Do you remember where you were in 1952? The favorite TV program was “The Jackie Gleason Show,” the favorite song was “All of Me” by Johnnie Ray, and on the corner of Washington and Sepulveda there was a not-so-famous restaurant called Johnnie’s, that would later become Johnnie’s Pastrami.
Today that restaurant is a Culver City icon. People come from near and far to eat at this establishment, local authorities say.
The Culver City Historical Society invites the public to hear the story of Johnnie’s Pastrami at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, in the Rotunda Room at the Veterans Memorial Building, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City.
Who is Johnnie? Did they have a reason to pick this spot? Why are those pickles are so tasty? Do you remember sitting outside with the fire pits eating or playing the jukebox from your favorite booth?
These questions and more will be answered through a PowerPoint presentation and discussion of this well-known eatery. Door prizes be given and there will be a 50-50 raffle.
The public can take a trip down memory lane, to share stories with the families of Johnnie’s Pastrami. Free parking is available in the lots surrounding the Veterans Memorial Building and across the street at the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum, at 4130 Overland Ave. and in the lot north of this facility.
