Bob's Christmas Cruise 2013
Wes and I have officially found our new favorite way to celebrate the holidays...
... this past Wednesday, we attended Bob's Christmas Cruise, hosted at Bob's Broiler in Downey, Ca. The first of its kind, this event paired three of our greatest loves...
1. Charles Phoenix, the outstanding "histo-tainer" and Ambassador of Americana who keeps us in stitches as he strengthens our connection to history through all things vintage - that's the ever-entertaining Charles above with his stunning '61 Pontiac. And, yes, he is wearing a custom-made suit in retro picnic print. You should see his suit collection, #genius! Don't miss the chance to see Charles in person at one of his retro slide shows - Wes and I make it a point to attend at least one show each year, and we usually end up at two or three of them![video width="500" height="500" mp4="https://nostalgiahighway.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BobsXmas.mp4"][/video]2. A classic cruise night filled with gorgeous rods of all eras and styles - check out this video by long-time Bob's customer Amos Clarke for a drive-in view of Bob's Broiler!
3. And lastly, there's Bob's Broiler itself. We've given you a glimpse of Bob's Wednesday Cruise Night before, but this particular Wednesday was a special one, as Charles Phoenix was on hand for the official Christmas lighting ceremony, turning our good pal Bob from his classic self...
... into his incredibly festive holiday self! Bob, you're lookin' good. Seriously. You might have to leave those lights on all year long!
One of the many reasons why we're so in love with this venue for classic cruise nights is that it is so spot-on and period perfect. It really does feel like you're stepping back in time, right back to the heyday of the classic diner, which makes a cruise night at Bob's Broiler feel all the more complete.
Painstakingly rebuilt after a horrible and illegal near-demo of the site, owner Jim Louder sought to bring this diner back to its former glory, complete with rock walls, terrazzo floors, and sputnik chandeliers.
And thus, Bob's Broiler was born. You won't find any cardboard cutouts of Elvis or sock-hop style decor here. Bob's Broiler is all class and no kitsch!
Our favorite place to sit is in the dining room that faces the drive-in, which lets us gawk at all of the stunning cars on display during the Wednesday cruise nights. This night's classic cars did not disappoint...
Behind this vintage beauty, you'll see the original Johnnie, the official spokesman of the diner back when it was Johnnie's Broiler (it later became Harvey's Broiler). In our opinion, Bob is the cuter spokesman, but we're happy to see that Johnnie still has a place on the lot.
Chatting with the owners and fellow car nuts was a highlight of this evening. In talking with Jack Petit, owner of this 1957 Pontiac Star Chief, we learned that he's been a member of the same car club, the Mercifuls, since his days at Millikan High School! Jack's car has been the vehicle of choice for several pin-up shoots. Hopefully we'll be able to share a few of those pics with you soon!
We went crazy for the custom pinstriping on this classic beauty. Artfully executed and tastefully themed, this car became one of our favorites of the evening.
Thrilled to see this superb Ford Fairlane, I was absolutely overjoyed to catch it in mid-conversion upon my second loop around the parking lot.
Thanks to our car-crazy culture, Southern California is filled with classic cruise nights, and the shows at Bob's Broiler are always at the top of our list. Special thanks to Jim Louder for providing us with additional photos and video of the Broiler. Here's hoping that Bob's Christmas Cruise becomes a yearly tradition!