Key Points<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Taylor Swift\u2019s new song \u201cElizabeth Taylor\u201d name-checks Musso & Frank Grill, the storied Hollywood restaurant that has long been a favorite among celebrities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n\n
Opened in 1919, Musso\u2019s preserves its old-Hollywood charm with red leather banquettes, uniformed servers, and a menu featuring classics from a bygone era.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n\n
Beloved for its perfectly chilled Martinis and enduring sense of glamour, the restaurant continues to attract both locals and stars \u2014 though Swift\u2019s favorite booth remains a mystery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When Taylor Swift visits a restaurant, it makes headlines. But it\u2019s not often that she name-checks one in a song. (Swift recently dispelled<\/a> the rumor that The Black Dog<\/a> inspired a song of the same name in 2023, though it brought colossal attention and business to the London pub.)<\/p>\nOn \u201cElizabeth Taylor,\u201d the second track of her 12th album The Life of a Showgirl, Swift sings, \u201cWe hit the best booth, at Musso & Frank\u2019s \/ They say I\u2019m bad news, I just say thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Musso & Frank Grill<\/a> serves as a fitting backdrop for a song about ex-lovers who couldn\u2019t handle the narrator\u2019s fame. As Hollywood\u2019s oldest restaurant<\/a>, \u201cMusso\u2019s\u201d has hosted an impressive list of celebrities, including the big-screen legend that inspired the song.<\/p>\nAccording to the official website, restaurateurs Frank Toulet and Joseph Musso opened Musso & Frank in 1919 on Hollywood Boulevard, and soon hired French chef Jean Rue. In 1927, they sold the restaurant to Italian immigrants Joseph Carissimi and John Mosso, who moved it next door to its current location but kept much of the menu. Today, it\u2019s owned and operated by Mosso\u2019s three granddaughters and their children.<\/p>\n
![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/WjGvDVWGHuMT4K54Eq3HoA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0NDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/food_wine_804\/3ef6e78659f0c8c3b919de1717d53f33\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nCourtesy of Musso & Frank’s<\/p>\n
Several booths at Musso & Frank are informally named for the celebrities who once frequented them, such as Frank Sinatra.<\/p><\/div>\n
With its red leather banquettes, uniformed servers, and menu of forgotten classics, Musso\u2019s evokes old-Hollywood glamour. When Food & Wine first featured Musso\u2019s in 1979, it was already an emblem of a bygone era.<\/p>\n
“\u201c[Musso & Frank] is as experimental as an old slipper and about as comfortable.\u201d”<\/p>\n
Ruch Reichl in a 1984 Food & Wine article<\/h3>\n
\u201cOutside, the street scene is seedy Hollywood; inside, the atmosphere is pure turn-of-the-century, as is the style of the hearty American cooking,\u201d wrote noted San Francisco restaurant critic Jack Shelton. He praised the restaurant\u2019s corned beef hash, chicken pot pie, bread and butter pudding, and \u201crenowned flannel cakes,\u201d crepe-like pancakes that are still served there today.<\/p>\n
Related: These Are Taylor Swift\u2019s 10 Favorite New York City Restaurants<\/a><\/p>\nA decade later, Musso\u2019s hadn\u2019t changed a bit. In a 1984 Food & Wine article on essential Los Angeles restaurants, the legendary writer and critic Ruth Reichl called Musso & Frank \u201cas experimental as an old slipper and about as comfortable. This means that the decor is a little bit dingy, the waiters \u2014 some of whom have been here forever \u2014 can be crabby, and the entire place is the antithesis of chic. Most of the natives couldn\u2019t care less.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the menu, she wrote, \u201cThe food is from another era, a time before California had a \u2018cuisine,\u2019 when chickens came \u00e0 la king or in pot pies, and cheese came from cows instead of goats and went into Welsh rarebit, not warm salads: a time when nobody used the term pasta and spaghetti was described as \u2018Italienne.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/oaZiB55Y5QtwDXj1Zk.uOQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/food_wine_804\/c2ff0bfdca707b69492fdcc4f69e268f\"\/)
