CityStyle LA

Hollywood’s Next Great Cocktail Scene

Editor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:15:59 +0000

You’re always ready for another top-shelf, well-made cocktail.

And when your libation temple of choice also happens to be serving Fried Oysters and Saffron-Infused Shrimp Cocktails, well, then you’re really ready.

Which is why you’ll be thrilled to indulge your appetite for drinking and eating at THE TAR PIT, opening to the public in just under two weeks.

The next big thing in Hollywood is the product of a partnership made in nightlife heaven. Running operations are Jay Perrin and Mark Peel, the dynamic duo behind Campanile. Audrey Saunders, the reigning queen of the cocktail scene in New York and owner/mixologist of Pegu Club heads up the bar side, along with Marcos Tello as head mixologist. All of this to produce a modern version of the grand, old Hollywood-style supper clubs.

Speaking of supper, The Tar Pit will also be serving Classic American fare. Think Clams Casino, Steak Tartare, Oysters Rockefeller, and yes, Saffron-infused Shrimp Cocktails.

But our money is on liquid cocktails. The kind that used to be served with vintage barware and crafted with housemade bitters and homemade sodas.

Don Draper would be proud.

The Tar Pit opens soon.

The Tar Pit
611 N. La Brea Avenue (between Melrose & Clinton), East Hollywood
tarpitbar.com

Cafe By Day, Winebar By Night

Editor — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:15 +0000

Sure, you’ve been hearing about how productivity is up.

But what about productivity at your local Hollywood eatery, you ask.

Turns out we know a new artisanal cafe by day and winebar by night: welcome to THE MERCANTILE, opening Thursday on Sunset.

Another George Abou-Daoud venture, this one fronted by former Casa chef Kris Morningstar, The Mercantile is the kind of place you’ll want to visit when you’re craving a Pumpkin Seed Butter and Preserves Sandwich at noon or midnight.

By day, the Sunset Boulevard shop will lure you in with gourmet sandwiches, charcuterie, cheeses, and salads. By night, the multi-tasking cafe will dim the lighting and break out a global wine list, paired with a curated selection of small plates (more charcuterie and yes, more cheeses).

And if that isn’t productive enough, we hear The District, Abou-Daoud’s new, seasonally-driven American bistro located next door, will be opening in the next few weeks.

Productivity has its privileges.

The Mercantile soft-opens on Thursday.

The Mercantile
6600 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood

Hollywood’s New Ultra Sports Bar

Editor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:00:11 +0000

A new season calls for new nightlife options.

And it doesn’t get any newer than the space formerly known as Goa.

Yes, it’s time to meet the much anticipated Capitol City, opening next week in Hollywood.

Think of Cap City as your new Monday Night Football/College Football/NFL go-to option. In addition to giving you lots of space to roam (over 7,000 square feet), separate dining and sports viewing areas (six of them, actually), a very long beer (30 feet), lots of beer (60+), lots of beer on tap (30), and lots of hi-def TVs (45 and counting), Cahuenga Boulevard’s newest bar also doubles as a gastropub.

Thanks to award-winning Chef Shad Davis (formerly of Belmont, Stone Fire Pizza, and The Corner), you’ll be treated to a classic gastro-pub menu (savory ribs, gourmet burgers) and seasonally-driven dishes.

Of course, you can also count on full table service with solid cocktail/wine lists to keep you entertained in the bar/restaurant’s VIP area on the mezzanine level (complete with a secret entrance).

We know how you roll…

Capitol City opens to the public next week.

Capitol City
1615 N. Cahuenga Blvd (south of Hollywood Blvd), Hollywood
Tel: (323) 465-1750
capcitysports.com

The Great Outdoors. Now with Cocktails.

Editor — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:00:49 +0000

Sometimes a night out should mean a night out.

Literally.

Take the soon-to-open Rockwell Restaurant and Lounge, the outdoor offshoot of Vermont Restaurant in Los Feliz.

When it officially soft-opens in two weeks, you’ll be able to saunter in to the 6,000 square-foot, multi-level space when you’re in the mood for, say, Truffled Parmesan Fries and Grilled California Artichokes with tarragon mayo, a refreshing glass of wine, and an awesome view of the city.

