#1206 - Te'Kila, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

Bartender Elena, from Te'Kila

A new place with Mexican food, cocktails, 100 and some tequila choices, and in the Hollywood spirit, a $300 burrito option.

6541 Hollywood Blvd; Hollywood, CA - 323.960.2404
eater.com - savoryhunter - thrillist - yelp

#1205 - Five O Four, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

I happened upon the soft opening of this New Orleans style restaurant and bar, and chatted with Roger, one of the owners.  All the seating is on an outdoor patio, with the exception of a single table.  I know it's not quite the weather one associates with it, but I wish Seattle had at least one place with the rows of daquiri machines like this (and so many bars in the south).


6541 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA -(323) 960-0224
five0four.com - savoryhunter - yelp

#1204 - Power House, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

This bar has been around since at least the early 50s and guestofaguest calls it "By far the diviest and most random bar to grace Los Angeles."

1714 North Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028-4404 - (323) 463-9438
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#1203 - The Woods, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

Don't be put off by the strip-mall location -- this is a swanky place with a dark, woodsy interior and a bit of a Twin Peaks vibe, somewhat redolent of the Doug Fir in Portland.

There are antler chandeliers, a starlight ceiling, woody and rocky decor, reasonably good cocktails, and a small, cool crowd.

1533 North La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046 - (323) 876-6612
vintagebargroup.com - citysearch - yelp  - zagat

#1202 - Ye Coach and Horses, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

I was very lucky to be able to visit the historic Ye Coach And Horses bar a couple times on this trip, as it was served an eviction notice on July 1 and likely will have to shut it's doors in a few weeks.  This British-themed bar was established in 1937 (although for a period it was called "Viva Tirado" and had a Mexican theme), and Peter the bartender told me it is the third oldest in the Hollywood area.

Naturally it has stories of hosting various celebrities, from John Barrymore Sr. to Drew Barrymore, from Alfred Hitchcock and Richard Burton to Quentin Tarantino writing notes for "Pulp Fiction" on bar napkins.  Jim Morrison used to hang around when his girlfriend worked there, and Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, and Kevin Spacey have all tipped a cup inside its dark interior.

The generations of celebrity stories notwithstanding, the charm of the C&H is its gritty ordinariness -- not at all the kind of bar you think of in West Hollywood, but a fine, old neighborhood dive.  It's of a comfortably moderate size, with high gabled ceilings and tudor style upper walls, and high-backed seats of crimson naugahyde.  It's a damn shame such a fine old place has to close its doors after 74 years.

7617 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046 - (323) 876-6900
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#1201 - Frankie's New York, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

Pretty much exactly what you'd expect when you hear the name ...

7228 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, Ca 90038 - 323-937-2801
frankiesonmelrose.com - yelp

#1200 - Village Idiot, Los Angeles - 8/23/2010

I had an "Idiot's Cup #1" (Tru Lemon organic vodka, Pimm's, cucumber, lemon-lime soda), which was okay, but was also as close as I've yet come to a debunking of my theory that there are no bad cocktails that include cucumber.  (St. Germain seems to be another "always good cocktail" ingredient.)

7383 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90189 - (323) 655-3331
villageidiotla.com - la weekly - tripadvisor - yelp