I was recently asked what I would grab in an earthquake, and it took me mere seconds to reply: my vintage candle from Dino’s Lodge.

Hey pallies, likes recently while goin' through the google Dino-'lerts sent our way we came 'cross this gem of  Dino-historical importance that is the focus of today's Dino-devotion.  From the on-line "Los Angeles Magazine," comes Miss Alison Martino's personal  prose  tagged "Alison Martino’s Saving a Candle From Rat Pack Hangout Dino’s Lodge."

Miss Martino "is a writer, television producer and personality, and L.A. pop culture historian."  And, we thought her tag rang a bell with us, so we researched her name in the ol' ilovedinomartin archives and found her other Dino's Lodge post that we featured  HERE in November of 2013.  As you will discover in  Alison's scribin's shared here, she is a collector of Dino's Lodge Dino-memorabilia, and her most prized piece of said Dino-treasure is a candle featurin' the Dino's Lodge Logo.

In fact, as the tag of this Dino-gram shares, that if 'nother quake of the earth comes to L.A., this candle woulda be the first thin' that she would grab for.  It's totally totally thrillin' to know how much Dino-love musta be in her heart to be rememberin' Dino's Lodge in such a huge huge way!  We salute
Miss Alison Martino for sharin' her Dino-devotion with the readership of "Los Angeles Magazine" and sharin' her prized Dino-possessions with the larger Dino-world.  To checks this out in it's original source, simply clicks on the tag of this here Dino-gram.  Dino-delightedly, DMP

Alison Martino’s Saving a Candle From Rat Pack Hangout Dino’s Lodge

The storied souvenir traveled from Hollywood to Australia and back again

June 29, 2015 Alison Martino Dining, L.A. History 

I was recently asked what I would grab in an earthquake, and it took me mere seconds to reply: my vintage candle from Dino’s Lodge. In the late ’50s and ’60s, candles just like it sat on every table in the long-gone restaurant. I’ve seen several menus and matchbooks that feature the same illustration of Dean Martin—the showbiz legend owned Dino’s Lodge—but never another candle. The restaurant’s Sunset Boulevard driveway was featured in the 1950s show 77 Sunset Strip, so I feel the need to snap twice when admiring the souvenir.

I paid less than $20 for it when the candle popped up on eBay a few years ago. Now that the restaurant’s old structure has been demolished, it would likely list for upwards of $500, but I’m not looking to make a profit. I bought the candle from a woman in Australia whose father had brought it home from Hollywood during Dino’s heyday. I’m glad it’s back in Los Angeles where it belongs. When the earth’s not shaking, I keep the candle next to other rare Dino’s Lodge treasures that I’ve collected over the years, including an original menu, two ashtrays, two sugar cubes, two plates, and a Zippo lighter. Ain’t that a kick in the head?

Alison Martino’s Dino’s Lodge memorabilia

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ALISON MARTINO

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Alison Martino is a writer, television producer and personality, and L.A. pop culture historian. She founded the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles in 2010. In addition to CityThink and VLA, Martino muses on L.A’s. past and present on Twitter and Instagram