The Whisper Lounge

The Grove

189 Grove Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 931-0202 

whisperloungela.com

twitter.com/whisperloungela 

Parking: Big (sometimes annoying) Parking Garage – 0-1 Hour = Free, 1-3 Hours = $3 

Days: Daily 

Time: 4-6pm 

Drink Deals: $3 Beers, $6 Well Drinks, and $6 select wines by the glass 

Food Deals: $5 Small Plates 

There’s nothing quite like a bar that makes you feel like you’re in a Woody Allen movie – you know, one of the “Bougie in Manhattan” ones like HANNAH AND HER SISTERS where your cares and concerns are not life and death on the streets of New York, but of the kooky and bizarre, yet extremely intelligent family variety. Too bad Sunset Tower doesn’t have a Happy Hour; the Tower Bar always makes me feel ready for my close-up, Mr. Allen!

Luckily, there exists that same kinda “Bougie in the City” ambiance down at The Grove’s Whisper Lounge and it is way fun and maybe a little more WHEN HARRY MET SALLY with its ever-present jazz standards soundtrack and the feeling of a perennial autumn. I don’t know why it feels like Autumn there all the time, it just does! 

The Whisper Lounge’s Non-Happy Hour prices might make for somewhat of a “Place for your Sugar-Daddy to Take You,” luckily their Happy Hour prices are pretty all right for a lazy afternoon at The Grove. For drinks, you’ve got $3 Beers, $6 Well Drinks, and 4 wines for $6 by the glass; pal TAG and I ordered a Chardonnay and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (a fun red), respectively and I liked mine enough to have… 3!

Whisper Fries w/ Dipping Sauce ($5)

Crispy Calamari ($5)

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Flatbread ($5)

On the food side, they’ve got 5 food items for $5 each as well as a selection of 3 bar snacks for 2 for $5. Whoever created the food menu knows Happy Hour well! The bites are different enough (Crispy Calamari, Mac and Triple Cheese with Pancetta, Wild Mushroom and Truffle Flatbread, Whisper Fries, and Caesar Salad) that you could certainly make a nice meal out of the five options. And that’s what TAG and I did with the calamari (super tasty), flatbread (nice crisp crust with very rich toppings) and Whisper Fries (nice serving size and terrific dipping sauces). Very good and affordable food!

As stated earlier, the ambiance really is cool – there’s a nice patio (with a tent in the winter), a nice looking bar area, and then swank restaurant seating. The jazz soundtrack is way cool and makes you feel a little… well, fancy! It’s the kind of spot you could go on a kind of classy date, or just a spot to meet up with girlfriends, or somewhere to rest your bum heels before, during, or after an afternoon/evening of shopping at The Grove. Heaven knows you might need a cocktail for that!

 

Speaking of cocktails, my only complaint with Whisper Lounge is that they don’t offer any of their specialty cocktails in the Happy Hour drink line-up. And like I always say, if you serve specialty cocktails, why not include a rotating Happy Hour-priced specialty cocktail of the week? I’m going to start to get neurotic about this… like a Woody Allen character! As the French say, c’est la vie – it’s a fun Happy Hour that runs daily and I dig it!

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Nobu

903 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
310.657.5711
www.noburestaurants.com
twitter.com/NobuWeho


Parking: $8 Valet or Metered Street Parking w/ 2 hr. limit 
Days: Daily 
Time: 5:30-8pm 
Drink Deals: $5 cocktails 
Food Deals: $8-12 sushi & seafood bites
  
I’m always a bit skeptical when checking out a happy hour that falls under Places for Sugar Daddy to Take You. Do I need to be on The List? Will my server be rude because they are bitter about aspiring Hollywood Dreams? Is there really a happy hour there??? 

Despite my reservations, I went to Nobu’s happy hour anyway. I needed to meet up at a West Hollywood happy hour that worked well with my & my friend, Derek’s production schedules, and the 8pm end time was perfect. I was also impressed that a fancy establishment had a daily happy hour! 

We give good smize.

Happy Hour takes place at the bar and in the very large lounge areas. The lounge area was so spacious that there was plenty of room for me, Derek, and his production friends that he introduced to The Happy Hour Tour movement. 

 There are 3 cocktails featured on the happy hour menu for $5. Whenever I check out a new place, I always try the specialty cocktails over my go-to glass of wine (that is, if they have a specialty cocktail that stands out from other other happy hours!), so I ordered the Champagne & Berries cocktail. The cocktail came served in a martini glass as opposed to a flute, with champagne mixed with berry juice. Due the red color, I was worried that the drink may be too sweet, but it actually had a nice crisp finish, so much so that I ordered it again. Unfortunately, the happy hour menu did not feature any beer or wines on my visit. However, the happy hour menu on the Nobu site does. Go figure. Without happy hour, a glass of wine may run you $10-18… and an $18 glass of wine is not something we support at the Happy Hour Tour headquarters. 

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of food offered for happy hour. When ordering food, it’s best to ask a lot of questions due to the fancy food descriptions and luckily, the servers are happy to answer them. I settled on the Nobu Style Sashimi Tacos with Tuna ($8) and the Salmon & Avocado roll ($8). The food is served tapas style so some plates may be smaller than expected if you don’t inquire first. I wasn’t crazy about the prices, but I was well aware of where I was. Plus, once I got well into my food, I had to hand it to Nobu, it was well worth it. I’m not sure when the last time I had sushi so good. Seriously. 

