Are you aware that there is a whole other city right below our own?  Yes indeed there is, it is called Culver City and it they even have their own mayor (pictured here wearing a funny hat, brandishing a shovel, while riding a tractor).  This heating pad of a municipality, essentially warming the nuts of the more grand Los Angeles, is not without its own selection of fine bars.  One of these bars is Mandrake.

One of the many bars in the greater LA are without real signage out front; to find this place you should only look for the address, and that little “BAR” sign pictured above.  Mandrake is a hip little bar with tree stump tables and cool art on the walls, as well as in the gallery/dance floor.  They have a happy hour from 5-7pm where you can get a PBR and a shot of whiskey for $5, and you can take $2 off the price of a cocktail.  And I do recommend the cocktails which they make with fresh herbs.  The Moscow Mule is great but on my next trip (one week from today with Thirsty Club) I plan to try Rose’s Garden which is Grey Goose shaken with cucumber and mint.  What could be more refreshing?

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WHAT: Cool Art Bar in Culver City
WHERE: Mandrake
$$$:  $2 cocktails off if you make it happy hour

As you may have heard Halloween is just around the corner.  It is in the spirit of Halloween that I bring you Little Cave.  A dimly lit gem, hidden in Los Angeles’ deep East of Highland Park, Little Cave frightens you with bats, then comforts you with cheap booze.

As one might imagine from the name, and the hanging bats on the sign, Little Cave is dark and has rounded rock walls to complete the cave feel.  The atmosphere certainly lends its self to some Halloween time drinking.  Some of the regulars might seem a little frightening at first too, but all arguments can be forgotten by simply slipping outside and enjoying a Danger Dog from a street vendor.

On Friday and Saturday nights Little Cave offer selected beer for only $3 and $5 well drinks between 8:30 and 10:30pm.  On weekend night the place also gets pretty packed later in the evening so prepare for a crowd, and be ready to stretch when trying to reach the bar.  The bartenders have been known to put on a little fire show on occasion as well, which is always fun.  If Little Cave doesn’t put you in the mood for Halloween, nothing will.

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WHAT:  Spooky Divey Drinky Drink
WHEN:  Daily 5pm to 2am
WHERE:  Little Cave
$$:  As low as $3 for a good draft beer

Sgt. Recruiter has come and gone, in its place rises the new and exciting Salaryman.  Japanese slang for the working stiff, Salaryman a fitting name for a bar attached to the newest location of the Japanese burger joint Umami Burger.  Salaryman has fun variety of mostly Asian Beers like a Coedo Sweet Potato Beer, Hitagchino, and Nakhon Lager.  Salaryman doesn’t limit himself to just one continent though, they also have tasty beer’s from our own great nation like the Allagash Curieux which I plan to try on my next trip (it is $19 but is also 740 ml), as well as a Stout Beer Float for the more adventurous types with a sweet-tooth .

Being attached to Umami Burger is also a definite plus.  When Genara reviewed Umani’s original location last month she was absolutely correct in her assessment.  The burgers are pretty good, but the Umami flavor might just be an acquired taste; that said these burger are still great and ten fold better than your average bar burger.  I also cannot recommend the Tempura Onion Rings enough.  Salaryman is small and can get crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, so if you are headed over on the weekend and want a bar stool you might get there early.  If the Salaryman has piqued you interest, good old Thirsty Club is meeting there next Thursday, check out TC’s Facebook event and join them.

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WHAT: Exotic Beer and exotic burgers
WHEN: 11am – 2am daily.
WHERE: Your local B&N
$$$: A Beer will run you between $3.75 and $20 so choose wisely.

With Dodger fever gripping our city (and myself missing tonight’s game slaving away at work), I thought I might review a sports bar that gives a little something extra.  The Happy Ending in Hollywood serves up gourmet food in a sports bar/frat house atmosphere.  Happy Ending serves up kobe beef everything and fancy pants mac and cheese with delicious cheese and mushrooms (I recommend the Filet Mignon Sliders on Pretzel Rolls though, since you asked).  They take so much pride in their fancy bar food they even put the chef’s name on the menu.