As for the scenery, don’t look to the inside but out. Rockwell plans to bring the inside out with a coveted wood-stone oven, top-floor VIP seating area, and brace yourself: a private observatory deck (perfect for your inner voyeur).

Throw in a bar on each level, innovative cocktails (we hear there will be one made with housemade vodka, St. Germain and a grilled grapefruit), and a Cali comfort food menu by Vermont’s Chef Stephane Beaucam, and the great outdoors should be, well, great.

Décor by Mother Nature.

Rockwell Restaurant and Lounge soft-opens in two weeks.

Rockwell Restaurant and Lounge at Vermont Restaurant
1714 N. Vermont Avenue (at Kingswell Avenue), Los Feliz
Tel: (323) 661-6163
vermontrestaurantonline.com

A House Party You’ll Want To Crash

Editor — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:02 +0000

You love nightlife.

You love home.

The best of both: the new Victorian cottage meets lounge/restaurant at Jane’s House, now in soft-open. Once a former schoolhouse for prominent actors’ children back in the golden era of Hollywood, it’s now been remodeled with sleek modern touches giving off a house party vibe, all while keeping its classic appeal.

Settle in and start things off with a cocktail and appetizers from Chef Jamie Ta’s comfort food menu (yes, they have sliders!). From there, you’ll want to move things upstairs where an extra-large balcony doubles as a DJ booth.

Make your rounds at your choice of two bars and head to the patio, where a full night of dancing and people-watching await (you’ll find smart, sexy people). Or if privacy’s your thing, hide away with a few of your “friends” in one of two private rooms.

Just try not to make yourself too much at home…

Jane’s House
6541 Hollywood Blvd. (between N. Hudson & Whitley Avenues), Hollywood
Tel: (323) 308-1911

First Night at Guys & Dolls Lounge

Editor — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:00:36 +0000

Exotic cocktails. Stellar service. Pretty ladies.

There’s always a new nightclub in this city waiting for you to grace them with your approving presence.

Next up on your hit list: Guys & Dolls Lounge. The newly opened star-studded spot (formerly Guy’s Bar) has been given a sultry-sleek update by the creative hands of Emmy-nominated actor and nightlife impresario Michael Sutton. The spot is tricked out in full force with button-tufted booths and upholstered walls, an LED-lighting-backed bar, and a recessed ceiling bedecked with an opulent cascade of chandeliers that provide the must-have touch of Hollywood glamour.

Of course, you can also expect the usual top-shelf liquors and bottle service, and the lounge is conveniently located adjacent to Jerry’s Famous Deli from which you can order superb sliders and finger foods to be brought over for your pleasure. Sure, it seems like the normal course of VIP services, but Sutton is, afterall, a man who is highly attuned to your party-packed lifestyle, and has knowingly prepped G&D with a concierge who will field your requests from arranging for a private jet to booking last-minute hotel accommodations… for those hasty retreats when the cocktail waitresses in flapper dresses start setting down bottles you never asked for.

Another lounge… another victorious velvet-rope venture.

To really see the brand-new Guys & Dolls Lounge, click here.

Guys & Dolls Lounge
8713 Beverly Blvd (between N. Robertson Boulevard & N. Sherbourne Drive), West Hollywood
Tel: (310) 360-0290

Downtown’s Newest Wine Bar

Editor — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:00:08 +0000

You’re already a regular at Bottle Rock in Culver City.

It’s your go-to place for wine discoveries and flavor-happy small plates. So then we know your new favorite spot will be at their newest wine temple… Bottle Rock Downtown, opening later this week.

The new Bottle Rock includes everything you love about the Culver City favorite - the way you can try any wine if you order two glasses, a library of rare wines by the bottle, the deliciously interesting selection of cheeses and charcuterie, the high-energy music, the egalitarian philosophy, you know - all the good stuff.

The downtown spot offers nearly a thousand bottles to satisfy your vino explorations, along with plenty of interesting craft brews on tap. The space is much larger, and includes a communal table, a lounge that can be rented for private parties, outdoor seating, cherry floor-to-ceiling wine racks, and a long, sleek, granite bar.

