Cha Cha Cha-Ching!: Cheapo Happy Hour Tapas & Sangria

I really wish LA was a public transportation type of city, I’m discovering so many great happy hour specials that I could put to much better use if I knew I could hop on a speedy subway to get there and then just stay sober enough to stumble into another one to get home.

Instead, the we have to deal with several L.A.-centric Happy Hour Obstacles just for the chance to enjoy that $2 pitcher special:
a) first, being so spread out, just finding a central location between your group of Happy Hour’ing peeps is hard enough
b) ‘rushing’ at 3mph through rush hour traffic in an attempt to arrive in time for happy hour
c) finding parking during the same peak hour traffic
and d) even when finally enjoying happy hour, resisting that third dollar-off drink with your name on it so you can still safely drive home.

LA Happy Hour: sometimes not-so-happy.

With my current freelance gig way in the Valley and Zach working late’ish at his new law office in West Hollywood (his own newly opened Schorr law firm!...I'm so proud), we both made it to WeHo’s Cha Cha Cha at 6:48pm with 12 precious happy hour minutes to spare.

Inside, the colorful, Caribbean-flavored décor—tiki-hut looking bar, warm colored walls, sea-shell lights, cigar box murals—creates a festive backdrop for an inviting happy hour pit-stop probably more appropriate for sipping cerveza’s than for a serious sitdown meal.

While the adjoining restaurant was sprinkled with diners here and there, the bar side of the spot filled up quickly with fellow early imbibers.
Cha Cha Cha is already easy enough on the wallet after the 7pm happy hour cut off time, but the Caribbean restaurant & bar probably boasts one of the better happy hour deals in its area.

We ordered up $2 sangrias and pro-active Zach also got a $2 house cabernet for girlfriend Tara who was arriving post-happy hour. Feeling snacky, we perused the ‘happy tapas’ menu and to our delight, discovered we could order one of every item on the menu for less than $20 total!

Drunk with (purchasing) power—the sangria’s hadn’t hit yet—we were tempted to spend all of our pocket change just so we could say ‘one of everything on the menu’ but refrained with just the jerk chicken pizza ($5), calamari ($3) and chips and salsa ($1).

The pizza was good with thick strips of white meat chicken and unsoggy crust doused in spicy jerk sauce and the calamari was ungreasy and not barfood’ish at all.
We stayed until 9:30pm with another round or two between the three of us. By the time we got up to leave, we'd only spent $22 total (and three happy hours) at Cha Cha Cha.

Memoirs of a Geisha House

There is nothing budgety about this entry (does the tip to park in the covered parking just north of the restaurant instead of valeting to save you a couple bucks count?) but our night at Geisha House was just so damn good that I just wanted to write about it.

When B was in town last time in February, Les and I gave him our deluxe-on-a-dime LA experience; In & Out outings, a by donation yoga class at Brian Kest’s Power Yoga, lots of Manhattan & Venice beach time and the previously blogged Bodega de Cordova wine bar. Although no amount of good time was sacrificed by our thrifty hosting skills, I felt I owed him at least one outing to a hyped-up Hollywood hotspot during his stay this time around.

I’ve been Geisha House several times before and reckon it’s one of the handful of ballyhoo’ed Hollywood spots whose food & scene live up to all the ballyhoo’ing.

Inside, the luscious Tokyo-pop décor—a curved photo-mural of the Tokyo skyline, padded kimono-print walls, a red, triple-decker center tower of stacked fireplaces warming up the dining area—made for a fun and visually stimulating backdrop for our sushi-eating.

With a menu made for sharing, our party of four ordered a bunch of hot and cold plates and sushi to split. We started off our dinner clinking our uni-shooter glasses, toasting to “yummy dinners”; the slippery-smooth texture and briny taste of the sea urchin mixed well with the sweet and peppery vinegar concoction. The double order of spicy tuna-topped crispy rice cakes satiated my current obsession them (the best—and original—are from The Valley’s Sushi Katsu-ya restaurant). We also filled up with spicy-fried calamari, crispy wontons with tuna sashimi, fuji apple and unagi sauce, Chesakpeake Bay soft-shell roll, ‘911’ jalapeno-topped spicy tuna roll and albacore garlic roll with tobiko. The Mongolian lamb chops weren’t as good as I recalled—a tad overcooked—but the filet mignon steak with seasame dipping sauce was way tastier and tender than I remembered so we evened out.

Although stuffed, it wasn’t really an option not to get dessert. The soufflé-like molten chocolate cake was rich without being too sweet and although Jess picked the velvety-smooth coconut crème brulee, I think I ate most of it.

