Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Finally, a hipster weekend!

I think I'm finally returning to my usual self - seeking out art, music, and free booze :)

Friday: In Bed Together at Royal/T for carolineoncrack;
Du Metier at Daydream Republic

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your friends were all struggling actors and artists and you decided to host a get-together at your house with a REALLY big living room?

The lovely Vivien of Daydream Republic invited me to check out her "REALLY big living room" for the Du Metier event last Friday. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the $15 entry fee gets you live entertainment, an open bar, and snackies. Vivien was generous enough to comp me a couple of tickets to check it out.

It definitely had an "underground" feel to it as it was way far east on Jefferson Blvd, just before you hit USC-land. Or maybe it just felt that way to me cuz I'm a westsider. A series of actors were performing monologues/spoken word pieces on living as a creative person in LA as a circle of spectators watched. I could see this as a great space for filming or band rehearsing or even a party space for you and 100 of your bffs. They also host several of their own events that sound pretty cool.

Neuro Drinks sponsored the drinks and the gals working that section were quite friendly and the NeuroBliss I tried tasted like lychee and mixed great with vodka and apparently "regulates" appetite.

Saturday: Koream Journal Afterparty for "Unforgettable"
This event was totally not my scene - bunch of "fabulous Asian Americans" strutting around in their finest Italian garb gloating at how famous and awesome they think they are. But I did appreciate the Jinro and Hite open bar and I got to try something new called Black Beer Stout which is pretty cool since Korean beers like Hite and Cass usually taste like piss-water (piss-water holding many fond memories for me FYI). Black Beer Stout was definitely not as full bodied as a Guiness, but I found it similar to the more Amber and brown ales which I prefer anyways.

But the highlight of the night for me was most DEFINITELY getting photographed with the smoking hot Daniel Henney - eeeeeeee! For those not in the know, he is a half Korean half white actor who hit it big in Korea acting in some soap operas and has successfully (so far) transitioned himself to the American stage. I spent 3 hours on Sunday watching Three Rivers on cbs.com where he is a co-star. Thanks to my buddy clammy for approaching Sr Henney since I was way too chicken - and star struck! - to ask myself.

Monday: Green Day not-so-secret show at Nokia Plaza
We stood for 5 hours in the longest line I have EVER attempted, but it was SOOOO worth it. Green Day has a raucous energy and pounding enthusiasm that 15+years in existence has not squleched. Billie Joe is as charismatic as ever with his unique voice and I still saw the younger audience members excitedly moshing in the center. It was just funny because this was a taping of the Carson Daly Show's New Years Eve special so we all wore NYE hats and noisemakers and even did a countdown! Weird.....

I LOVE LA! ;)

Monday, November 9, 2009

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