A gift from the past

IWell, it’s 2009. I thought we’d never make it. Tim Russert’s gone; Studs Terkel’s gone; Lehman Brothers is gone. George Bush and Dick Cheney are almost gone. But I’m still here; and I guess, if you’re reading this column, you’ve made it too. Congratulations!

It’s interesting to note that a lot of newer restaurants haven’t survived the year. Or, if they have, they’re clinging to life by their fingernails. However, if these young’uns aren’t making it, some of the old-timers seem to be doing just fine — despite the economy and the toll of old age.

Colombo’s in Eagle Rock is a good example. They advertise that they’ve been serving Los Angeles since 1954 (although they’ve only been at their present location since 1984). If you go to their Web site, the menu prices and entertainment calendar aren’t up to date. But, if you follow the link to their My Space page (wow — they’re really with it!), the information’s a lot more current.

If it weren’t for the two large flat-screen TVs mounted above the long bar that runs the length of the restaurant, you’d almost think you were back when Colombo’s was in its infancy. Sashay past the drinkers and you find yourselves at the maitre d’s station, looking in at a dining area scalloped around the edges with cozy red leatherette booths.

The dimly lit room sports some interesting touches of elegance (e.g., portraits and landscapes in ornate gilt frames, white linen and hanging lamps). These clash a bit with the cork ceilings, softwood paneling, glass table-covers, menu misspellings (can’t anybody put apostrophes in the right place anymore?) and the aforementioned TVs, which can still be seen over the half-partition that separates the dining room from the bar.

Colombo’s calls itself an Italian steak house and jazz club. You can order seven different cuts of meat, from top sirloin ($13.95) to filet mignon ($21.95), a la carte and add various sides such as baked potato ($2), sautéed spinach with garlic ($2.50) or penne with marinara sauce ($4).

However, if your heart lies elsewhere (perhaps in Southern Italy), many of the most homey dishes are available. On our visit a couple of weeks ago, my husband tried the sausage and peppers ($16.95) and got a massive platterful of three split grilled sausages spread out on a bed of sautéed red and green peppers in sherry wine sauce, atop a layer of spaghetti.

Meanwhile, I tried the hand-rolled lasagna ($15.95). It was an idiosyncratic presentation: four upended rolls of lasagna noodle spread with a mixture of chopped spinach, parmesan, mozzarella and goat cheese that had been baked in marinara. The rolls clustered together in the middle of the plate like a four-leaf clover, resting in a pond of marinara. Very colorful (and quite delicious).

The lasagna also comes with another filling (ground beef, Italian sausage, mushrooms, ricotta and parmesan) at the same price. It’s credited as Sam’s recipe and also appears inside the breaded eggplant — again, $15.95. I didn’t know who Sam was until I found the history of Colombo’s on the My Space site. He founded the restaurant, still run today by his wife Ann.
There’s a menu section called “Create Your Own Pasta Dish!” that allows you to choose from five shapes and ten sauce/meat permutations and combinations. If you start with a basic oil-and-garlic or marinara sauce, the price is $11.95. Alfredo sauce (again credited to Sam, along with his made-to-order pomodoro) topped with six shrimp will set you back $19.95.

Salads are only $1.95 if you’re having an entree. Relatively basic, but not boring, the greens are mixed and punctuated with cherry tomatoes and sliced olives. I can attest that the traditional Italian dressing is properly tart, and my mate had no complaints about his blue cheese topping.

Garlic toast comes gratis and, if it’s neither unctuous nor pungent, it’s still plenty good enough to munch with a martini or that first glass of wine while you’re waiting for the rest of your meal. And you don’t want to rush into eating if you’ve arrived when the music’s playing.

We dined on Tuesday to the piano and vocals of Sonji Kimmons. Her voice is pure velvet and made even those old Christmas chestnuts of the season enjoyable, despite the fact that I long ago decided I never wanted to hear them again. Her repertoire is wide-ranging and, now that we’re past New Year’s, you can expect to hear more jazz standards.

There’s entertainment at Colombo’s every night, provided by several different groups, including a Latin jazz combo my husband is dying to hear. I’m not big on Latin jazz, but perhaps, with a plate of grilled salmon, served with sautéed fennel, tomato, capers and kalamata olives and a side of spaghetti ($17.95), I’ll be focused more on pasta than percussion.

At any rate, at a time when new indulgences are probably not advised, a dinner at Colombo’s is a little like re-gifting yourself a treat from the past. It’s an old-fashioned restaurant with modest prices and wonderful entertainment that still provides a lot of pleasure.