The place ended up being pretty busy for a rainy Monday night, but we decided to skip Geisha’s bar area and call it a night after dinner. Including a bottle of sake and a cocktail, our night set us back $70 each but our happy night of great food with new and old friends was totally worth it.

Air Conditioned:Where Downing Happy Hour Wine Specials Is A Breeze

The other night, I grabbed a drink at Air Conditioned, the refreshingly unpretentious wine bar along the no-man’s-land strip of Pico just west of the 10 underpass. From the outside—with a windowless facade and dingy, neon 'Air Conditioned' sign lit next a 99 cent store—you could easily mistake the nightspot for an actual store selling air-cooling units.

Inside though, the interior’s 60’s mod touches done in gentleman's club dark leathers gave the bar an understated divey-yet-swanky look more often found in bars further east (The Bar, Daddy’s etc) . I dug the leather-padded walls, dark-wood, wine wall behind the bar and row of highbacked, red leather bar stools.

I got there five minutes early and with the help of the knowledgeable bartender, I was taste-testing glasses of spicy, Argentinian Malbec, Aussie Syrah and Sonoma Zinfandel from their international boutique wine list before my friend, C.K. even showed up.

Either by the glass (approx $9-15) or bottle ($20-$40's range), the wines are neither overpriced nor a bargain. However, with Air Conditioned's generous happy hour deals ($2 off each glass and a whopping 25% off bottles!) the clear option was to share a bottle. In addition to price-slashed wines, you can also order discounted beers and half-priced soju martinis. Happy hour starts at 5pm and considerately lasts for 3hrs until 8pm—giving you plenty of time to take advantage of the marked-down drinks several times over).

Not fussy about our choice, we opted to stick with the Sonoma Zinfandel that our bartender suggested...which also happened to be one of the more expensive picks...but far from wallet-busting at the $32 happy hour price. We stuck to the complimentary rice-cracker snacks, but a $12 cheese plate for two is also available for nibbling.

A couple other groups drifted in and out but C.K. & I outlasted everyone. At one point, we were the only two in the bar—granted, it was a Tuesday night but I'm not sure if it's because the spot's still relatively undiscovered or if it speaks more to us being midweek lushes. Although the bar is located along a block which gives no real reason to stop and explore (unless you're looking for 99 cent bargains or shopping at Trader Joe's across the road), I was still surprised at why more locals haven't laid claim to the stylish spot.

Chit-chatting with Cole (our bartender who became first-name basis with us due to lack of anyone else he could talk to), we were told the 7-month new bar gets crowded in the weekends and they're set to open a second, bigger location in Venice.

Air-Conditioned is a cool little spot with a highly recommended happy hour. We didn’t spy enough people to comment on the type of bar-goers frequenting the spot, but I could see this being added to the ‘Brig, Other Room, Beechwood, Arsenal’ night-life circuit by the Venice set as word gets out.

Air Conditioned
2819 Pico Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310. 829.3700
http://www.airconditionedlounge.com

Weekly Open Bar

it's been while--I've been spending my time and money on not-so-$$-conscious activities such as snowboarding in mammoth and tahoe and lavish dinners at the hollywood hideaway Cafe des Artistes(grab a table in the lush back garden, forget the fancy foie gras appetizer and go for the 5 cheese mac'n'cheese), Grace(check out Wednesday's Donut Shoppe Night featuring pastry chef Elizabeth Belkin's assortment of designer doughnut creations), and Sushi Katsu-ya (just like Koi...if Koi was in the valley, in a strip mall and half the price. the spicy tuna topped crispy rice cakes are worth enduring the 101 traffic).

However, I was compelled to take a break from my February spend-a-thon when I stumbled upon www.la.myopenbar.com--a wonderful link for those with a high alcohol tolerance and low cash flow. As a fellow appreciator of cocktails--in particular, free cocktails--my friend Jessie enlightened me about this site which lists open bar events going on around town for the week.

This selfless site is your guide to cash-free, (possibly watered-down) vodka tonics and red wine. The benefits don't end there, since the free booze usually comes in conjunction with some art/store/bar/music opening, the site even supplies you with an artistic activity to attend. You have a good chance to discover a new artist or venue but even if they suck, the price of a free drink is merely looking at bad art while you sip it down. Not a bad deal.

Check out listings for LA this week at Open Bar and start your free booze- hopping with the 5hr open bar at the Thinkspace Gallery event this Friday.

Non LA'ers in the Big Apple can check out www.myopenbar.com for NY listings.

