The Saloon – closed

Generic Santa Monica Boulevard image

You couldn’t get any more generic than calling a place The Saloon. As fitting, no trace of it exists in Beverly Hills. Little Santa Monica Boulevard doesn’t exist, I got dumped onto a parking lot. Undeterred I tried other variations on the address, and ended up in an intersection, a beach, and the park near the Beverly Hills Ballroom.

What do you think or do when you witness someone’s hopes and dreams just vanish? Once upon a time, this was someone’s favorite place. Someone’s entrance into being a mover/shaker in one of the most iconic places in the country.

The photo from the book is classic 1979: dark wood, stained glass, and a recipe with crème de menthe. And the ghost of 70s Santa Monica Boulevard, wherever you landed.

Kelly’s Ghost

• 1 ½ oz. vodka
• ½ oz. crème de menthe
• 1 lemon peel strip

Pour booze over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Stir well. Twist peel and drop in the drink.