A handsome fellow celebrates after catching a delicious Lobster for only $2

Even with the gourmet selections you can hardly call The Happy Ending classy.  Beer pong tables upstairs, a drink special wheel, flat screen TVs in every direction, as well as drinks that are served in beach buckets prevent this bar from ever claiming itself a Gastropub.  The crowning achievement by far is their The Lobster Zone: a claw machine like any other except instead of crappy plush toys inside, it has a tank of live lobsters waiting to be plucked out (please don’t tell PETA).  If you are skilled enough to catch a lobster, the chef gladly boils it up for you and serves it with a delicious sauce and asparagus.

If you are hungry, want to watch sports, and are not afraid to occasionally interact with the more Ed Hardy types,  The Happy Ending is the bar for you.

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WHAT: Sports Bar, Good Food, Party Atmosphere
WHERE: The Happy Ending
$$: Spin the Drink Wheel to get a new drink special

Like an aging bare-knuckle boxer the Smoke House Resturant in Burbank is not to be trifled with.  With its virtually windowless rooms, plaid floors, red booths, and low ceilings you know what you are getting into as soon as you open the front door.  This place has not changed since it opened in the late 40’s.  If you eat here you are eating the same exact meals your grandparents would have eaten when they were young; in fact if your grandparents happen to live near Burbank they probably still do eat at the Smoke House quite regularly.

Though the steak and prime-rib are both delicious (not to mention their famous garlic and cheese bread!) the reason I love the Smoke House Restaurant most are their fine cocktails, specifically the martinis.  Any martini drinker knows that the longer your martini stays cold, the longer it remains delicious; a warm martini is a bad martini.  At the Smoke House they have come up with a wonderful way to keep that martini ice cold from the first sip to the last drop.  Martinis (or anything that comes in a martini glass really, Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, etc) are brought to your table in a personal sized, pre-shaken shaker and then poured into a chilled martini glass before your very eyes. The key point comes next when the server  leaves that shaker behind so as you drink from your classy glass, the remainder of your drink remains on ice, for you to pour in at your leisure.  Genius!

The crowd at the Smoke House is always eclectic.  From old ladies there to see the lounge act, to young starlets there to hide her hidious thumbs in a dark booth, they all love the Smoke House.  If you are feeling too cool for the Smoke House, just remember that the coolest man alive George Clooney likes the place so much he named his production company after it.

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WHAT: Old school vibe, cold drinks
WHERE: The Smoke House Resturant
$$: About $6-10 a drink

There are now more taps than are shown in this photo.

Lets face it folks beer is delicious.  It is sometimes easy to forget how varied and delightful beer can be; but not at 1739 Public House.  The Public House has something like 100 beers on tap, all for only $6.  It is hard to get an accurate count on the beers, because every time you turn around they are adding more taps! 

As I say all the beers on tap are $6 so careful what you order.  While it is great to get a Chimay for $6, but it sucks to get a PBR for $6.  They also have a world of exotic beers in the bottle ranging in price from the $5 Spaten Optimator to $69 for the 750ml Deus Brut des Flandres, so it is best to know what you are getting into before pointing to a bottle and just saying “Give me that pretty one.”

The Pub also serves some decent food, and most of it is under $10 which makes it taste better.  During happy hour (3-7pm) you get a free cheese pizza with your beer.  On the weekends you can get brunch for $11 with a free Bloody Mary.  1739 Public House is value, and you can’t miss with all the beer they have.  A good cheap, friendly neighborhood place for Los Feliz and you to enjoy!

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WHAT: Too many beers!
WHERE: 1739 Public House
$$: Every draught beer $6

Possibly the worst kept secret in LA, the Tiki-Ti is a delight on Sunset Boulevard.  The Tiki-Ti is literally a shack, which has been completely decked out in Tiki/Polynesian theming, and only serves tropical drinks.

