Season 8

1999 · 36 episodes

Episodes

1West Hollywood CottagesHuell visits remaining turn-of-the-century Craftsman-style worker cottages in West Hollywood. Built originally for the Los Angeles Electric Railway employees, Huell joins neighborhood residents and the L.A. Conservancy to take a final look at these historic structures before their scheduled demolition.
2Van de KampsHuell stops by the historic, vacant Van de Kamps bakery building in Los Angeles. Alongside a group of passionate former employees, he looks back at the company's regional culinary legacy using personal photos, shared memories, and vintage archival films.
3LutefiskHuell joins members of the Sons of Norway Lodge in Van Nuys as they prepare a traditional Scandinavian holiday feast. He explores the history and intense preparation behind lutefisk, a traditional dried cod fish soaked in lye before cooking.
4Eggnog UpdateHuell returns to the family-operated Broguiere's Dairy in Montebello. Following up on a highly popular earlier profile, he visits the plant during the winter holiday season to get a firsthand look at how their signature eggnog is processed and bottled.
5Egg CollectionHuell tours the San Bernardino County Museum, which houses the world's fifth-largest collection of bird eggs. The episode takes an up-close look at an incredibly diverse, scientific library of beautiful and unusual avian eggs and nests from around the world.
6Fire TrucksHuell travels to Shadow Hills to tour the residential property of retired fireman Joe Ortiz. Ortiz houses one of the state's largest private collections of fully restored antique and vintage firefighting rigs, concluding with Huell riding in a historic hook-and-ladder truck.
7Man Mi BakeryHuell highlights a true immigrant success story by touring Man Mi Bakery. He spends the afternoon with the Yi family—who arrived from Korea in 1979—to learn the recipes and manual steps required to bake traditional Korean sweet bean pastries and breads.
8Diving SchoolHuell Howser visits the College of Oceaneering in Wilmington to learn about the challenging world of commercial diving. The episode explores how specialized divers are trained to work underwater on oil rigs, ships, and bridges.
9Shrine AuditoriumHuell receives an exclusive, top-to-bottom guided tour of the world-famous Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The episode explores the grand 1926 venue's early Shriner history, its iconic four-ton crystal chandelier, its massive Möller pipe organ, and its legendary status as the host of major Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy awards shows.
10Bullocks Tea RoomHuell visits the elegant, historic Bullocks Wilshire Tea Room to reflect on the glamorous dining traditions of the mid-20th century. The episode interviews long-standing employees and patrons who share memories of the iconic high-fashion social hub.
11Soft DrinksHuell tours a regional bottling plant or vintage beverage merchant to track the history, manufacturing logistics, and pop-culture legacy of classic, vintage, and regional soft drinks in Southern California.
12Pop-Up BooksHuell explores the complex art of paper engineering by reviewing a specialized archive or collection of historic and modern pop-up books, showing how paper artists design intricate, three-dimensional moving illustrations.
13OrchidsHuell visits a premier regional nursery or botanical greenhouse to learn about the cultivation of orchids. The episode features an up-close look at rare, vibrant varieties and details the delicate care techniques practiced by local horticultural experts.
14Beach ArtistHuell spends a day on the shore with a highly unique California artist who utilizes the vast coastal sand lines as a temporary public canvas, documenting the creative inspirations and meticulous techniques behind crafting short-lived beach murals.
15Donut ManHuell visits the legendary Donut Man bakery on historic Route 66 in Glendora. The episode highlights the beloved local landmark's history and takes an inside look at how they handcraft their famous, seasonal fresh strawberry and peach-filled donuts.
16MisoHuell explores the traditional culinary science behind making miso. The episode visits a local production facility or marketplace to break down how the fermented soybean paste is meticulously batched, aged, and utilized in regional cooking.
17HarpsHuell dropped in on a specialized regional workshop or community gathering centered entirely around the history, construction, and beautiful acoustics of harps, profiling the detailed craftsmanship and musicianship of local artists.
18Bell GardensHuell gets a personal tour of a unique community farm site from Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell. The episode showcases how the agricultural plot doubles as an open-air demonstration farm where hundreds of local school children learn to harvest crops and ride a miniature train.