And it even boasts a full kitchen, completely open to your view. So you can watch Chef Jared Levy and his crew turn out things like house-made Foie Gras Torchons, Pork Belly Risotto, Pan-Seared Diver Scallop with Crispy Lamb Sweetbreads in a Coriander glaze, or Fresh Fava and Pistachio Falafel.

Oh, and you can purchase any bottle to go, for your more intimate hanging out occasions.

Like we said, it’s your new favorite.

Bottle Rock Downtown opens later this week. Call ahead first.

Bottle Rock Downtown
1050 Flower Street (entrance on 11th St), Downtown LA
Tel: (213) 747-1100
bottlerock.net

The Return of the Legendary Trader Vic’s

Editor — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:00:56 +0000

There’s nothing like hot weather to get you excited.

Well, that and some tropical drinks served in a Tiki paradise…

Introducing the new Trader Vic’s, opening this Saturday, at LA Live. For those who don’t know the lore, the original Trader Vic’s is the birthplace of the Mai Tai, the perfect dark rum-meets light rum-meets almond syrup concoction.

Fans of history will also know that this year marks the 75th birthday of the first Trader Vic. To help celebrate, The Valencia Group has gone all out with the much-buzzed about Trader’ LA. Step into a little Polynesian paradise accented with classic tiki decor, Polynesian dancers and singers, and of course, tropical drinks. Lots of them.

We’re talking more than eighty types of cocktails from around the world. Try The Kahuna, the restaurant’s signature drink served in a big Tiki mug and set on fire, or keep it classic with a potent Mai Tai on the rocks.

This time, the hype machine got it right.

Trader Vic’s LA opens this Saturday. Wear your best Hawaiian shirt.

Trader Vic’s at LA Live
800 W. Olympic Blvd., #A-120
tradervicsla.com

The Art & Science of Drinking

Editor — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:00:54 +0000

You like beer.

But you’re also a closeted science nerd.

Lucky for you, The Lab merges the best of both worlds. Designed by AC Martin Partners, the USC-adjacent bar mixes science classroom musts (think textbook-laden shelves, slate-topped tables, and streamlined overhead lighting) with beer - and plenty of it.

The selection is a beerophile’s dream with 40 different cold ones to choose from, including drafts like Stella Artois and PBR, and bottles such as Acme Pale Ale and Speckled Red Hen. Sample an over-sized brew like Coney Island Lager, or a specialty beer crafted by Karl Strauss: Both The Lab Amber Lager and Trojan Blonde are served up in beakers, so all you’ll be missing is a pair of safety goggles.

Extend your lab time with a gastronomy lesson at either lunch or dinner. Pull up a stool to the white tiled bar and nosh on small plates like Artichoke Fritters with Chipotle Dip, or opt for an entree such as Braised Lamb Shank with Organic Vegetables or Grilled Salmon with Tropical Fruit Salsa and Couscous.

This is one classroom that’s actually open to food and beverage.

The Lab
3500 S. Figueroa Street (at Jefferson Blvd.)
Tel: (213) 743-1843
hospitality.usc.edu/restaurants

A Taste of Milk & Honey Comes to LA…

Editor — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:00:09 +0000

You’re downsizing.

And we completely understand.

In the spirit of minimizing, we’re narrowing down your nightlife picks down to one… Introducing The Varnish, at Cole’s French Dip, the speakeasy inside Cole’s, and brainchild of Cedd Moses, Eric Alperin and Sasha Petraske.

Stroll past the smoky French Dips and right on through the marked door. Inside, you’ll find a Milk & Honey twist on prohibition: wayward suspenders, sparkling jiggers, metal spoons - it’s all centered around the padded bar and glimmering chrome cash register. No stools here (hence the padded bar), so sink into the wooden booths fashioned from vintage New Orleans trolleys.

The drinks are as meticulous as the aesthetics. Picture made-from-scratch grenadine, chipped blocked ice, and fresh-squeezed juices. In fact, Petraske himself was on hand ensuring his creations like the tequila-heavy Mexican Firing Squad and honey-infused Business match his lofty standards. We’re not sure if those standards include wrangling a French Dip to go along with the custom cocktails …

… But they should.

The Varnish, at Cole’s French Dip
118 East 6th Street
Tel: (213) 622-9999