Despite having survived the pandemic, social unrest, earthquakes and economic downturns, arguably Santa Monica’s favorite Italian inspired restaurant, Earth, Wind & Flour is set to close at the end of this month.
Nestled snugly inbetween O’Brien’s Irish pub and New York Bagel & Deli and opposite Whole Foods on Wilshire Blvd, the one-of-a-kind eatery has been a mainstay of Santa Monica’s restaurant scene for over 43 years.
Owner Dennis Klempner explained that this has nothing to do with declining numbers in the way that has tragically affected many other restaurants recently, but simply that the new owners of the building have chosen to sell it.
“The landlord I had for many years grew old and passed away. They handed everything over to their kids and they wanted to sell the building,” said Klempner. “This has been going on for a little while … but evidently they didn’t want to rent [so] it’s not going to be a restaurant and we think it will probably be developed.”
The Italian-Californian-fusion themed restaurant is well known for its pizza and pasta and offers a wide variety of flavors and toppings to suit all tastes, with every sauce and salad painstakingly crafted by the talented team of cooks, many of whom have worked here for decades. While offering an undeniable hint of a sports bar, with more television screens adoring the walls, it’s a restaurant first and a bar second, with the focus, first and foremost being on quality food.
According to Klempner, the origins of the name of the restaurant are indeed loosely linked to the Chicago R&B, soul, funk and disco band of the 70s, Earth, Wind and Fire.
“At the beginning, there were a few of us involved and wanted to create something memorable. We’re all in the office, sitting there with books open everywhere, listening to music and trying to find inspiration.
“A long time ago, long before we got here, I was in love with a girl and the song “Fantasy” by Earth, Wind and Fire reminds me of when she broke my heart,” Klempner laughed. “For some reason, I was thinking about this and so, I suddenly came out with ‘Earth, Wind and Flour’ and that’s how it started. As you go through life, you look back more and more and you remember crazy things. That phone over there, two times I remember answering that to hear on the other end that my wife was giving birth.”
Klempner, 84, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and has worked in the restaurant business – in one way or another – for 69 years. He moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1952 and entered the industry working as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant in Encino. From there he worked his way up to becoming the restaurant’s executive chef, helping to open up an additional seven locations along the way. In 1981 he dreamed up what the website describes as, “a laid back, neighborhood oriented location that would serve fresh and delicious California Italian cuisine that the whole family could enjoy.”
“It's been a great run. You know, I mean the restaurant businesses. I think everybody should go into the restaurant business before they do anything else,” Klempner said, smiling. “It's a chance to meet new people and understand how things work in the world.
“I've been here 43 years and it's been great. The community has supported me all through the years. Lucy [his chef] has been with me for 35 years. And so it's like a double edged sword for me, because I'm 84 and I should have retired, but that's not my makeup. So I keep going and going and going. My wife pushes. She's much younger than me, so she keeps up, but she's been wanting me to retire for years.
“Sometimes people work for more reasons than money. You know, it's doing things I love. I love getting up and being relevant. And you meet people, I see friends every day, the staff are all my friends and we have coffee every morning, I love it,” Klempner said.
The last day was actually originally supposed to be January 31, but Klempner was able to push for a four-week extension. Consequently, the last day is Friday, February 28. Earth, WInd and FLour is at 2222 Wilshire Blvd and open every day from 11am to 9pm. Check out earthwindflour.com for more details.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