Have Laptop, Will Travel: Round-up of Free Wi-Fi Coffee Shops

As a freelance writer, working from home has its benefits (working in PJ's, 3pm work breaks for a yoga class) but I've noticed on more than one occasion, I've answered my phone late in the afternoon still with my sleepy morning voice.

Only then do I realize I haven't spoken to anyone that day, let alone left my apt.

Luckily, in this portable laptop/wi-fi world, I can drop in on one of my multiple 'offices' (coffee shops) offering free wi-fi when I feel deprived of social interaction...even if it's just so I can say "vanilla soy latte please" to the coffee guy.

After hours of loitering and nursing coffees for 2hrs at a time, here are my faves around town...

VENICE GRIND-Their awesome retro neon COFFEE sign suckered me in. I was further taken by their mod-ish decor and minty herbal tea. And the relatively undiscovered spot definitely hit the top of my mental list of favorite coffee shops after discovering the outdoor garden area, free hidden parking in the rear and iPod selection playing reggae and indie....until I tried to log on to write this blog. Apparently technical glitches make wi-fi spotty for PCs and damn near impossible for Macs. As a Mac-owner, not good news--but the kindly owners swear they are working on the situation so once internet is a go, Venice Grind will be back on my to-go list.
12224 Venice Boulevard, Mar Vista. (310)397-2227

JAVA MAN-Think anti-Starbucks. Beachy bungalow in Hermosa Beach has unpretentious atmosphere and laidback staff that won't make you feel the guilt for lingering for hours. Shabby-chic chairs and tables are more endearingly shabby than chic and filled with the flip-flop crowd. The have strong java drinks to help you stay up until the midnight closing time. If you wanna eat, their soups are as good as they are cheap ($2.50 for a cup).
157 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach. (310) 379-7209

INFUZION CAFE- Relaxed with plenty of privacy for marathon wi-fi sessions, even if the hard wooden chairs aren't conducive for long hauls. They've also got boba drinks galore and French-style pastries for snacking on. Juice up your laptop before coming, there's only one power outlet.
1149 3rd St, Santa Monica. http://www.infuzioncafe.com

DIEDRICHS-Low on atmosphere or available seating but this coffee chain gets props for offering free wi-fi when its fellow mega-chain counterparts (Starbucks, Coffee Bean to name a few) charge the equivalent of a couple grande frappuchinos to go online.
732 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica. (310) 656-7838

CORAL TREE CAFE-more restaurant-style cafe than coffee shop, this comfy, country-chic cafe serves organic salads and sandwiches that rival Urth café and a pastry selection that exceeds it. Plenty of seating both indoor and out with multiple power plugs makes the spot laptop friendly, however there's a limit on the tables during the lunch rush. Kinda pricey coffees sort of negate the free wi-fi but they're organic so you can feel good about spending the money. Limited street parking options so you'll have to pray nicely to the parking gods or give up and go with the $2.50 valet parking in the rear.
11645 San Vicente Blvd. Brentwood. (310)442-3503 http://www.coraltreecafe.net/

PYSCHOBABBLE-Screenwriter central. The lounge-friendly coffeehouse is as comfy as your own living room but comes with artsy & tattooed types and screenwriters to people-watch and eavesdrop about the latest screenplay idea or indie band discovered on myspace. Free internet with purchase so order a panini or yummy apple pie from their chalkboard menu, settle into their saggy, college-style upholstered sofas and log on. For those whose inspiration strikes at unorthodox hours, they're open 7am-2am every day. Check out your daily horoscope taped to the cash register.
1866 N. Vermont Ave, Los Feliz. (323)664-7500 http://www.psychobabblecafe.com

Sonic Scenery @ The Natural History Museum: BYO iPod

Looking for a hot date with your iPod? This Friday is the opening night of Sonic Scenery: Music for Collections exhibit hosted by the Natural History Museum.

Sonic Scenery is part of the museum's 'First Fridays' series; this monthly event dedicates the first Friday of every month to highlight a different component of their collection.

Adding an aural dimension to the museum's visuals, the Natural History Museum has gathered an eclectic group of musicians to compose songs inspired by their permanent collection. The museum hopes adding an interactive element allows patrons to discover a new layer of relevance within the permanent collection--which sounds kinda cool in a Holden Caufield sorta way (the permanent exhibit is still exactly the same yet, at the same time, different).

Sonic Scenery invites museum-goers to download the list of songs off iTunes (Sonic Scenery album) to their iPod, don on headphones and walk through the Cenozoic era (or, once upon a time 65 million years ago) to Ozomatli's hard-hittin' Latin-punk, check out Ancient Latin American stone sculptures with Sun Ra Arkestra's jazzy song playing in your ear and revisit American history from 1865 to 1914 to the beat of Autolux's moody tunes.

