolution, Musso & Frank: The Book, gives up secrets by revealing its close connection to Hollywood itself - with text and images showcasing famous patrons, first-ever (chicken pot pie) recipes, world-renowned martinis and propelled by a compelling and richly-detailed narrative, including an unforgettable cast of characters, several ghosts and lush, color-drenched images worthy of a cinematic epic.

Published in an oversized format by Story Farm and written by noted author and journalist Michael Callahan (Vanity Fair, Esquire), “The Musso & Frank Grill” (Sub-Titled Some Place To Eat in honor of the restaurant’s longstanding tag line), features a poetically heartfelt Introduction by best-selling “Bosch” author and frequent Musso & Frank patron Michael Connelly, as well as Photography by JonPaul Douglass and Tina Whatcott-Echeverria, and Illustrations by Rick Plummer.

“The Musso & Frank Grill” will be available to the public October 1 immediately following Musso’s official centennial anniversary date on September 27.  Priced at $40, the book will be sold on Amazon.com, at select bookstores, and inside the restaurant itself. Further details regarding the book’s availability will be updated on the restaurant’s website: click here.

“This book represents the very first time we’ve ever told our own story!” says Mark Echeverria, Musso’s CFO/COO/Proprietor, as well as a fourth-generation member of the family that has owned the famed venue since 1927. “It is a chronicle of how our beloved restaurant quite literally grew up side by side with Hollywood itself.”

Several  years (or should that be “a century?”) in the making, the new book will be a key facet of Musso & Frank’s centennial celebration in September, with additional honors including a special “Award of Excellence” which the restaurant will receive from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on Friday, September 27th at 11 AM during a ceremonial event open to the public in front of Musso’s and adjacent to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A New Chapter in Musso & Frank’s Storied History              

Not surprisingly, acclaimed author Michael Connelly beautifully captures the essence of what has made Musso & Frank every bit as legendary as the countless stars, authors, and studio executives who have considered it a home away from home all these years.

Author Michael Connelly

“{Musso & Frank} is a brick and mortar legend in a town of ephemeral celebrity and on any night (except Monday) you can see the epic story continue as it comforts old generations and welcomes news ones,” Mr. Connelly writes in his Introduction. “As the city changes, it still needs anchors to tether to its tenuous past. Musso & Frank is the anchor. A steady bulkhead on the beach of memory, a prism through which to interpret the future. A hundred years old and it’s just getting started.”

Among the new book’s deliciously compelling highlights:  

Anecdotes about many of the countless screen, stage, literary, musical and sports luminaries who have enjoyed spending time inside Musso’s over the decades, including Charlie Chaplin, Keith Richards, Joe Namath, Charlton Heston, Johnny Depp, Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, Clark Gable, Jerry Lewis, Bob Dylan, Francis Ford Coppola, Steve McQueen, Jonathan Winters, Anjelica Huston, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, and Jeff Goldblum among numerous others.

Musso & Frank celebrity guests identified at end of this blog

As the book’s author, Michael Callahan, wrote, “Musso’s understated style proved a perfect fit for stars who didn’t want their lunch or dinner consumption recorded for public consumption. Over time, the restaurant became known as something of a safe haven for the famous, a banner it still flies proudly today.”

Writer Michael Callahan

The story behind Musso & Frank’s legendary Perfect Martini (stirred not shaken – sorry, Mr. Bond!).

 A first-time-ever listing of the feature films and TV shows which have been shot inside, outside or even on the roof of Musso’s during its long history, starting with Buster Keaton’s “Cops” in 1922, then moving on to (among others) “The Day of the Locust,” “Ed Wood,” “Swingers,” “Sex and the City,” “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), “Charlie’s Angels” (2003), “Mad Men,” “Ray Donovan,” “Bosch,” “Scandal,” “The Kominsky Method,” and Quentin Tarantino’s July 2019 release, “Once Upon A Time In…Hollywood.”

Recipes are published—many for the first time ever-- for several classic Musso & Frank hors d'oeuvres, dishes and desserts, including Chicken Pot Pie, Short Ribs, Lobster Bisque, Chilean Sea Bass and Fettuccine Alfredo (featuring a recipe from the original Alfredo’s restaurant in Italy that was brought to Musso’s by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks).

Past, Present & Future

While its physical address can be found on Hollywood Boulevard, the true location of Musso & Frank lies at the intersection of Hollywood past, present and future.

M&F Grill, 1928

What would become Musso & Frank was founded in 1919 by Frank Toulet, who three years later formed a fateful partnership with a similarly forward-looking restaurateur named Joseph Musso. In 1922, the two men hired French chef Jean Rue – a culinary master who would wind up showcasing his artistry at Musso & Frank for 53 years and creating a menu that remains mostly intact to this day (amazingly enough, current Executive Chef J.P. Amateau is only the third person to serve in that position in the restaurant’s entire 100-year history following the tenures of Jean Rue and his successor, Michel Bourger!).

In 1927, Mr. Musso and Mr. Toulet sold their restaurant to a duo of Italian immigrants named Joseph Carissimi and John Mosso (a coincidentally similar name) and today Musso & Frank is owned and operated by the families of Mr. Mosso’s three granddaughters: John and Cathy Echeverria and their son Mark Echeverria; Steve and Anne Jones; and Richard and Kristen Kohlmeyer.

The New Room is in truth older than most current Hollywood restaurants

Commented Mark Echeverria about the new book, “Working with such exceptionally gifted people as Michael Callahan, Michael Connelly, JonPaul Douglass, Tina Whatcott-Echeverria and Rick Plummer, as well as the wonderfully creative team at Story Farms, has been among the most satisfying experiences of my career. Please raise a martini glass with me in saluting everyone who contributed to this richly textured and thoroughly enchanting look at the past, present and future of Musso & Frank, including my parents, aunts and uncles, Chef J.P. Amateau, General Manager/Wine Director Andrea Scuto, and our incomparable staff. We’re proud to celebrate our 100th anniversary with the publication of ‘The Musso & Frank Grill’ and look forward to making new memories that one day will no doubt be chronicled in a book about our second hundred years!”

As Musso & Frank looks back at its remarkable past even while enjoying its most successful year ever in 2019 and while planning for the future with the current construction of three new private rooms set to open in early 2020, loyal patrons and new visitors alike can rest assured that this legendary restaurant will always be the same warm and welcoming haven it’s been since 1919.

Perhaps Keith Richards summed up the timeless appeal of Musso & Frank Grill best during one of his frequent visits by clicking his heels together three times and joyfully quoting a cinematic line every bit as classic as Musso’s itself: “There’s no place like home."

[Caption to previous illustration]