By Elena Kadvany/Palo Alto Weekly When Lawrence Chu opened his first restaurant in what used to be a coin-operated laundromat in Los Altos in 1970, he had a grand vision. He dreamed of replicating his 12-item Chinese takeout menu in cities across America — a Panda Express before there was a Panda Express. That dream fizzled over the years as…
By Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News Chef Lawrence Chu had big expansion plans in mind when he turned a former Los Altos laundromat into a Chinese takeout counter in 1970. He envisioned opening a Chef Chu’s fast-food joint on every corner. “Lucky I didn’t,” he says now. If he’d achieved that goal, sure, he could have built a very nice…
History Museum Marks Milestone with Exhibition Town Crier Staff Report, Los Altos Town Crier Los Altos has seen changes aplenty over the past 50 years, but Gallery 9 has remained true to its mission as members celebrate the art gallery’s golden anniversary this year. It continues, as it did in 1970, to provide a supportive place for local artists to…
By Elisabeth Ward, Executive Director, Los Altos History Museum, published in Los Altos Town Crier I was recently asked, “How did the Los Altos History Museum get land in the middle of the civic center?” This is a very relevant question amid all the happenings on the civic center campus. The demolition of Hillview Community Center and construction of a…
By Rachael Myrow, KQED The Los Altos History Museum has been marking the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake with an exhibition called Our Community Prepares: Acts of Nature, Then and Now. It’s set to close on January 19, 2020. But today only, you can take a ride on the Big Shaker, the world’s biggest mobile earthquake simulator. “It’s…
By Christina Cheng, Town Crier Editorial Intern, Los Altos Town Crier The Los Altos History Museum’s first escape room won’t be its last. Los Altos History Museum exhibition curator Amy Ellison said she “could not have been more pleased” with how the Dec. 6 event went. Held next to the museum at the J. Gilbert Smith House, two groups of participants…
