My little brother passed a couple years ago, but had been collecting signage and light fixtures from as many iconic LA restaurants as he could. Here is Madame Wu, La Villa Basque, Ships and more. This was over his desk at his Culver City studio.
Cheers to all, especially @robert and @ipsedixit for their hard work.
Wow. Wish I had known, there were a few signs I could’ve saved for him.
Thank you for sharing. And happy new year to you, and yours, as well.
Happy New Year to you and everyone at FTC as well! 
It’s been a great year, with the kickoff of FTC, and discoursing with everyone on this board.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL…YOU ALL MAKE MY LIFE HAPPIER…
Indeed. Happy New Year to all!!!
Happy 2016 everybody!! I wish all of you the best for the upcoming year and lots of delicious meals!
Very happy New Year, everyone! I had a great day, feasting on my mom’s homemade osechi ryori. 
Here’s to a year of culinary bliss!
I bow deeply in respect to your mom! Pulling together osechi, regardless if it’s basic or elaborate, is a mountainous task. My mom, who passed away four years ago, used to do this leading up to every New Year, as did many of her friends.
While I didn’t appreciate this tradition nearly as much as I should have in my early years, I started to embrace it more as time went on. Now that she is gone, this tradition has faded. No one in our household has the know how or endurance to pull this together. And buying prepared osechi isn’t the same. The buzzing around in the kitchen, the smells that filled my parents’ home, the laquered boxes, and my mom’s smile as she took in everyone enjoying the fruits of her efforts. They are all pieces that round out this tradition. Your mom is a living treasure.
Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti!!!
Here’s to FTC taking 2016 by storm!
@bulavinaka, thanks for sharing your memories of your mom’s lovingly-prepared osechi. You perfectly captured the essence of the New Year’s feast and brought a tear to my eye.
Isn’t it so true that we took our mothers’ formidable efforts for granted. Seeing my frail mother pull out countless delicately arranged dishes was awe-inspiring, but filled me with a tinge of sadness since I’ve never attempted to recreate her feasts, which always seemed too daunting. I need to get on it while she can still teach me her culinary wizardry.
Mom sent me home with extras of my favorite dishes: renkon no sunomono (lotus root vinegared salad) and tororo-jiru (grated yamaimo), so I’ll be lucky enough to savor her home cooking for a few more days. Akemashite omedeto and cheers to all moms out there! I bow down in reverence to you. Kampai!!
Yes! Please don’t let great culinary traditions fade away!!!
You are so right, @J_L! I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I’m planning on learning how to make the osechi dishes this year. Of course my mom doesn’t have any of the recipes written down; she just has a sense memory of how to make all the dishes, but you guys have totally inspired me to carry on our cultural traditions. I’ve even taken down my dusty copy of Elizabeth Andoh’s Washoku from my bookshelf. Between my mom, cookbooks, and YouTube, I should be able to make a rough approximation of osechi. It won’t be perfect, but it’s a start. Here’s to 2016!
Ganbatte!!!
Ganbarimasho (I won’t give up)!!