Opened in 1968 by Ray Buhen, the Tiki-Ti is still owned and operated by Ray’s descendants: son Mike, and grandsons Mike and Mark.  Ray collected and created the drinks on the menu over several decades by working at various Tiki bars around Los Angeles.  These original recipes of Ray’s are still used today; at Tiki-Ti you are drinking the same Mai Tai your grandfather would have enjoyed back in the 1940’s.

The bar is owner operated so smoking is still permitted inside, so if you are allergic to cigarette smoke it might not be the best place for you.  The smoking combined with the fact that they only accept cash, in my mind only adds to the classic LA Tiki bar feel.  It really does seems like you have stepped into a time warp (except for the modern day drink prices of course).  The Tiki-Ti isn’t necessarily open every day, so before you head over be sure to check the calander on the website to make sure they will be there to serve you.

This is a great place to bring out of town guests to impress them with LA’s depth of fun.  Have them order the Blood and Sand, and watch them smile when the whole bar erupts in shouting “Toro!  Toro!” as the bartender pours tequila.

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WHAT:  Classic tropical drinks in a time capsule of a bar.
WHEN: Wed-Sat 4pm to 2am
WHERE: Tiki-Ti
$$$: $12-$15

Cloaked in the skirt of a sleazy strip mall, The Woods offers a breath of fresh forest air in an otherwise douchey and a touristy Hollywood bar scene.  Okay the air may not be fresh, but it does have a distinct (albeit canned) cider smell, which is nice.  The wood theme does not stop with mere fragrance, the walls are covered in birch and cork, the tables are tree stumps and chandeliers are made of antlers.

The place is very classy, yet the bartenders are kind and there is never a line to get in.  The place can get crowded later in the night but if you get there early for the happy hour it is quite chill and relaxing.  Try the delicious mint julep, and bring some quarters for the jukebox.

If you happen to get there too early (the Woods opens at 8pm) I suggest hoping over to Mashti Malone’s for some delicious ice cream; not just because it is tasty but also because there is a place upstairs that holds NA meetings and there are sometimes some shady characters hanging around outside (but they are getting help so do not judge).

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WHAT:  Hidden Hollywood Class
WHEN: Daily 8pm-2am
WHERE: The Woods
$: $4 well drinks during the daily happy hour 8pm-10pm.

There are many excellent bars in our fair city of Los Angeles, but few require any real interaction from you, the patron.  One is permitted to waltz in, and order drink after drink without so much as saying “hello” to a single soul in the room.  R Bar asks more of you.

Before you are given the privilege of enjoying R Bar’s dark wood, red walls, chandeliers, unique cocktails and friendly staff you must prepare.  The only way to enter R Bar is to know the password (which changes daily) in advance of your arrival.  Once at the unmarked door, knock, and a good-humored bouncer will open a slit and ask for the password, and if you’ve got it right you are in for a night of good drinks, fun staff and comfortable atmosphere.

Here at BoredLA we like R Bar so much we have featured events held here on more than one occation and tonight is the best-biggest-greatest-event-ever-of-all-time-anywhere at R Bar:  BoredLA’s Birthday!!! Come tonight with the password “Terrible Two’s” (a password made special for our 2nd year blogging about LA!) and dance the night away to DJ Original Bozak!

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WHAT: Password-neccessary speakeasy
WHEN: Come for out 2nd birthday tonight at 9pm-2am!
WHERE: R bar
$$: Free -”Terrible Two’s” is the password tongiht (call ahead for password on other nights)

The summer is winding down and school is back in session, but as many So Cal residents know, late August and early September is often the hottest time of year.  As the both the hills and our eyes burn in oppressive heat, the thirsty Angeleno’s heart begins to long for the crisp refreshing cocktails of The Hungry Cat.

