Look closely for L.A.'s whimsical architecture of yesteryear

"If . . . you found you could buy cakes in a windmill, ices in a gigantic cream can, and flowers in a huge pot, you might begin to wonder whether you had not stepped through a looking glass or taken a toss down a rabbit burrow and could expect Mad Hatter or White Queen to appear . . . "

John Crossland, "Modern Marvels Encyclopedia" (1938)

But, no, you had only stepped into L.A.

Part of Southern California's reputation for goofiness dates back to these pre-World War II buildings, which were often shaped liked the things they sold:

The Tamale restaurant on Whittier Boulevard, a giant Mexican dish with its corn husks tied at both ends; the various Chili Bowl eateries with their circular dining rooms; the Darkroom photo shop on Wilshire Boulevard with an entrance resembling a camera, complete with lens and shutter-speed indicator.

"This was a response to the automobile and the cultural mores of the '20s where people cut loose," said historian Jim Heimann, author of " California Crazy & Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture" and several other books.

"You wanted to catch the eye of people in automobiles. And there was so much open space -- it wasn't like Chicago or New York."

The demise of the trend began after World War II when Southern California became more densely populated, real estate prices rose and chain businesses appeared.

Many of the buildings -- especially those in pricey areas -- have been bulldozed. Now, you need a sharp eye to spot artifacts. Heimann has that sharp eye.

He was driving down Pico Boulevard once when he found the long-missing, albeit reincarnated, pickle that used to adorn the roof of Pickle Bill's restaurant in West L.A.

"I spotted this Tiki god with bumps near the entrance to Kelbo's Barbecue," he said, "and I thought, 'No, that can't be the pickle!' But I checked and it was."

A strip club now occupies the location and the pickle has disappeared.

Another time, driving through Alhambra, "I noticed a pointed thing with a waffle-cone structure peeking out from the back of a building," Heimann recalled. "My mind said, 'Uh, oh, I think I see a cone.' "

Sure enough, it was a former Big Cone.

Also hidden is what's left of the once-world-famous Original Brown Derby restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard -- it now forms part of a Korean restaurant inside a nearby shopping mall.

Some survivors of the daffy architecture era might prompt double-takes today.

The Tamale's home has not unraveled, but inside the 80-year-old husks you'll find Charley's Beauty Salon.

One old Chili Bowl in West L.A. houses Mr. Cecil's California Ribs, which did not, however, retain the Chili Bowl motto: "We cook our beans backwards -- you only get the hiccups."

And the Darkroom, a historical landmark whose camera facade remains intact, has become El Toro Cantina. Owner Paul Boettcher says customers don't ask about the facade -- folks in L.A. are evidently blase about cameras.

The former Big Donut shops have changed with the times too. One in Long Beach calls itself the Daily Grind Espresso Bar. Another, a few miles north, covers its giant chocolate doughnut with the shocking words, "Bellflower Bagels." But Randy's Donuts off the 405 Freeway near Inglewood still proudly emphasizes doughnuts. And no espresso.