Ray Vega, whose restaurant attracted a host of celebrities for decades, had complications from COVID – 19
The Southern California restaurant industry is mourning the death of Rafael “Ray” Vega, founder of the iconic Mexican restaurant Casa Vega , located in Sherman Oaks, in the northwest of the city of Los Angeles.
Vega, originally from Tijuana, passed away on Saturday at the age of 86 years due to complications from COVID – 15, according to his daughter Christina, who said that her father had battled dementia and Parkinson’s for 15 years.
Ray Vega opened the restaurant in 1956, inspired by the one his parents had on Olvera Street , downtown Los Angeles, when He was a child, called Café Caliente.
As time went by, Casa Vega became He put on a referral site in the San Fernando Valley for local clients and especially Hollywood stars. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino were regular customers . It was easy to find out about celebrity stories just by talking to one of the servers there. More recently, the restaurant was consistently featured on Kardashian shows.
Two scenes from Quentin Tarantino’s film ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ were filmed in the restaurant.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 🎥 #throwback #onceuponatimeinhollywood #cool #Tarantino #bradpitt #leo # casavega # movies #filmset #onlocation #hollywood #actors #Alist #hollywoodcool #margotrobbie #lovemovies #movielove #filming #cameraoperator #director #cvhistory #LAhistory pic.twitter.com/xD30 tkbU6l
– Casa Vega Restaurant (@therealcasavega) October 11, 2020
The main characteristic of Casa Vega, more than the food itself and the famous margaritas, is the warm and festive atmosphere, with its brick walls, its paintings of bullfights and fo historical cough of the premises. And since it was a canteen, its kitchen was open until dawn, a rarity in the region.
Circa 1956 !! 65 years in business ! #sixtyfiveyears #saverestaurants #illustration #artwork # casavega # restaurantworkrsneedhelp # employeesarefamily # workingclassheroes # restaurantsneedhelp pic.twitter.com/WTgZHGYygQ
– Casa Vega Restaurant (@therealcasavega) January 5, 2021
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Christy Vega said that one of her father’s happiest days was when she was born: “My dad went back to the restaurant to share the good news with everyone and there was Marlon Brando. They drank a bottle of Tequila together 1800 ”.
Vega eventually became a civil servant and ran a number of food-related businesses in Nevada, making a fortune. He became honorary consul of Mexico in that state.
Ray Vega is survived by his wife Charleen, whom he met at the restaurant bar in 1976, his daughters Christy and Kelly, his son Robbie and eight grandchildren.
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