Known for its authentic lobster rolls and its (relatively) new raw bar, The Hungry Cat also has some of the best mixed drinks in in this great nation of ours.  The bartenders use the freshest ingredients and take their time with each drink.  When you order a drink they fresh squeeze the juice right there at the bar, just for little old you.  A personal favorite is the Pimlico (pictured Right), made with bourbon, fresh squeezed orange and lime juice, mint and simple syrup.  Even if you think you do not like bourbon, you should give it a try, it is so refreshing and easy to drink, it is the best way to beat the heat.

They have several drinks that are always on the menu, but it pays to ask if there are any specials, these specials are often created with ingredients that are only in season for a short while.   If you are a smart shopper you will sample the cocktails during happy hour, Monday – Friday, noon to 6pm.  In fact if you can make it for happy hour at that time you better be a smart shopper because you probably are unemployed; but what better way to wash away the going-nowhere-blues than with a delicious greyhound made with fresh grapefruit juice and candied grapefruit as a garnish.

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WHAT: Cold, fresh, expertly crafted cocktails.
WHEN: Daily until 11pm (12am Thursday-Saturday)
WHERE: The Hungry Cat
$$$: $10-12.  Or half price at happy hour Mon-Fri, noon to 6pm.

Replacing the über-divey Gig earlier this year, Darkroom has remade the space to be a might classier, but even with its soaring high ceiling Darkroom remains down to earth.  No lines or cover charges here, no food either, just booze.  What Darkroom does have is a relaxed atmosphere, dart boards and cheap beer on tap.  The place is dark (as the name suggests), so dark in fact that the above photo is the only known photo the vast Internet has to offer.

According to a local legend, star of screen and screen Keanu Reeves is a partial owner, so after one sip of their finely mixed G & T’s you may find yourself exclaiming, “I know Kung-Fu…  Woah.”

The place is on Melrose, so street parking can sometimes be a bit tricky so give yourself some extra time when you join the good folks of Thirsty Club here next Thursday.

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WHAT: Drinks in the dark
WHEN: Join up with Thirsty Club next Thursday September 3, at 9pm.
WHERE: Darkroom
$: $3 draft Pabst

Stationed on the Eastern edge of the Sunset Strip Ye Coach and Horses refuses to bow to the latest whimsy of Hollywood nightlife.  Walk a few blocks west and you enter a world of $20 covers and popped collars, but ye Coach and Horses remains true to its simple form: booze, dark, and a jukebox.  Since opening in 1937 nothing has changed: the ceiling is high, the booths are red, the drinks are stiff and the bar is cash only (they even still have an active myspace page if you are feeling particularly retro).

Celebrities have always frequented this LA staple; from Hitchcock to Chevy Chase to Tarantino, they all stop in for a pint just like you and me.  Some would say this proves celebrities are people too, I’m not so sure.  Either way the smart drinker partakes in Ye C & H’s happy hour from 2-8pm daily, where selected beers are $2 and well drinks are only $5.

Whether you are settling in for an unpretentious night with the locals, or you are doing a bit of pre-gaming before heading to the strip for $16 rum and cokes, Ye Coach & Horses is the dive for you.

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WHAT: No attitude on the sunset strip, go ahead and wear your shorts or a suit.
WHEN: Enjoy happy hour from 4-8pm daily.
WHERE: Ye Coach & Horses.
$: $2-$8

Tucked between The Delancey Bar, and the Mission Catina hides Delancey’s TastingRoom.  Although enjoying a drink in the tiny, velvet encrusted space can sometimes feel a bit like one is watching prince try on outfits in his walk-in closet (only without the sexually confusing feelings welling up inside), it is worth it for the fine selection of mostly California and I-tie wines.

The Delancey will not serve its full menu in the wine room, but they do offer a selection of bruschetta which goes nicely with a glass of wine.  The intimate velvety location makes it the perfect spot for a night cap at the end of a date.

