Canter’s Deli was originally opened in 1931 in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, by Ben Canter and his uncles.

In 1948, the old-school deli moved to the Fairfax district of the city and by 1953 had settled into its present home, the old Esquire theatre building at 419 N Fairfax. It was one of the first 24-hour restaurants in Los Angeles.

The Kibitz Room cocktail lounge opened in 1961 and musicians who have played there or used the place as a post-concert watering hole include Phil Everly, Jackson Brown, Melissa Etheridge, Jim Morrison, Courtney Love and Fiona Apple.

Generations of Los Angelenos and visitors to the city have enjoyed Canter’s matzo ball soup, blintzes and reubens and the restaurant has been featured in several movies and television shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Mad Men.

Ben Canter’s son Alan ran the restaurant for decades and now his children Jacqueline and Marc are custodians of this beloved LA landmark.

This charming menu cover image showing two chefs and the famous Wilno Kosher sausage is from a Canter’s menu dated in the 1950s when the deli’s telephone number was in the old dialing code WEbster 8-0880.