The Beverly Hills Hotel rises like a mirage of glamour on Sunset Boulevard. Nicknamed the “Pink Palace,” it has been the stage for Hollywood myths for more than a century. Yet its walls carry stories beyond stardom — stories of a Black architect whose pen literally shaped the hotel’s face, and a chopped salad that became an unlikely icon.

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The Architect Who Wrote Beverly Hills in Script

Paul Revere Williams (1894–1980) was the first Black architect licensed in California, later designing over 3,000 structures in his career【source: Wikipedia】. He became known as “Hollywood’s architect,” creating homes for stars like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, as well as public institutions across Los Angeles.

In 1949, Williams was hired to redesign the Beverly Hills Hotel【source: Paul R. Williams Project】. His work included:

• The Crescent Wing, a graceful curved addition that expanded the hotel’s footprint.
  
• A remodel of the Polo Lounge, Fountain Coffee Room, and lobby, introducing the now-iconic pink-and-green palette【source: Dorchester Collection】.
  
• Most enduring: the hotel’s cursive logo is based on Williams’ own handwriting, making his pen strokes synonymous with Beverly Hills glamour【source: Saving Places】.
  

That logo, still shining in neon over Sunset Boulevard, is one of the rare visible acknowledgments of Williams’ influence — though his role is often untold in mainstream narratives.

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The McCarthy Salad: A Legend in a Bowl

In the 1940s, Los Angeles attorney and polo enthusiast Neil McCarthy requested a hearty chopped salad at the Polo Lounge. The kitchen obliged, combining diced lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon, beets, avocado, tomato, cheddar, and egg — all chopped into neat cubes【source: Dorchester Collection】.

The result, the McCarthy Salad, quickly became a menu fixture. Unlike a Cobb, it is mixed rather than striped, ensuring every bite is a blend of flavors. Today, the Polo Lounge serves nearly 600 McCarthy Salads each week【source: Modern Luxury】.

The dish has also dabbled in excess: for the hotel’s 110th anniversary in 2022, it was reimagined with lobster, caviar, and edible gold leaf, priced at $1,912 as a tribute to the hotel’s founding year【source: Modern Luxury】.

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Hidden Threads of Black Luxury

The Beverly Hills Hotel is often remembered as the playground of elites, but its history also reflects overlooked Black influence. Williams’ Crescent Wing and his handwritten logo gave the hotel its defining aesthetic at a time when he might not have been allowed to stay overnight due to segregation【source: Saving Places】.

His story complicates the myth of the Pink Palace: luxury was defined by Black genius, even as society sought to exclude Black presence from its spaces. Just as the McCarthy Salad symbolizes culinary tradition, Williams’ work embodies design tradition — details that make glamour feel effortless.

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Recipe Sidebar: The McCarthy Salad

Adapted from the Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills Hotel

Ingredients (serves 4):

• ¼ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  
• ½ head romaine lettuce, chopped
  
• 1 grilled chicken breast, diced
  
• 1 medium beet, roasted & diced
  
• 1 avocado, diced
  
• 1 tomato, diced
  
• 2 strips bacon, crisped & crumbled
  
• 1 hard-boiled egg, diced
  
• ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, diced
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Dressing:

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  
• ½ cup olive oil
  
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  
• 1 tsp honey
  
• 1 shallot, minced
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
   
2. Whisk dressing ingredients until emulsified.
   
3. Toss gently and serve chilled.
   

Optional: Add lobster, caviar, or even edible gold leaf for an anniversary-inspired upgrade.

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Final Thoughts

The Beverly Hills Hotel has always been more than its guests. Its story is written in Williams’ elegant lines and tasted in every McCarthy Salad served. To know the Pink Palace fully is to see both its glamour and its hidden legacies: a Black architect’s hand on the façade, and a salad born of one diner’s appetite, now an enduring symbol of Hollywood dining.

✦ For Epicurious Digest

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References

• “Paul R. Williams.” Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
  
• “The Beverly Hills Hotel.” Paul R. Williams Project. paulrwilliamsproject.org
  
• “Legendary Architect of the Beverly Hills Hotel.” Dorchester Collection. dorchestercollection.com
  
• “Nine Places That Illustrate the Life of Paul R. Williams.” Saving Places. savingplaces.org
  
• “Our Famous McCarthy Salad Recipe.” Dorchester Collection. dorchestercollection.com
  
• “Beverly Hills Hotel Anniversary McCarthy Salad.” Modern Luxury. modernluxury.com
  
• “Polo Lounge McCarthy Salad.” Parade Magazine. parade.com
  
• “At the Polo Lounge, the McCarthy Salad.” Los Angeles Times Archives. latimes.com