Hipster's Escape from Douchebag Central aka Hollywood Blvd

I was invited to a birthday dinner at Beso in Hollywood last week. But no way was I gonna drop $100 at a restaurant that was co-owned by a celebrity (Eva Longoria in this case) unless the executive chef was Thomas Keller of French Laundry and the much anticipated Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills (which it obviously wasn't). So I just said that I would meet up for drinks after their dinner. I arrived a bit early and as I was standing around Beso's front bar surrounded by douchebags and a cocktail list averaging $15, I knew I needed to escape until I can be fashionably late to my party. The Cahuenga corridor (Cahuenga Blvd between Hollywood and Selma) has several options for those who wanna get away from the touristy douchey crowd so typical of Hollywood. After passing many clubby places along this strip that I couldn't bring myself to walk into alone (Velvet Margarita, Beauty Bar, etc) I found Capitol City. I remembered reading about Capitol City being an "upscale sports lounge" in the heart of Hollywood. To me, it was a relaxed reprieve from the adrenaline pumped playground surrounding most of Hollywood on a Friday night.

It felt kinda dead considering it was a Friday night at 10:30pm aside from a few small groups of diners and a couple canoodling in the corner, but it had exactly what I needed: an open and inviting atmosphere, a readily accessible bar, lots of TV screens for distraction, and a reasonably priced menu. I ended up ordering a Purple Haze draft ($7) and a Spicy Tuna with Crispy Rice ($8). The beer was so cold it almost felt like there were ice chips in it...mmmm..... and the tuna/rice combination was also quite tasty and I liked the little disc of serrano chile they donned on top. They had nearly 20 beers on tap in addition to their full bar and a variety of menu options including fancy burgers and fancy pizzas.

The servers and staff were all very friendly as well. Oh and I REALLY liked their retractable purse hooks that are under the bar! At first I couldnt locate them so my initial thought was "Figures, of course a sports bar geared towards men wouldn't be equipped with purse hooks" but boy was I wrong! It's just that they're the retractable folding kind so no one can bump their knees into it ;) So ladies, you too can feel safe hanging out here!

This place is the perfect getaway if you're looking for a more chill way to hang out in Hollywood with its reasonable prices, yummy food, great draft beer selection, and huge glass panels facing Cahuenga Blvd. My friend Carleen who met up with me here before we returned to Beso to join our party also said that she would like to come back here again.

I'll see you again, Capitol City!

Capitol City Hollywood
1615 N Cahuenga Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-465-1750
http://www.capcitysports.com/main.html