At the risk of sounding like my mom, I’ve still gotta say it: They don’t make things like they used to. Case in point: The Dresden Room, a restaurant and cocktail bar nestled amongst more contemporary joints in LA’s hipster-hood, Los Feliz, has been open since the 1940s. When you enter the Dresden, you enter some rare alternate universe where Cheers, Vegas and Sinatra all collide to form a swanky yet comfortable, unique and authentic experience. Walking in to the warmly-lit lounge on a Tuesday evening, you’d think it was a Friday or Saturday judging by the comfortably packed-in crowd, which offers a complete cast of characters—Hollywood executive types rub elbows with younger, fedora-clad twenty-somethings. There are cozy tables sprinkled throughout the room, 50s and 60s-inspired art lining the walls (by Jamie Oliff), and frosted art deco glass behind the bar. The friendly vest and bow tie-adorned bartenders call me “honey” and whip me up a house libation, pink frothy deliciousness poured into an elegant chilled martini glass.
But center stage and center of attention six nights a week for nearly 30 years running are Marty and Elayne Roberts, the Dresden’s lounge-singing performance act. Featured in the movie Swingers and reportedly popular amongst the likes Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, Marty and Elayne are no joke. They deliver their selection of pop and jazz tunes with bona fide talent while providing their own accompaniment, Elayne on piano and flute, Marty on drums and upright bass. That said, these two definitely have a sense of humor. Tonight, they’re both wearing matching black suits festooned with furry leopard-print trim, and Marty peppers his songs with comments like, “Hey, smiling is free, so is clapping!”
It’s safe to say, there is no shortage of either. In fact, it’s hard to find a person in the room who isn’t a die-hard Marty and Elayne fan. When the guy who posts up next to me at the bar can’t stop talking about how great they are, I think it’s a fluke. Three similar encounters later, I realize Marty and Elayne are woven into the historical fabric of the LA nightlife scene.
Around the corner, with its modern lines, crisp white booths and graceful wooden pillars stretching two stories up to the ceiling, is the restaurant, where I’ve heard the steak sandwich is the thing to order. Jim Ferraro, current owner, has grown up with the Dresden in his blood—his parents bought the place in 1954 and added the dining room in 1964. Though business slowed a bit in the eighties, due to “grunge and the fact that martinis went out of style,“ according to Jim, business has stayed relatively busy throughout the years. “I don’t know how we’ve retained such a following—maybe it’s the niche we’ve created for ourselves but I just think people feel comfortable here.”
Words by Christine Spehar, photos by Josh Reiss