19Doheny MansionHuell Howser takes a comprehensive indoor tour of the Doheny Mansion, a grand 1899 estate tucked away on the downtown Los Angeles campus of Mount Saint Mary's University. The episode explores the historic home's ties to oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny, its unique architectural layout, and the magnificent Pompeian Room featuring a striking Louis Tiffany glass dome.
20Russian BalletHuell meets with local dancers and instructors to learn about the legacy, training methods, and cultural significance of classical Russian ballet in Southern California, highlighting behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage and performance traditions.
21Juice BarHuell highlights the growing regional health and wellness subculture by visiting a bustling neighborhood juice bar. The segment interviews local business owners and health-conscious patrons about the nutritional trends and fresh ingredients defining the spot.
22Music StoreHuell drops in on the historic McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. The episode profiles the beloved community institution's multi-decade legacy as a specialized instrument repair shop, music school, and intimate acoustic concert venue.
23Pork RindsHuell visits the Gayton family facility, a neighborhood staple that has manufactured traditional chicharrones in the same location since 1935. He explores the culinary processing line to document how pork rinds are boiled, seasoned, and prepared.
24ElephantHuell explores a unique local landmark, animal sanctuary, or museum archive to investigate the history, preservation, and cultural impact of elephants in Southern California's entertainment and conservation history.
25Lake ShrineHuell visits the serene Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades. The episode takes a peaceful walk around the ten-acre spiritual sanctuary, showcasing its lakeside windmills, diverse gardens, and its monument honoring global religions.
26Cultural CenterHuell tours the sprawling Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The program details the facility's architectural design and explores its educational exhibits, community spaces, and museum galleries dedicated to Jewish heritage and American democratic values.
27Railroad MuseumHuell travels to a regional railroad museum or preservation yard to explore the golden age of rail transit. The episode profiles volunteer mechanics as they restore massive, historic locomotives and vintage passenger cars to keep California's rail history alive.
28HolylandHuell visits the historic Holyland Exhibition in Silver Lake, founded by Antonia F. Futterer in the 1920s. The program explores a vast, private museum collection of ancient artifacts, pottery, and antiquities collected from the Middle East.
29ChorizoHuell takes a savory culinary tour focusing on the traditional production and cultural legacy of Mexican chorizo. The episode visits a multi-generational, family-run processing facility to explore how the seasoned sausage is spiced, batched, and prepared for neighborhood kitchens.
30HemetPrompted by viewer letters, Huell travels to the city of Hemet to investigate its historical reputation as the self-proclaimed shuffleboard capital of the world. Along the way, he highlights hidden regional landmarks and uncovers local community history.
31SparklettsHuell visits the historic Sparkletts water bottling plant in Eagle Rock to celebrate their long-standing corporate history. The program tours the iconic 1920s Islamic-revival style architecture of the main facility and breaks down how drinking water is filtered, bottled, and distributed across the region.
32Clifton'sHuell takes a historic stroll down Broadway in downtown Los Angeles to explore the legendary Clifton's Cafeteria. He interfaces with multi-generational patrons and guides viewers through the building's iconic, forest-themed multi-story dining architecture.
33L.A. Times KitchenHuell goes behind the scenes at the official Los Angeles Times Test Kitchen. The episode demonstrates how food editors and culinary experts meticulously develop, test, and taste-test recipes before they are printed in the newspaper's famous food section.
34Museum CafeHuell dropped in on a prominent regional museum's specialty dining space to see how fine art and culinary traditions merge. The segment highlights how local chefs curate unique menus inspired by the museum's rotating cultural exhibits.
35Little PianosHuell explores a highly specialized musical archive or artisan collection dedicated entirely to vintage toy pianos and miniature keyboard instruments, highlighting the unique engineering and history behind these small musical treasures.
36AckermansionHuell Howser visits the legendary "Ackermansion" in Los Angeles, the private home of sci-fi icon Forrest J Ackerman. The episode takes a tour of his massive collection of over 300,000 pieces of movie memorabilia, classic horror props, rare books, and sci-fi history.