<\/span><\/div>\n\nCourtesy of Musso & Frank’s<\/p>\n
Musso\u2019s is known for its ice-cold, bone-dry Martinis.<\/p><\/div>\n
It remains mostly unchanged today. There are all the trimmings of a classic steakhouse<\/a> \u2014\u00a0like filet mignon and rib eye \u2014 along with mid-century relics of haute cuisine. Executive features editor Kat Kinsman raves about the sand dabs, a type of flounder served \u00e0 la meuni\u00e8re, lightly dredged in flour and pan-fried in a butter sauce.<\/p>\nSenior drinks editor and Los Angeles resident Prairie Rose swears by its ice-cold, extremely dry Martinis<\/a>, served without so much as a suggestion of vermouth. \u201cIt\u2019s my favorite place to take out-of-towners,\u201d she says.<\/p>\nNaturally, Swift\u2019s lyrics have sparked questions about the corner she haunts at the restaurant.<\/p>\n
Musso\u2019s indeed has several booths that are connected to famous patrons. Its \u201cBack Room\u201d opened in 1934 as a haven for celebrities seeking privacy. When the lease expired, the Back Room\u2019s original bar, light fixtures, and furniture were moved to a \u201cNew Room.\u201d Today, several booths are attached to famous regulars, from Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin to Jack Nicholson and the Rolling Stones. While Elizabeth Taylor herself wasn\u2019t known to frequent a specific booth, her estate confirmed that she was a regular Back Room customer in the \u201950s.<\/p>\n
Related: Our Favorite Places to Eat, Sleep, and Explore in Los Angeles<\/a><\/p>\nAs for Swift? In an email, a representative for Musso & Frank said the restaurant doesn\u2019t comment on celebrities who visit. (They protect the family?<\/a>) However, Mark Echevarria, the restaurant\u2019s president and chief executive, confirmed to The New York Times<\/a> that Swift is a customer.<\/p>\n\u201cShe does enjoy many different booths at the restaurant. I\u2019ll leave it at that,\u201d he told the publication.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, though, the best booth at Musso & Frank\u2019s might be no booth at all. \u201cThe best spot is always at the bar, with a Martini and sidecar,\u201d says Rose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taylor Swift\u2019s new song \u201cElizabeth Taylor\u201d name-checks Musso & Frank Grill, the storied Hollywood restaurant that has long been a favorite among celebrities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Opened in 1919, Musso\u2019s preserves its old-Hollywood charm with red leather banquettes, uniformed servers, and a menu featuring classics from a bygone era.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Beloved for its perfectly chilled Martinis and enduring sense of glamour, the restaurant continues to attract both locals and stars \u2014 though Swift\u2019s favorite booth remains a mystery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When Taylor Swift visits a restaurant, it makes headlines. But it\u2019s not often that she name-checks one in a song. (Swift recently dispelled<\/a> the rumor that The Black Dog<\/a> inspired a song of the same name in 2023, though it brought colossal attention and business to the London pub.)<\/p>\n On \u201cElizabeth Taylor,\u201d the second track of her 12th album The Life of a Showgirl, Swift sings, \u201cWe hit the best booth, at Musso & Frank\u2019s \/ They say I\u2019m bad news, I just say thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Musso & Frank Grill<\/a> serves as a fitting backdrop for a song about ex-lovers who couldn\u2019t handle the narrator\u2019s fame. As Hollywood\u2019s oldest restaurant<\/a>, \u201cMusso\u2019s\u201d has hosted an impressive list of celebrities, including the big-screen legend that inspired the song.<\/p>\n According to the official website, restaurateurs Frank Toulet and Joseph Musso opened Musso & Frank in 1919 on Hollywood Boulevard, and soon hired French chef Jean Rue. In 1927, they sold the restaurant to Italian immigrants Joseph Carissimi and John Mosso, who moved it next door to its current location but kept much of the menu. Today, it\u2019s owned and operated by Mosso\u2019s three granddaughters and their children.