The Historic California Restaurant That Still Doesn't Have A Freezer

It's easy to get used to the marvels of the modern world. Once upon a time, oranges were such a big deal to have in winter that people got them in their stockings for Christmas — and they were thrilled about it. With that in mind, the prospect of returning to the days when you could not, in fact, eat anything you want whenever you want may seem daunting. But if you go to The Old Place, an old-time restaurant in California that doesn't have a freezer, you may get a taste of what it was like before the advent of refrigeration.

The Old Place is located in Cornell, a small town that feels like a remnant of the Old West, even though it's located just two and a half miles away from Malibu. The restaurant is housed in a building that used to be Cornell's post office, which had stood derelict until being renovated into a restaurant by one Tom Runyon in 1970. Runyon could have easily turned the restaurant into something modern with rustic trappings, but he wanted to commit to the bit — that meant rescuing an old wooden bar from a demolished Las Vegas saloon, building a menu around hearty favorites like clams and ribeye steaks, and, most crucially, forgoing a freezer entirely. That means the restaurant runs out of certain dishes more quickly than others might, but it also ensures a certain authenticity that has its own appeal.

Running out of dishes would be a bigger problem if The Old Place didn't have such a great assortment; luckily for you, they have plenty of options to enjoy. There are, of course, the steaks: not only ribeyes, but a bone-in fillet and Anthony Bourdain's beloved sirloin as well. Then there are the comfort-food, stick-to-your-ribs favorites like beef stew and chicken pot pie, in addition to a few offerings you wouldn't expect from a restaurant that looks like you could find it in "Red Dead Redemption." The noodle bake, which is essentially a fancy mac and cheese, is especially popular, as are the classic littleneck clams that date back to the restaurant's opening. (Their presence on the menu dates back that far, anyway — if the clams themselves did, you probably wouldn't want to eat them, much the same as clams that didn't open.)

If you came to Cornell a little earlier in the day, The Old Place also has options for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, you can get something classic like bacon and eggs (or steak and eggs, or an egg-based breakfast burrito) or satisfy your sweet tooth with cinnamon rolls studded with nuts; for lunch, there are a plethora of options, including a steak sandwich, a BLT, and a pulled chicken sandwich. (No pulled pork, though, which is odd — you don't usually see pulled chicken without its porcine counterpart, although it's probably better than the Texas Roadhouse pulled pork sandwich.) In any case, though, you'll be able to find something terrific, freezer or no freezer.