Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's

Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's is a 1997 American documentary film directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Established in 1936, Chasen's was one of the most exclusive restaurants in Los Angeles, known for its celebrated film industry clientele and its chili. The chili was so famous that Elizabeth Taylor had it flown from Los Angeles to the set in Rome when she was filming Cleopatra. Chasen's also served dignitaries and international royalty, as well as a succession of U.S. presidents. In 1995, after 60 years of service, Chasen's Restaurant closed its doors. During its... final weeks of operation, regular customers , staff, and management were interviewed about Chasen's and its history. Variety described the documentary as an entertaining history of "the glorious and sad death throes of one of the last vestiges of Hollywood's golden age." It observerd that the film "is inadequately structured to fully realize its potential, but still serves up some delicious goodies that will be relished by showbiz connoisseurs.
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