This undated photo of the Victor Hugo Inn in Laguna Beach came from the collection of Alicia Wentworth - who got me hooked on this local history thing in the first place. The Victor Hugo opened in 1938, was gutted by fire in 1954 (yesterday was the 54th anniversary of the fire), reopened, and finally closed to become Las Brisas Restaurant in 1979.
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The City of Mission Viejo Heritage Committee buried a 100-year time capsule on March 28, as part of the city's 20th Anniversary celebrations. The capsule includes photos and objects from throughout the city's first two decades.
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The Fullerton Museum has announced that it will host an exhibit of Julius Shulman’s photos of Fullerton, probably in Spring 2009. I'll post an update when more details are available.
Is it still a restaurant today?
ReplyDeleteThere is no longer a Victor Hugo Inn. However, there is still a restaurant on that site. Today it's Las Brisas mexican restaurant, which is owned by the same folks who own El Torito. I don't know if any of the original structure is incorporated into the current building. Perhaps someone else can shed light on that?
ReplyDeleteDo you know who the original owners of the Victor Hugo Inn were? Heard they were Erwin Greenhaw and Louise Bellanger-Greenhaw.
ReplyDeleteMy great aunt, Ruth Allen, was a part owner, along with her business partners, Bunny and Flossie. My mother, Ruth's niece, doesn't remember their last names. My guess is that they owned it in the 1950s. This is what my mother tells me. Aunt Ruth was a self-made wealthy woman who was a restauranteur. Aunt Ruth's brother was disabled from World War I, so she put my mother through college. I only met her once, so I don't know and more. Janice Hill
ReplyDeleteBunny and Flossie's last name was Gaskell. They moved to Beaumont, Ca; and bought the Fireside Inn. My father; Alfred Lubin; was their chef at the Victor Hugo in Laguna and Beaumont. They lived in Cherry Valley.I think Ruth lived with them.
ReplyDeleteI'm told the original victor hugo restaurant was built by victor hugo aleidis starting in the twenties. He built one of the most beautiful homes in Los Angeles where Kirstie Alley now lives. My family -I- lived there from '39 to '49. Aleidis went broke in the depression and never lived above the servants' quarters.
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