John McIlwee & Bill Damaschke – Business Manager & Production Company owner – Hollywood Hills, LA
John & Bill’s Thanksgiving is tied around turkey, family & tradition. Stuffing and gravy are essential to what John describes as a 110% traditional meal, “it’s everybody’s favorite holiday for a reason”. This affinity for the classics is reflected in their passion for the arts and design. The couple have lovingly restored back to its former glory John Lautner’s Garcia House – a mid-century masterpiece in the Hollywood Hills.
For the family dinner, the table is set in a modern palette of cool grey and sand tones with succulents from the garden. The following day there’s always a Potluck dinner with a larger group of friends who couldn’t make it home to their respective families. This is where new traditions begin as guests introduce dishes to the family – some so popular that the family forget they weren’t their recipes in the first place.
We always do traditional dinner, then a potluck the next day for all our friends that don’t have family or couldn’t be with them. Our friend Darren brough a crazy corn & green bean casserole. My family loved it so much it’s become one of our own traditions, so much so we forget it wasn’t started by our family!
