For those of you who aren't from LA--or are but don't know much about the neighborhood you don't live in, The Magic Castle, is a famous Magician's club and school inside the old Lane Mansion on Franklin in Hollywood. If you haven't seen the place, be sure to drive by it. It is one of the oldest houses in the area and is filled with all sorts of history. During the remodel, the owner insisted in collecting bits and pieces from other nearby mansions being torn down. Inside the kaleidoscope of bits and pieces merge together in an eclectic puzzle.
We arrived at the castle just before 11am where we waited in line and then entered in small groups. The entrance technique is necessary because you need a secret password to exit the lobby. The staircases, hidden doorways, and carnival mirrors make the navigation around the building difficult and exciting. I was glad to always have a member as a guide.
On Saturdays and Sundays the Magic Castle offers child-focused magic shows, a looser business casual dress code, and brunch. In the evenings only patrons 21 and older are allowed in the club and see more advanced magic while dressed in full suits and cocktail dresses.
After watching a couple of magic shows and exploring the castle, our party made our way up the staircase to the dining room. There our eyes feasted on the marvelous offerings as we waited to be seated. The brunch included a cold buffet, a hot buffet, a juice bar, alcohol, and a dessert bar.
The trick is to be slightly early for your seating and to jump in line immediately and load up your plate with food. As other groups fill the dining room, the lines stretch across the castle.
I started out my brunch with fresh lox and all the fixings atop toasted bagel quarters, fruit, and shrimp. The lox was spectacular, the shrimp was just ok. Next I moved on to the hot dishes. The dishes seemed to be changing depending on the time you dined. For the tail-end of the 11am there were cheese blintzes that were replaced with french fries and chicken tenders for the 12:30 crowd. There were scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, potates, enchiladas, rice, beans, prime rib, roasted turkey, an omelet bar and waffles.
I enjoyed the potatoes, prime rib and turkey. The turkey was white meat only but was as moist as dark. The omelet wasn't the best I have ever had, but it was still good. It might have been a little bit cold when I got it and the cheese wasn't as melty as I expected.
All in all, the experience was spectacular. The shows combined with the delicious food and unlimited nature really made my Sunday morning a time to rememeber. I will go back any time I meet a member willing to take me.
The Magic Castle
7001 Franklin Ave
Hollywood, CA
Map
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