If you decide wine isn’t enough, the Mission Cantina to the west has a fine selection of tequila, and the Delancey Bar an Pizzaria to the east has some high quality beers, both have a full menu and both have the same owners.  But whatever your mood, Delancey’s Tasting Room is the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine with a couple of friends.

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WHAT: Wine in a small purple room.
WHERE: Delancey’s Tasting Room
$$: Glass of wine starting at $7

It may look like a bakery/flower shop, but let me assure you Echo Park’s El Prado is all bar (well no liquor, but booze is booze).  El Prado keeps it simple with just beer, wine, some selected appetizers, all set to a sweet selection of music played on vinyl.

Both the beers on tap and the selection of wines rotate regularly, giving you the chance to try a different micro brew or a different interesting wine on every visit.  They offer an excellent cheese plate, and some nuts too but if you happen to be in the mood for something more substantial, the good folks at El Prado will allow you bring in a pie from the near by (and delicious) Two Boots.

The decor appears to be inspired by some sort of minimalist sandwich shop, which odly makes for a comfortable place to hang (interestingly it also makes me want a sandwich).  If you decide to hang at El Prado tonight you just might run into good old Thirsty Club Los Angeles: a group of kindly folks who make it a point to try a different bar every other Thursday.  Even if you don’t make it out tonight El Prado is an excellent choice for a craft brew any day of the week.

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WHAT:  Tasty Beers at El Prado
WHEN:  Daily 6pm-2am
WHERE: El Prado Bar
$$: $5-12 a drink (depending on how fancy the selection is)

Nestled snugly under a Super 8 Motel in East Hollywood, the White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge brings unpretentious comfort to Los Angeles.  The whole place looks like a bar created by your uncle in his basement; complete with a red pool table and a mixed bag of old couches, chairs and coffee tables from the 70’s.

The drinks are average priced and the jukebox is as good as anywhere, but what sets the White Horse apart is it’s service.  On most nights you will find a stern but good humored Eastern European woman behind the bar.  She will have a real conversation with you, laugh, and make fun of you too.  In short she treats you like a human, not someone forcing her to serve you drinks.

The best part of the White Horse is the free food.  Yes FREE FOOD!  If you continue to order the stiffly mixed drinks into the night, the bartender brings out more and more food for everyone to eat.  First it might be pretzels, then chex-mix, then cookies, then candy, then she will make popcorn, then more sweets, and just when you think the freebies must be at an end, she stops the fluttering of your little drunk heart with FREE HOTDOGS.

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WHAT: Stiff drinks and FREE SNACKS AND HOTDOGS!
WHEN: Daily 6pm to close.
WHERE: White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge
$$$: Drinks $5-$8 (cash only) and free food.

Why do I like The Brig (1515 Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA)? Well, mainly because of the old timey boxer on the sign. You see, as an angry Irish mick, I long for the days when we dominated the squared circle. Alas, the 1920’s are over. Every time I visit The Brig, though, I am pleasantly reminded of our long-lost dominance… Though I am pretty sure that dude is Italian.

All that said, things are pretty good on the inside as well. The first thing you’ll notice is that practically the entire place is lit with red lights, making everyone look a little sexier… The second thing you’ll notice is that a boost of sexiness probably isn’t necessary. Venice attracts a rather young and good-looking crowd, and The Brig in particular tends to attract those who are just down to drink with friends and listen to music (via live band on Tuesdays, DJ on the weekends, and a jukebox most other nights).

The Brig’s best feature (next to the sign, of course) is really a combination of all their features… There is a little bit of something for everyone: There is a looong bar for posting up, there are quiet corners and plenty of seating, there are usually a couple people dancing, and there’s a pool table too! Basically, no matter what you’re into, The Brig has it. It combines the best of a dive, a bar, and a club into one package… As a testament to the truthfulness of this claim, your esteemed author had his 22nd birthday party at The Brig last August.

