Taix Restaurant, a staple of L.A.’s Echo Park neighborhood for more than 50 years, offers amazing dishes inspired by traditional meals from the French countryside. The establishment and owner Mike Taix also offer support for the annual Lane Kemper Softball Classic, which benefits the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund.
Though one might not connect an American pastime like softball with old-fashioned dishes from southeastern France, Mike and the folks at Taix Restaurant continue to help make the fun event a reality. Mike’s contributions make the daylong event possible. LAFD Engineer Bill Bringas, the event chair, said, “He has been donating money along with whatever food products we have needed every year.” This year, Taix Restaurant also sponsored the team from LAFD Fire Station 20, supplying shirts for the players to wear.
And Taix’s involvement with the fire department doesn’t stop there. Bill said, “[The restaurant] has been hosting retirement dinners for the fire department longer then I’ve been on the job.”
This tradition of caring for the community dates back generations. Marius Taix, Sr. (Mike’s great grandfather) started an area hotel in 1912 and Marius Jr. opened the original Taix Restaurant 15 years later to serve families good food at affordable prices. And the community appreciates it—the restaurant won an L.A. Times Readers Choice Award for Best French Cuisine. Learn more about the eatery at taixfrench.com.
By David Vienna