Southern California boasts a number of stunning structures that have been around for a century or longer, from the imposing and elegant Victorian homes of Heritage Square Museum to the beautiful Avila Adobe on Olvera Street.
But finding regional restaurants that have completed their first 100 years, and continue to win new fans and impress longtimers, can be a bit trickier, all told.
You might want to don your thinking cap to ponder such a topic, or, if you prefer, a pretty plaid tam-o'-shanter, the traditional Scottish cap with the pretty pom-pom on top.
And if you're wearing a tam-o'-shanter? It might instantly occur to you that one of our region's oldest eateries, a quaint and storied venue that still looks as though it emerged straight from the pages of a storybook, is about turn 100 years old.
It's the Tam O'Shanter, the founded-in-1922 Atwater Village chophouse. And the thatched-roof, stained-glass fantasia, which is part of the Lawry's family, is about to kick off its grand centennial celebrations on St. Patrick's Day 2022.
Gaze back at the ye olde charmer now, and doff your tam to the world-famous Tam, a century-old landmark for haggis, whisky, bagpipes, and some Walt Disney anecdotes, too.
10 photos
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The Tam O'Shanter, located at 2980 Los Feliz Boulevard, opened its doors in 1922.
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The cottage-cute eatery debuted in the heyday of programmatic and fanciful architecture, when novelty buildings popped up around Los Angeles, all to tempt travelers, in their new-fangled cars, to stop for a bite.
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Outdoor seating recently returned to The Tam O'Shanter, after a long hiatus. This early view shows that alfresco dining was already in vogue.
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Eating in your car? That was also a choice in the eatery's first decades.
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If the adorable nature of the building didn't make you stop, the tall sign, promising car service and a "Thick and Rich" malted milk for 15 cents, just might.
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A vintage billboard promised people down the road that a treat was in store (especially if you had a hankering for ham and hamburger).
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A later era sign, possible from the early 1960s, included the addition of cocktails.
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The Tam O'Shanter was a favorite destination for Walt Disney. The legendary animator dined at The Tam often, especially when his studio was just around the corner, on Hyperion Avenue. Fans also note that the style of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" can be seen throughout the restaurant, another connection (and, indeed, Walt Disney was working on the film when he dined regularly at the restaurant). He's pictured here with co-founders Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp.
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A modern view of The Tam O'Shanter's interior. The eatery may have changed in some ways over the year, but it still keeps to its vintage roots.
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Happy 100th, dear Tam! We're raising a dram to your next century, and plenty of more Robert Burns celebrations, bagpipe performances, St. Patrick's Day parties, Victorian carolers at Christmas, and your timeless Ale & Sandwich Bar.
