Andy Warhol’s visit to Clanton’s Cafe

Clanton's Cafe, Vinita, OK

Pop artist Andy Warhol’s pivotal 1963 highway journey from New York City to Los Angeles — including much of Route 66 — was chronicled in Deborah Davis’ new book, “The Trip.”

But a recent interview with Davis by the Tulsa World newspaper reveals a tidbit from Warhol’s journey not included in the book — Warhol dined in the famed Clanton’s Cafe in Vinita, Oklahoma.

During her research for the book, Davis told the newspaper she stopped at Clanton’s.

“I asked if anyone who had been there in the early ’60s was still around,” Davis recalled. “I ended up speaking with Tommy Clanton (the cafe’s former owner).

“I didn’t say anything about the subject of my book, I just asked him if he recalled anyone unusual coming to the restaurant in that time,” she said. “He immediately said, ‘Well, there was this one fellow, with these little pictures of Marilyn Monroe and soda pop.’ That had to be Andy Warhol. I asked him why he remembered this one person, and he said, ‘Why wouldn’t I? Most everyone that came here then was in cowboy boots and jeans. That fellow just stuck out.’”

That begs a question that remains unanswered — did Warhol sample the restaurant’s famed calf fries?

Clanton’s has operated along Route 66 since 1927. In addition to its excellent cowboy cooking, it’s famous for being featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and its huge neon “EAT” sign.

(Image of Clanton’s Cafe by ElectraSteph via Flickr)

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