An Anniversary to Relish

It was noon on a weekday, and Charlea Williams was--as usual--waiting in line at Pink’s for her chili cheese dog with fries.

“I come here every day for lunch,” she explained, “and on weekends I bring my kids. Nobody does it like Pink’s.”

Hollywood is a bit of a trek for Williams, who lives in Jefferson Park and works downtown at California Medical Center. But, like other Pink’s regulars, she’d drive miles to sink her teeth into a Pink’s dog.

Pink’s has gone beyond being an L.A. institution. As it kicks off its 60th anniversary celebration today, it has attained legendary status. Hey, even President Clinton has sent congratulations. That was “a real wow,” said manager Gloria Pink, 53, who’s pretty blase about the A-list celebrities who frequent Pink’s.

Indeed, a bevy of famous folk is joining the celebration. Every day through Nov. 26, a celeb will be at Pink’s signing autographs from 6 to 7 p.m. During the hour, the regular $2.20 chili dog will sell for 60 cents, with proceeds going to the celebrities’ designated charities. (Pink’s is guaranteeing each of the charities $1,000.)

Pink’s still occupies the same site near the northwest corner of La Brea and Melrose avenues where the late Paul and Betty Pink started selling hot dogs from a $50 pushcart in 1939. It was open land then, so they rigged up a long extension cord for their steamer and plugged in at a hardware store a block away.

The current building dates from 1946. Fancy it isn’t, with its red linoleum floor and white plastic chairs and tables. Richard and Gloria Pink, son and daughter-in-law of the founders, aren’t about to tart it up.

“Pink’s is a place that doesn’t try to be greater than it is,” said Richard, 55. “It’s a hot dog stand.”

Would-be franchisees have courted Richard and sister Beverly Pink Wolfe, who co-own the stand, almost always in vain.

“Pink’s is unique,” said Richard, who refuses to allow it to be “diluted by being in every little mini-mall.” (The family has made one concession, contracting with Pacific Theaters to sell Pink’s dogs in its Chatsworth and Northridge theaters--and, soon, in Hawaii.)

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The family worries that franchisees might alter the product--the same Hoffy 100% beef Kosher dog made for Pink’s since 1939--and jeopardize “this goose that’s laying golden eggs for our family.”

So what makes the Pink dog special?

Devotees mention the “snap” of the dog’s skin, the happy contrast between firm frank and soft, warm bun. Every day Pink’s, which is open from 9 to 3 a.m., dishes up 1,500 to 2,000 dogs and hundreds of burgers and burritos.

There’s a spicy Polish dog that, Gloria Pink promises, “turns your eyeballs into sprinklers.” There’s a pastrami Reuben dog, a guacamole dog, a bacon burrito dog and a 12-inch jalapeno dog--in all, 21 kinds.

And Pink’s doesn’t stint.

“We tell the staff to pile it on,” said Richard--extra chili, extra cheese, on request. “We want people to carry out their tray and go, ‘Wow!’ ”

What’s to love, asked Gloria, about places that measure the food “to make sure they don’t give you too much?”

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On any given day, one is apt to see Japanese honeymooners elbow-to-elbow at Pink’s with aspiring actors clutching portfolios, businessmen and tourists in Bermuda shorts.

Pink’s has shipped hot dogs to Las Vegas for Diana Ross, to Germany for Kiefer Sutherland, supplied dogs for Tom Hanks’ wrap parties and for Rosie O’Donnell’s studio audiences.

“Roseanne loves our double chili cheeseburger,” Gloria said. Other Pink’s people have included Jay Leno, Goldie Hawn, John Malkovich, Sandra Bullock, Jason Alexander--who sends Polish dogs to his parents in Florida. Michael Jackson first came to Pink’s before he was tall enough to see over the counter. The record for most dogs eaten at a sitting--18--belongs to the late Orson Welles. The celebrity wall of fame in Pink’s “dining room” is a collage of photographs of the famous, and a few of the hoping-to-be’s who’ve surreptitiously tacked their own photos to the wall. Pink’s itself is something of a movie star, seen in Eddie Murphy’s “Golden Boy” and a Smashing Pumpkins video.

Sooner or later, everybody comes to Pink’s. One day, as a Telemundo interviewer was asking Gloria Pink if stars really eat there, she recalled, “Bill Cosby drove up in his town car, walked up and ordered 13 chili dogs to go.”

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Stars Align for Pink’s

From today until Nov. 26, to celebrate 60 years of business, Pink’s is cutting the price of its famous chili dog for one hour a day (6 to 7 p.m., with one exception, noted), inviting a celebrity for that hour and donating money to charity.

Celebs and charities include:

* Today: Mayor Richard Riordan and honorary Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant; Hollywood Historic Trust.

* Wednesday: KCET personality Huell Howser; KCET-TV.

* Thursday: KCOP-TV news personality Tawny Little; the Fulfillment Fund.

* Saturday: former Laker Jamal Wilkes; UCLA’s Unicamp.

* Sunday: actress Ruth Buzzi; Meals on Wheels.

* Monday: producer Aaron Spelling (11 a.m. to noon); Centro de Ninos.

* Nov. 23: Assemblyman Wally Knox (D-L.A.); Los Angeles Free Clinic.

* Nov. 24: actress JoAnne Worley; Actors Fund of America.