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The China Trader, Toluca Lake, Burbank , CA (restaurant)

Pages: 1 6 replies

Name:The China Trader
Type:restaurant
Street:4200 Riverside Drive
City:Toluca Lake, Burbank
State:CA
Zip:91610
country:USA
Phone:2-8109
Status:defunct

Description:
The China Trader, legendary restaurant where the cast of Hawaiian Eye would drink after filming and Tony Ramos created the Hawaiian Eye cocktail.
These are the only exterior pictures I’ve seen or even the only pictures I’ve seen of the China Trader. Just ignore the real estae signs next door. I believe the building wraps around the corner and it looks like there’s some cool signage down there too.

I didn’t win this auction but these pictures were too exciting not to post. :)

Tikis, great rooftop sign and great parking sign - I love it!

H

Boris, these pictures are amazing. Never seen what the place looked like. Great find.

Bora Boris,

Great find on those pics, glad you grabbed the images! Those Tikis out front, who knew?

I found these photos on a jazz website with a story about the The China Trader and Bobby Troup who played the piano there.

These shots must have been from the main entrance around the corner from the photos you posted.

Here is the story from the website:

"For many years, composer, pianist and vocalist Bobby Troup held forth at The China Trader. He and his wife, actress and song stylist, Julie London, were residents of Toluca Lake. Since his piano was already stationed in the lounge, Bobby could and did walk to work on some of the nights he appeared at The China Trader.

Throughout most of the 1970s, Bobby and Julie were in the cast of the hit NBC TV show, Emergency. The popularity of the show only served to enhance the gatherings at The China Trader when Bobby was appearing there.

Bobby appeared solo on Thursday and Sunday nights and with a trio on Friday and Saturday nights.

Given his low-key temperament, unassuming personality and acerbic wit, Bobby always kept the atmosphere in the bar relaxed and cordial.

Julie dropped by occasionally and when she did, their were always numerous pleadings for her to sing, but she rarely did."

Photo of Bobby Troup and Julie London with the matchbook from The China Trader.

Cool place.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2011-06-27 23:32 ]

Some more China Trader eye candy from Mimi Payne's website Arkiva Tropika, the table top drink card.

A few more images from the web.

The appetizers and drinks

Another shot of the cover

DC

Couldn't help posting this link to Route 66 from Bobby Troup. I can almost picture myself sipping a Hawaiian Eye at The China Trader bar listing to this song with the cast and crew hanging out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLUYf6cekMA

DC

So, Jack Webb (aka Sgt. Joe Friday from Dragnet) owned the China Trader where his ex-wife Julie London's new husband played the piano. Only in LA.

Here's the story:

Drinking with Jack was definitely a perk of the job and was something for which I didn’t have to tithe my agent. Although there were Saturday mornings when I would gladly have given the goniff 10 per cent of my hangover.

As a rule, late Friday afternoon, the day’s shooting over, Jack would open the door to his office, and whichever police officers were working that week as tech advisors would start regaling us with cop stories. After a few hours, those of us who were still around and awake would adjourn for dinner at either Monty’s in Encino or the China Trader, a restaurant Jack owned in Toluca Lake, where Bobby Troup, the husband of the former Mrs. Webb, Julie London, played piano.

DC

Here are the 20 strike and 30 strike matchbooks from the China Trader featuring the Chinese Junk logo.

The back of the matchbooks have a nice map with some points of interest noted, such as Warner Brothers studios, Tick Tock, Smoke House, etc.

DC

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