California is officially open for business! Our West Coast sales team of one — yours truly — celebrated the occasion with a round of in-person meetings with none other than Francis X. Gallagher in town. It was an eventful week, to say the least. We traversed the city from Manhattan Beach to San Bernardino County. Let me preface: I grew up on the West Side, Culver City to be precise, and for anyone who knows a West-sider, you know we rarely leave the perimeter. One of our meetings took us to Rancho Cucamonga; Upland, specifically. For my West-siders, I know you’re crying inside; trust me, I did, too, when I was asked to get out there. I even asked if I needed my passport.

You know what, though, that drive was totally worth it. We made it to an absolute gem, The Sycamore Inn. As you can tell from its welcome sign, it is a historic landmark that might just be the oldest structure in that entire region, but don’t quote me. The building is lined by the historic Route 66. The restaurant was an inn that saw big names come through as they made their way to Las Vegas and Palm Springs. According to the property’s history, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Short (the “Black Dahlia”) dined here weeks before their unfortunate and untimely demises. This place is like a blast from the past. We arrived in the evening before the sun had gone down, and as we walked in, my eyes had to seriously adjust to the darker décor of the place. The ambiance is relaxed, with dim lighting and light conversations lightly bouncing all around. As a fan of old-school crime thrillers, I felt like we might run into Al Pacino dining in a corner booth somewhere. I am sure this place was smoked-filled back in the day when there was no regard for smoking indoors. I could totally see a jazz band playing in the background in its heyday. I can imagine myself smoking a cigar and drinking whiskey if that was my jam.

As for the food, you will find respectable and delicious offerings from the kitchen. This is honestly a fantastic little piece of history you have to visit if you’re making your way to Palm Springs. I want to thank Fran for making me go there, as now I have another little noteworthy nugget of California I can share with the world.

Mask drop.

— Maria Angeles, account executive