The Tam O'Shanter

Eighteen years ago this coming month, my youngest sister and brother-in-law were married in a little Catholic church named St.Teresa Avila on a scrubby street off the Glendale Freeway near the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. The wedding reception was held at the Los Angeles River Gardens, formerly Lawry’s California, a restaurant and, before that, the Lawry’s spice factory of seasoned salt fame.

Between the wedding and the reception was a dreaded gap in time. The two hours or so in which guests are forced to cool their jets, much to the bride’s and her mother’s chagrin, had to be planned for. As the bride's brother and the person most experienced in visiting watering holes in far-flung corners of Los Angeles, I was tasked with filling this gap.

Regular readers of this drivel know by now that how you get somewhere is just as important as where you go. I firmly believe in planning elegant routes for bar crawls, progressive dinners, or a wedding day that begins in Downtown Los Angeles, makes its way up and back the Golden State Freeway, and concludes in the epic bar in the Biltmore Hotel. A frenetic route, with all of its zig-zagging, leads to tension, agita, and unhappy wedding guests.

To achieve said elegance, the gap hour had to be geographically centered between the church and the reception, and 18 years ago - there wasn’t much there. There was a historic gem, however - The Tam O’Shanter Inn has been quietly lording over Atwater Village since 1922.

The Tam O'Shanter Inn was opened by brothers Lawrence Frank and Walter Van de Kamp, founders of Van de Kamp's Holland Dutch Bakeries - Angelenos remember those towering buildings famous for their iconic windmills. They also created the Lawry’s Restaurant Chain of prime rib fame and their seasoned salt, made down the road from the Tam O’Shanter.

They commissioned Harry Oliver, a well-known set designer in Hollywood, to design the building for the Tam O’Shanter. Oliver was known for his “Storybook” style, which he brought to Los Angeles, and you’ll find throughout Disneyland.

Movie studio carpenters built the place - "Every piece of wood which was used in this structure was thrown into the fire first with the result that we never had to paint it, and it got more beautiful as the years went by." (L.L.Frank to B.Stohler) The Tam O'Shanter Inn opened in June 1922 and was an instant hit - frequented by Disney animators and Walt himself. Ten years later, Walt built a mansion for his family nearby in the same style.

Those animators were raucous, often staying late in the evening, well past closing, with rumored flings with more than one tartan-clad server.

Like the Lawry’s chain that would follow, prime rib is the draw at the Tam O’Shanter. To eat prime rib takes a big swing in dining, with its fatty marble, the juice, and a more visceral connection to beef than a mere steak.

You can get a traditional thick cut, a smaller cut called the Californian, and The Tam O’Shanter also offers the English Cut, which is sliced, but I say order the Prince Charlie Cut, a huge honking piece of beef with the bone-in. Share. Bring a friend, or make one there. The horseradish will knock you back; go easy.

The pub side of the restaurant is the sweet spot; go for lunch and take your prime rib in a sandwich with their super good coleslaw with peanuts in it. The brisket sandwich is also a great choice.

The drinks offerings are solid, have a Moscow Mule in a pewter mug. There is a massive whiskey selection, and as a Scott restaurant, there should be plenty of rare single malts for those who imbibe.

As far as my personal story about the Tam O’Shanter goes…The bride and groom were married with much joy. As the guests assembled outside the church, we handed out little maps leading to the Tam O’Shanter. I figured a couple of dozen would show.

Around 100 guests slammed the bar. I had failed to warn them we were coming in force. The bartender froze. You couldn’t hear in the place. The crowd grew disgruntled. I cut through the crush of thirsty guests, edged myself halfway behind the bar in the service area, and got the bartender’s attention. I gave him my credit card and asked him to start opening beers. “What kind?” he asked, finally. “All of them.”, I said. Standing closest to the bar, I asked our friend Jerry to hand a beer backward and keep them going. We daisy-chained enough beers to get our crowd to disperse and give the bartender a breather. If I had thought of it, I would have started the crowd singing because it would have made for a beautiful scene out of a movie. All had a good time in the gap hour.

The reception was an incredible success. There was no prime rib, but there was steak. There were cupcakes instead of cake. The happy couple danced that evening. The bride was stunning, as was the venue. It was held outdoors in the courtyard of that old spice factory I told you about. A low fountain adorned with beautiful Catalina tiles was at the courtyard's center. One of our favorite Italians, Tony Ruggs, walked through the fountain, seemingly unknowingly. He came out the other side, wet but unfazed—one of the many reasons he is missed.

Their 18th wedding anniversary is this August. Here’s to the happy couple and the Tam O’Shanter, which just turned 100.

Just go.

Tam O'Shanter

2980 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

(323) 664-0228

https://www.lawrysonline.com/tam-o-shanter/

Open 11 AM-9 PM most days, closed 2 PM-5 PM