“It's like Armageddon,” said Patrice Winter, owner of Canyon Bakery. “That's all I can say. What they show on the news is really real; They're not sensationalizing any of this. It's what I saw with my own eyes. It rocks your world.”
Winter was making pastries in her bakery's kitchen Tuesday for the weekly Topanga Farmers Market when she saw a plume of black smoke — something wasn't right, she told her husband and business partner. Moments later, they received an in-app notification that the Palisades Fire was raging through the Santa Monica Mountains and approaching them. The winds tore through the canyon community. Neighbors began evacuating and Winter, a Topanga Canyon resident for 55 years, knew she had to leave. He's seen fires before, but never like this.
As Winter began to evacuate, he saw the columns of fire change hue: from black to white, from yellow to red, “the whole rainbow of smoke,” he said. “I mean, the sound of the wind is like you're in a haunted house.”
Patrice Winter, owner of Canyon Bakery in Topanga Canyon, in 2021.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Winter runs a rustic whole grain bakery from a small wooden structure on the grounds of Topanga's historic open-air theater, Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum, and before evacuating to Calabasas, he returned to Canyon Bakery Tuesday afternoon. She wanted to bake for first responders and those displaced by the fires, and she managed to bake loaves of bread and pizza and dropped them off at a community center before leaving Topanga Canyon.
“I felt safer in the bakery,” she said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Winter said a ranger told him there is “no hope” of saving the canyon; Several restaurateurs and other business owners were waiting for air support to fight the fires in the mountain community. Like many other restaurateurs from Topanga to the ocean, Winter is waiting to hear the state of his business.
Others have not been so lucky.
The Reel Inn, a seafood institution known for its fun signage along the Pacific Coast Highway, was destroyed in the Palisades Fire on January 7.
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
At least four iconic Malibu restaurants were destroyed along PCH by the Palisades Fire.
The Reel Inn stood just west of the mouth of Topanga Canyon for 36 years, until this week. Decked out with colorful Christmas lights, picnic tables and indoor aquariums, the seafood roadside staple is served in a funky, beachy setting. The legendary restaurant suffered severe fire damage, according to the Malibu Times.
Teddy and Andy Leonard, owners of Reel Inn, confirmed the destruction of their restaurant on Instagram and stated that all of their restaurant staff were safe.
“We are heartbroken and not sure what will be left,” the post said. “Hopefully the state parks will allow us to rebuild when the dust settles.”
An exterior of Cholada Thai, a PCH institution, photographed in 2024.
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)
In a video posted to the area's Instagram, it appears the fire also destroyed Cholada Thai, which has been serving traditional Thai cuisine overlooking the beach since 1999. The Instagram account for the restaurant's second location, in Long Beach, confirmed the decimation . . “We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who tagged us and showed their support during this difficult time.” the post read. “Your kindness and solidarity mean a lot to us. #prayforpalisades #prayformalibu.”
Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio, another local hotspot on the same stretch of business, was also affected by the fire. A tasting room representative confirmed the destruction in a message to The Times, writing, “unfortunately, our wine bar did not survive last night's fires.”
Moonshadows Malibu Restaurant photographed in 2023.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
One of Los Angeles' most iconic waterfront restaurants reportedly burned down in the Palisades fire. Guests had flocked to Moonshadows since 1966 in search of a dining room suspended directly over the water. Representatives for Moonshadows could not be reached for comment, but the restaurant's official Instagram account reposted dozens of posts in memory of the restaurant.
The owners of Gladstone's, another iconic seaside restaurant near the path of the fire's destruction, could not be reached for comment, but on Wednesday afternoon, a Los Angeles Times reporter found the structure partially smoking.
Some of the beach community's dining landmarks will live on: Also as of Wednesday afternoon, Nobu Malibu and Little Beach House will still be standing, as will Mastro's Ocean Club.
Times staff Writers Cindy Carcamo, Connor Sheets and Noah Haggerty contributed to this report.
