Minnie Ortner changed our lives!

The LA Times Obituary begins: "She was like
everyone's aunt and grandmother. She had lots
of regulars that came almost every day to eat..."

For those who never experienced the Car Culture of the
50's or the Surf Culture of the 60's....pivotal to them
all was the grand array of wonderful Drive-in coffee and
burger joints in Southern California. At the top of the
hill was Harvey's Broiler in Downey, California. We had
Merle's Restaurant right here at the corner of MacArthur
and PCH...where the present CDM Shopping Center resides.
"Merle's" later turned into the "Zoo" with a guy in a
Gorilla Suit waving a sign out in front. In those days
we even had "the Greeter in Laguna Beach" who would wave
as we drove passed Forest Avenue!

But back to Minnie and Harvey Ortner. They were Oakies..
God's people! The kind of people that gave "Southern
Hospitality" the name it had created since the Land
Rush! They opened Harvey's in 1958 right off Firestone
Blvd. The Ortner's had lived in California since 1934
when they moved to Lynwood. Harvey was a Plant Manager
for Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Harvey and
Minnie had made their dream come true!

We encourage everyone to read the LA Times Obit today....
but here are some asides you won't get in the Obit........
The cutest girls in Southern California went to Harvey's
Broiler. The hottest cars, the fastest, the most custom
body work...et al...went to Harvey's Broiler. A good
example was when Art Christman brought his Blown Willy's
Coupe - 160 MPH, Quarter Mile record Holder into Harvey's
on a trailer. He off loaded the Coupe, lit it up and
proceeded to do wheel stands over each and every speed
bump in the Harvey's parking area. The ground shook more
than violently. Two weeks later, Don "the Snake" Purdome
proceeded to bring his Greer Machinery Special, Blown,
Keith Black Chrysler slingshot in on a trailer and followed
in Christman's shadow! Harvey's was the happening place!

Harvey's was Southern California, the Car Culture and
the Surf Culture. Every "Auto Writer" in America could
be found spending some valuable time at Harvey's! That
included the likes of Brock Yates and other elitists
types from Sports Car and Sports Car Illustrated. This
was all in addition to the writers from Hot Rod, Rod
and Custom and Car Craft.

Through all of the mayhem you could find Minnie and Harvey
walking through the parking area, checking on service,
asking folks how the food was and generally being concerned
that they all were either behaving well or having a real
good time!

Minnie passed away on September 25th at her home in Hacienda
Heights at 97, of pneumonia. Harvey died in 1991. Through
all of this...Minnie and Harvey (who had health problems
from the 60's) sold Harvey's to Christos Smyrniotis who
renamed it Johnny's Broiler. Even then, Minnie and Harvey
continued to volunteer their time working at their dream
restaurant.

In 2002, local preservationists pushed to have this classic
Harvey's/Johnnie's added to the Register of Historic Places.
While the new owner, Smyrniotis claimed the designation would
then hinder his future sale of the property....last January
some of the building had been demolished by another new owner
while the preservationists kept fighting the battle.

A jury trial is scheduled to begin this coming Tuesday! Good
luck to you preservationists in Downey! There were a lot of
great memories in and around that building! Hopefully, the
facade of our own Port Theatre can be preserved as well!
Minnie, God bless and we join so many that will miss you
greatly along with your own family! You made many of our
dreams come true - as well!