Conor Dowling

“I don’t know how to process what I just watched…” read a text I received from a friend back in Ireland after I sent him a 30-second video clip of the proceedings at my first-ever meeting of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club. Being new to L.A., I’ve been trying to immerse myself in the culture here—from catching comedy shows at Largo to trying the newest vegan Mexican food in the Valley—but somehow none of the guidebooks ever pointed me toward this bizarre and wonderful gem of L.A. history: a century-old social club that meets over breakfast once a week at the base of Los Feliz Boulevard to sing silly songs and listen to guest speakers. When I stumbled upon this group on social media, it seemed right up my alley, the only problem was… I’m not a morning person. Not even slightly. So it seemed like I’d never attend this 7am social gathering—but the promise of an art history lesson from RoboCop himself finally made me bite. Back in 1925, the Los Angeles Breakfast Club was originally an excuse for the horse-riding businessmen of Griffith Park to meet up and grab breakfast. But the group soon became an official club with food, music, stories and lectures every week. It wasn’t long before they embraced quirky traditions and became an intentional parody of mysterious groups like the Masons. The gathering’s history is ever-present from moment to moment, and this old-world charm echoes into today, making it a timeless experience. Though there’s still a membership option available today