Transcript: Gelson's, Ralph's and the Palisades

Rob Long on what the grocery stores, lost in the fire, told us about Hollywood

This is Rob Long with Martini Shot, for The Ankler.

I think I’ve told this basic story before — in fact, I know I have. Because it’s about the natural disasters that happen in Los Angeles — the fires and mudslides and earthquakes. And I know a lot of people listening to this are right in the middle of a pretty terrible time in Los Angeles. And I want to say, I am really sorry and I hope you and your family and loved ones — I even hope your enemies and competitors and that person you’re sure screwed you out of money somehow — and those people, mostly, live in the Palisades, let’s be honest — well, I hope you’re all okay.

In the upper right corner of my laptop screen I have YouTube TV going, and I’m watching a local news channel show pictures, mostly of things in flames. Some reporter just announced that the Gelson’s supermarket on Sunset in the Palisades is gone — that’s how she put it — “Gelson’s is gone,” — just like that, which made me laugh a little. I mean, it was a Ralph’s, we’ll all be okay, but also sad because I loved that Gelson’s.