Erika Thomas, Author at Southern California Life Magazine

El Cholo: The Landmark Mexican Restaurant
That Harkens Back to 1920s-era Los Angeles — Turns 100^Featured

August 29, 2023

Walk through the doors of El Cholo Spanish Café and you’ll find it’s much the same today as it was a century ago. The smell of scratch-made food fills the historic bungalow the Salisbury family has run for 97 years. Generations of photos and memorabilia of families, longtime staff and famous guests cover the walls, and the modest two-page menu features many of the same authentic dishes as it did the year the restaurant began. Opened in 1923 at the corner of Broadway and Santa Barbara Street in Downtown Los Angeles, founders Alejandro and Rosa Borquez called their new venture…

in Destinations & Landmarks, Featured, People & Personalities

Camarillo Ranch House

October 27, 2020

The Home that Remains a Jewel in the Seaside City’s Crown for More than a Century Known for picturesque scenery that ranges from agricultural-rich land to Spanish architecture, Camarillo, California, is a lively mix of modern amenities, lush, century-old vegetation and plenty of early California charm; and a pristine, 18th century ranch house is its anchor. Juan Adolfo Camarillo first ventured to California in the early 1800s during the Hijar Padres Expedition There, he would purchase a 10,000-acre ranch. Camarillo’s land, which would become the site of his home, was one of the last remaining Rancho Calleguas (Mexican land grants)…