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Musso & Frank’s<\/p>\n Several booths at Musso & Frank are informally named for the celebrities who once frequented them, such as Frank Sinatra.<\/p><\/div>\n With its red leather banquettes, uniformed servers, and menu of forgotten classics, Musso\u2019s evokes old-Hollywood glamour. When Food & Wine first featured Musso\u2019s in 1979, it was already an emblem of a bygone era.<\/p>\n “\u201c[Musso & Frank] is as experimental as an old slipper and about as comfortable.\u201d”<\/p>\n \u201cOutside, the street scene is seedy Hollywood; inside, the atmosphere is pure turn-of-the-century, as is the style of the hearty American cooking,\u201d wrote noted San Francisco restaurant critic Jack Shelton. He praised the restaurant\u2019s corned beef hash, chicken pot pie, bread and butter pudding, and \u201crenowned flannel cakes,\u201d crepe-like pancakes that are still served there today.<\/p>\n Related: These Are Taylor Swift\u2019s 10 Favorite New York City Restaurants<\/a><\/p>\n A decade later, Musso\u2019s hadn\u2019t changed a bit. In a 1984 Food & Wine article on essential Los Angeles restaurants, the legendary writer and critic Ruth Reichl called Musso & Frank \u201cas experimental as an old slipper and about as comfortable. This means that the decor is a little bit dingy, the waiters \u2014 some of whom have been here forever \u2014 can be crabby, and the entire place is the antithesis of chic. Most of the natives couldn\u2019t care less.\u201d<\/p>\n On the menu, she wrote, \u201cThe food is from another era, a time before California had a \u2018cuisine,\u2019 when chickens came \u00e0 la king or in pot pies, and cheese came from cows instead of goats and went into Welsh rarebit, not warm salads: a time when nobody used the term pasta and spaghetti was described as \u2018Italienne.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Courtesy of Musso & Frank’s<\/p>\n Musso\u2019s is known for its ice-cold, bone-dry Martinis.<\/p><\/div>\n It remains mostly unchanged today. There are all the trimmings of a classic steakhouse<\/a> \u2014\u00a0like filet mignon and rib eye \u2014 along with mid-century relics of haute cuisine. Executive features editor Kat Kinsman raves about the sand dabs, a type of flounder served \u00e0 la meuni\u00e8re, lightly dredged in flour and pan-fried in a butter sauce.<\/p>\n Senior drinks editor and Los Angeles resident Prairie Rose swears by its ice-cold, extremely dry Martinis<\/a>, served without so much as a suggestion of vermouth. \u201cIt\u2019s my favorite place to take out-of-towners,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Naturally, Swift\u2019s lyrics have sparked questions about the corner she haunts at the restaurant.<\/p>\n Musso\u2019s indeed has several booths that are connected to famous patrons. Its \u201cBack Room\u201d opened in 1934 as a haven for celebrities seeking privacy. When the lease expired, the Back Room\u2019s original bar, light fixtures, and furniture were moved to a \u201cNew Room.\u201d Today, several booths are attached to famous regulars, from Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin to Jack Nicholson and the Rolling Stones. While Elizabeth Taylor herself wasn\u2019t known to frequent a specific booth, her estate confirmed that she was a regular Back Room customer in the \u201950s.<\/p>\n Related: Our Favorite Places to Eat, Sleep, and Explore in Los Angeles<\/a><\/p>\n As for Swift? In an email, a representative for Musso & Frank said the restaurant doesn\u2019t comment on celebrities who visit. (They protect the family?<\/a>) However, Mark Echevarria, the restaurant\u2019s president and chief executive, confirmed to The New York Times<\/a> that Swift is a customer.<\/p>\n \u201cShe does enjoy many different booths at the restaurant. I\u2019ll leave it at that,\u201d he told the publication.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, the best booth at Musso & Frank\u2019s might be no booth at all. \u201cThe best spot is always at the bar, with a Martini and sidecar,\u201d says Rose.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
Ruch Reichl in a 1984 Food & Wine article<\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n