Next time you’re in Venice, even if The Otheroom doesn’t have an enormous line, swing by The Brig for some drinking and fun… And say Hi to that old timey boxer for me.

PROTIP: The Kogi truck sets up shop at The Brig every Friday and Saturday, but you probably already know that… So for another tip, try and avoid using their weird unisex bathrooms as much as possible. Don’t break the seal!

The Gas Lite, located in Santa Monica at 2030 Wilshire Boulevard, is more of a “Bored” destination than a “Thirsty” one. As a matter of fact, one could even argue that its “Hungry” aspect is one of its best features. (More on that later.) Basically, it has a little bit of something for everyone… If you don’t mind listening to drunks butcher your favorite songs all night. Yes, the Gas Lite is a karaoke bar.

The key to making your night at the Gas Lite a great one—and I’m going to be blunt—is to be drunk by the time you walk through the door. Why? Well, who wants to listen to karaoke sober, that’s why. This makes the Gas Lite the perfect place to finish up a Santa Monica pub crawl, but don’t show up too late! If you make that mistake on the weekend there is liable to be a medium-length line and you might not get the chance to belt out your favorite tune!

On the subject of tunes, things run standard… There is a big old book with lots and lots of songs listed: You find yours and  write your name and the code on a clipboard. Depending upon the crowd, you might get called a couple minutes or a few hours later.

As I alluded to earlier, drinks are not the Gas Lite’s strong suit. Chalk it up as another excuse to pregame. They have a fairly limited selection of beers and they certainly aren’t crafting specialty cocktails. I can’t complain, though… It is a karaoke bar, after all.

Your esteemed author and friends belting out some tunes

That said, they have one thing that makes up for all their shortcomings in the drink arena, and it isn’t the song selection… It is the incredibly awesome popcorn cart in the back. Good God, I love that popcorn cart. When I think about how much I pay for popcorn at the movie theater, I am nearly blown away by the fact that I can shovel basket after basket into my face for free at the Gas Lite.

If you’re in the mood for karaoke, and willing to put up with hearing a bunch of other drunks do it too, then the Gas Lite is the place for you on the Westside. They are open from 6am (!!!) until 2am every day, so swing on by for 20 hours a day of karaoke goodness!

PROTIP: They tend to keep things a bit more old school toward the end of the night… If you show up late, you’re best off picking some classic rock or another karaoke staple. If you’re like me, and want to spit Luda’s verse from “Yeah!” with all your heart and soul, you should probably show up a little earlier.

The funny thing about Happy Hours is that they never really seem to last an hour. In fact, most usually last 2 or 3. Anything more than that, though, would be pushing it. Hara Sushi pushes it. What they offer is more akin to a Happy Afternoon and Evening: It runs a grand total of 5 1/2 hours, from 4pm to 9:30pm.

And what a Happy Afternoon and Evening it is! $3.25 will get you a large sake and less than $2 will get you a small Asahi, Kirin, or Sapporo to wash it down. In fact, the $3.50 large beer is probably the single greatest drink special on the entire Westside (though I’m not sure about that one… If you know of any better, let me know!).

All of the glassware is actually glass, though, so this isn’t the place for propping your sake up on chopsticks and banging the table until it falls in… Low key sake bombs are totally acceptable though: My esteemed colleauge and I did more than a few and didn’t attract any stares that weren’t due to our ravishing good looks.

I suppose I’m more or less finished with the “Thirsty” aspect of this post, but I would be remiss if didn’t talk about the sushi. Well, it’s not great. In fact, it’s barely a step above grocery store quality. You get a lot of it, though, and you get it for cheap. In other words, there’s no reason to complain, so long as you know what you’re getting yourself into.

So head on over to Happy Hour at Hara Sushi for cheap and decent drinks with some cheap and decent food to go along with it… And unlike other Happy Hours, don’t worry about scheduling this trip. Just stroll on in anytime in the afternoon or evening and you should be fine!

