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3 Famous Restaurants and Bars That Weren’t Supposed to Be
An unexpected origin story adds character.
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Even with gourmet food or complex cocktails, a restaurant or bar is nothing without ambience. Furniture, lighting, music, and color scheme are all important … but for an added twist, nothing beats location, especially one with a unique history. Just take it from these three legendary establishments:
The Edison
Los Angeles’ first downtown power plant is now a gothic bar.
The Higgins Building, named after the Irish-American immigrant Thomas Higgins, has served many purposes in its 100-plus-year-old lifetime: an office and retail space; a cultural focal point for LA’s hottest 1920s music scene; a home to the Bureau of Engineering and General Petroleum; and a rooftop cafe for the Women’s Progressive League, among others.
And its long-neglected basement once stored one of the city’s first electric generation stations.
When Andrew Meieran bought The Higgins in 1998, the basement was submerged in eight feet of water. In 2007, Meieran and a partner turned the basement into a swanky steampunk cocktail bar illuminated by Edison-era lightbulbs and music that comes from an Edison cylinder player — which they naturally called The Edison. By leveraging the building’s history for inspiration and creativity, they had a bright idea.
Arlene’s Grocery
Prior to 1995, no one in Manhattan’s Lower East Side would’ve guessed that their local bodega and adjacent butcher shop would someday host the music world’s biggest acts. But after a buyout and revamp that cheekily kept only the name and exterior — just as the neighborhood became known for its vibrant nightlife — Arlene’s Grocery transformed into a divey rock venue that’s seen performances by Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, Jeff Buckley, and even The Strokes in 2000 before The Strokes were really a thing.
It still hosts up-and-coming bands and artists seven nights a week, even if some hungry passersby might be confused.
Forbes Island
First conceived in 1975 by millionaire Forbes Kiddoo, the 700-ton Forbes Island was intended to be a 15-room floating home in Sausalito, just north of San Francisco. But local residents complained and Kiddoo was evicted in 1991.
Forbes Island was eventually approved for a 15-year renewable lease in San Francisco proper. Kiddoo transformed it into a seaside restaurant, where it would remain as a landmark at the tourist-centric Pier 39 for two decades. In 2017, after a series of fires and renovations, Kiddoo retired and closed down the restaurant.
Today, Forbes Island — under new ownership — is an event center in the Sacramento River Delta. Not everyone can accidentally start a business on their own floating residence, but there might be a thing or two to learn from Kiddoo’s tenacity and drive to see his dreams set sail.
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