And, of course, what visit to the NHM is complete without checking out taxidermied animals? (This time, to the musical animal sounds from the Matmos band)

If you're one of the few remaining iPodless folks like me, the museum has $3 headphones you can rent. Afterwards, plug into museum headphones to hear 'silent DJ sets' or drop in on the panel discussion of the Future of Sound in Space...or, get lured by the drinks at the museum's bar.

Even if you're not a big museum fan, the idea of drinking cocktails and listening to music in a Natural History Museum after hours is cool enough to erase bad memories of museum class field trips as a kid.

General admission is usually $9 but this Friday's (February 3rd) Sonic Scenery opening night is free. You only pay the headset rental or the cost of the iTunes download which you'd probably want to purchase for your iTunes library regardless given the playlist.

http://www.nhm.org/firstfridays/sonic_opening.html

Century Sports Club Korean Spa: No Clothing, No Modesty Allowed

Last Friday, Leslie and Miuk introduced me to the wonders of the cheap, no-frills/no-nonsense Korean bath-house spa experience; initially, the spa's privacy-shunning policies probably tensed me up more, but by the end, I felt just as relaxed as I do after any spa visit AND I left with the fresh-looking, slippery-smooth skin of an 8 year old.

We headed to Korea Town's Century Sports Club & Day Spa on Olympic and Crenshaw. The $15 admission includes the use of the sauna, jacuzzis and steam room but Leslie and I also opted for traditional basic body scrubs ($30) and Hourig, my fellow non Korean Spa initiated friend, chose the scrub/massage combo ($70 with admission fee waived so essentially $55).

Slipping into our thin rayon robes, we walked out of the locker room into the women's spa area. Leslie forewarned me Korean style spas ain't no Burke William's cucumber-water, fuzzy slippers and robe niceties type of place--think more YMCA with spa services. However, I still assumed sea salt scrubs and a private room would figure into my body scrub treatment.

I opened the door to a rude, nude awakening. All the spa's facilities were all in one large room; everywhere, nonchalant, naked women (both Korean and non-Asian) taking showers in the stall-less shower area, slipping into large jacuzzi and tea detox pools, sweating it out in sauna and spa rooms and hanging out, chatting sans robe in the resting chairs...and to the right of me--along an assembly-line style row of massage tables each 2ft apart--more naked ladies being scrubbed and massaged by Korean masseuses in black bras and underwear (the whole scene may inadvertently sound way hotter than it was).

I'm not heaps prudish but the idea of sauntering around the room from amenity to amenity buck naked--like everyone else was except myself, Miuk and Hourig (nude Les was fully in her element)--took some getting used to.

I awkwardly tried to disrobe and sink into the Jacuzzi in one smooth and speedy motion. Clutching our robes around us, we hopped into the sauna room and minty steam room before heading back into the jacuzzi while waiting for our treatments. In Korean culture, going spa'ing with your friends is more of a social activity than a Zen indulgence, much like catching up over lunch.... except we were gossiping about boys and shoe sales in a giant jacuzzi. And naked.

My number got called to enter the treatment-side of the room. My bra'n'undie clad spa lady spoke little English but got the point across "UP! On table! No towel!" Once on the massage table, she started polishing away my back and legs with a pair of stimulatingly-scratchy mitts. Although more invigorating than calming, the firm, circular movements and intermittent floods of warm water poured over my body soon soothed me into a sleepy lull.

Suddenly, SLAP! Was I just butt-slapped? The slight sting on my left butt cheek confirmed that, yes; I was indeed just butt-slapped by my spa lady. "FRONT, turn FRONT!" Facing upwards and fully uncovered while being scrubbed pretty much everywhere (including the boob and nether region-adjacent areas) was a little weirder but I was too fascinated with the sight of my dead skin being exfoliated off like pieces of dirt to spend time feeling shy. Ooohh, I was getting so much smoother and cleaner with every slough!

A quick face rub and dreamy shampoo/scalp massage completed the 1/2hr treatment before I was sent away to shower off. By then, I was over it and decided 'when in Rome...’ I walked over to the shower stalls sans robe in all my smooth skinned glory.

Although not as tranquil in the traditional spa sense, my overall Korean spa experience still left me totally relaxed and my fresh-scrubbed skin feeling super-smooth. It was also a fun and social alternative for a girls' night out.

Century Sports Club & Day Spa,
4120 W. Olympic Blvd., 323-954-1020.
www.centurydayspa.com

**If you feel like flexing your newly buffed body afterwards, there's also an indoor driving range in the same building for some post-spa golfing.