PROTIP: Order the edamame. It only costs $3.50 or so and it comes piled high on a standard sized dinner plate… It’s enormous. I was nearly filled with soybeans before my sushi even arrived.

The Culture Police confiscated my camera and detained me for six hours when they heard about this review, but here's a photo from Yelp!

I stumbled upon a strange little place the other night: Bar Lubitsch, communist USSR’s last bastion of hope in this greedy, morally bankrupt society of pigmen. I was with a group of my old college buddies (har har, that’s a joke because we all just graduated) and we were saying goodbye to a friend of ours that is leaving, maybe for good (the same one as last time, actually – guess our final goodbyes weren’t so urgent after all.)

As I approached I ran into a friend of mine that had just gotten kicked out for trying to use a fake ID. Those Reds, man, they know how to spot forged papers. Inside, the place was kind of a dump: cracked dusty mirrors, tattered propaganda posters, aging old-world philosophies… but my impression of the place jumped immediately when I noticed the hot, female, eastern-European looking bar-commissar.

I had heard that the place suffers from / benefits from spillover from the American capitalist bar Winston’s, which is next door. So sure enough, into our little circle of impoverished working-class film students barged ten bourgeois sorority girls from LMU, wearing white, in stark contrast to the staff there, who all wear the mandatory red. They’re Party members for sure. Either that or they’re bloods, or work at Hot Topic (but definitely not both).

Eventually the groups saw past their differences and made their way to the back room for ironic dancing to lousy eighties music. There still may be an embargo against Cuba, and North Korea might have it’s finger hovering above the button as we speak, but maybe, just maybe, with the help of Bar Lubitsch, the Cold War got a little bit warmer that night.

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VIBE: dingy, old, themey
CROWD: stylistically mixed / opposed, dance-eager, drinking vodka
PRICE: $$$ (I think on weekends it gets pretty crowded, and there’s a cover)
WHERE? West Hollywood

My friend is leaving town, maybe for good, so she decided to have a last get-together at the Hotel Fig, Downtown. The place is kitty-corner from the obnoxiously bright LA Live, on the bottom floor of the once exquisite Hotel Figueroa. This place has a flair of the old Downtown, the good Downtown, where a man’s word still meant something.

I went down the tiled hallway, past the reception and the phone booths, to the bar and the pool, surrounded by tables and plump with mellow candlelight and hushed conversations. The decor: confused mixture of Moroccan and Latin American styles. I took it in. The place was a refreshingly down-tempo oasis in my hectic, penniless world. The world of a Private Eye.

If revolutionaries in authentic vintage were planning an overthrow of Vichy Los Angeles from the relative safety of far-off Casablanca, this is where they would sip vodka tonics and idly ruminate about their ideals. And if Zapata and his generals wanted to celebrate a hard fought day of agrarian reform, they would surely enjoy their mojitos poolside.

I met her at the bar. We ordered drinks, took a seat at a table by the water, and dined slowly on chips and salsa. The crowd was on the older-than-me side, and people mostly kept to themselves: whispering, plotting. But we didn’t care. This was our night. We eventually worked our way back inside, where a few more drinks led us to a revealing game of truth or dare in one of the private cabanas. “Truth,” she said, “or dare.”

“Truth,” I whispered back. I knew what was coming.

“Do you still love me?” she asked. I couldn’t answer, but her eyes begged. Those big, blue eyes. I stirred my drink.

“Fine,” I replied. “Dare it is.”

“Kiss me?” I looked at her. I just couldn’t say no, couldn’t stand to see those baby blues swell up with teardrops one more time. Her plane was taking off in less than seven hours. So we kissed.

“Last call,” we heard from the bar. I said goodbye, grabbed my coat, and walked out of her life forever. But as I was driving back, eyes tingling and stomach in ropes, I sent her one last text message: “heres lookin at u kid”.

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VIBE: mellow, secluded, ‘decayed elegance’
CROWD: tame, private, casual
PRICE: $$
WHERE? Downtown