The Source Restaurant
Photo: Ed Ruscha 1972 Sometimes I walk the neighborhood looking for older structures that are still standing. In a city that likes to tear everything down, I’m forever searching for reminders of the prior century… I’m actually amazed the old SOURCE Restaurant is still standing. It’s now Cabo Cantina located at 8301 Sunset Blvd. It was owned by Jim Baker, who’s quirky, bohemian eatery became the originator of the spiritualized vegetarian health food craze long before tempeh, quinoa, and vegan were household names. The SOURCE opened in 1969 at Sunset and Sweetzer serving veggie burgers and other healthy fare to hippies, musicians and counterculture types who hung out on the strip. Baker, who was a wealthy former US Marine who fought in WWII, drove a Rolls-Royce and called himself Father Yod . He had previously run the Old World and Aware Inn restaurants not too far from the SOURCE. The Aware In The Old World. (This building at Sunset and Holloway is still a restaurant today calle
