Grand opening advertisement, San Diego Union, 1959.
The iconic and landmark Red Fox Room opened Saturday, 17 Oct 1959 and has been the well-loved home of stiff martinis, juicy steaks, shrimp cocktails and classic piano bar karaoke ever since…
As part of a reported $500,000 Lafayette Hotel remodel, the new steakhouse soon became beloved for its food, drink, singing host Danny Beaudet and nightly piano bar entertainment. Not to mention the 1650 A.D. English pub interior taken from Marion Davies’ Santa Monica beach house.
“Fixtures in the Lafayette Hotel’s new restaurant, the Red Fox Room (opening Saturday), were built into a famous inn in Surrey, England, 400 years ago. They include a bar, fireplace, hand-carved paneling and stained glass windows. (In 1926, Marion Davies moved the entire room from England to her memorable ocean house in Santa Monica.)”
The Boulevard
Lafayette Hotel
2223 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
Movie star and Wm Randolph Hearst mistress Marion Davies’ little beach house in Santa Monica.
End of lease and impending high rents are forcing the restaurant’s closure and possible move. Lafayette owner Jay Wentz decreed ownership of the ancient fixtures as part of the hotel, and now a passel of lawyers are involved.
The newest word is the Red Fox Room will be open until the end of June, and Wentz is backing down from the ownership claims due to historic status of the items when his firm, JCG Development, was renovating the hotel.
Or something like that. More later…