 Nobu Style Sashimi Tacos with Tuna ($8)

I would definitely return to Nobu for happy hour, but due to my budget for lattes, shoes, & magazines, it may not be any time soon. However, I would love to treat myself to a dinner at Nobu sooner than later! 
-JG

Rating: 3 Martinis

Chevy’s

701 N San Fernando Blvd

Burbank, CA 91502

(818) 846-6999

www.chevys.com

Parking: Free Parking Lot!

Days: Daily

Time: 2pm-close!

Drink Deals: $3 Margaritas, Draft Beers, Wines by the Glass, and Well Drinks

Food Deals: Appetizers from $3.99-$14.99

“Nothing to write home about.” The saying is old, but it’s not quite stale – it’s totally how I felt about the Happy Hour at Chevy’s in Burbank along that consumer alley featuring IKEA, Barnes and Noble, a mall, several movie theaters, etc. The area is actually pretty efficient to get some shopping done, especially if you get there early to beat the crowds, and I can’t tell you how nice it is to actually have a big old bookstore to browse – a real trip down memory lane!

In my hometown, there wasn’t too much for weirdo kids like me to do, so we usually found ourselves at Barnes and Noble looking up cuss-words in Spanish or finding diagrams of the esophagus, you know – totally normal stuff…

A bit of a digression, but that’s kind of what I love about Burbank – it reminds me of those days and that kind of community, a bit different from The Happy Hour Tour Headquarters in Hollywood. So after an afternoon of IKEA shopping for cheap, but cool home improvements, I found myself on a solo Happy Hour at Chevy’s!

Dos Equis Popcorn Shrimp - $7.99

 

Buffalo Chips - $3.99

The HH deals are pretty rad for a post shopping or movie cocktail and bite; you can get margaritas (original or fruit-flavored), domestic beer drafts, house wine, and well drinks for $3(!) all afternoon – seriously from 2pm to close! For food, they’ve got a selection of items ranging from $3.99-$14.99 (that’s the appetizer combo). I tried the $3 margarita and an order of Dos Equis Popcorn Shrimp ($7.99) and Buffalo Chips – chips with buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese dressing ($3.99).

$3 Margarita

Herein lies the rub – having visited so many fantastic gourmet-kinda Happy Hours with equally good prices, I was not totally impressed by the tastes of the mass-produced drink and grub at Chevy’s. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it just wasn’t great, kinda like something you could buy frozen and heat up at home… Nothing to write home about. Plus, I felt like my service was slow – I know I was dining alone and that might make time pass slower, but I really do think it took about 25 minutes to get my food order. Luckily, I had Entertainment Weekly’s Best of 2011 to keep me company!

 

Get yourself some chips & salsa, home slice!

Overall though, I think Chevy’s would be a fine to place to visit if you’re out and about in that area and want to chill out with a $3 cocktail and some complimentary chips and salsa and an appetizer or two, but I don’t think I’d ever make a special trip just to go there.

--JB

Rating: 3 Martinis

Gus’s BBQ

808 Fair Oaks Ave.

South Pasadena, CA 91030

www.gussbbq.com

twitter.com/gussbbq

Parking: Metered Street Parking and Free Neighborhood Parking, also .5 miles from the Mission St. Stop on the Metro Gold Line

Days: Monday-Friday

Times: 3-6pm

Drink Deals: $3 Well Martinis, $1 off Wine, $2 off Draft Beer, $1 off Canned Beer, $1.50 off Well Drinks, $3 off Southern Sangria

Food Deals: $2 Fried Pickles, $3 Mini-BBQ Sandwiches, $5 1/3 Rack of Ribs w/ Fries or Cole Slaw

Have you ever been to South Pasadena? If not, you should get on the Gold Line Metro and get yourself there now. It is a quaint, quiet, cool area far enough from the madding crowds of Holly(cuckoo-bananas)Wood to feel like a whole ‘nother city. And I guess, technically it is :)!

 

Cool Rosebowl Float

Booze and I had just lined Sierra Madre Blvd. to watch the Rose Bowl Parade live in person, then saw THE MUPPETS (“Hilarious! Must see!”), and then found our way to South Pasadena to try Gus’s BBQ, a neighborhood restaurant which has been around since 1946 (though with new owners – a pair of cute young brothers whose dad opened the original Tops in Pasadena).

We loved the space right away – a cute diner in front with more restaurant like-seating and a sit-down bar in the back. Happy Hour is served on the front patio, at the diner or the bar. We arrived at 2:30 before Happy Hour even started and as it turns out, that was fine for the food deals since their HH bites are a little meaty for this vegetarian. I know, why is a vegetarian going to a BBQ joint? Because in SoCal, even BBQ joints have fantastic vegetarian options and here at Gus’s, I loved my homemade veggie burger) with arugula, tomato, red onion, smoked mozzarella, BBQ sauce and roasted garlic aioli! Served with a side of sweet potato fries, the meal was $10.95, which seems like a swell price for the deal.

 

Veggie Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries ($10.95)

Anyhow, when Happy Hour finally hit – Booze and I tried an order of the Fried Pickle Chips w/ Ranch, and it was a huge serving size for $2! They were pretty tasty to boot, breaded with flour like fried chicken rather than the traditional cornmeal I’ve had on fried pickles before. What can I say? Just like our Memphis hometown hero, Mr. Elvis Presley himself, JG and I are suckers for fried pickles!

 

Yum, fried pickles!!

For drinks, we started with 16oz. of Gus’s Honey Blonde beer which ran us $3.50 during HH – nice price! For drink 2, I tried their famous Southern Sangria for $5 and it was delicious, a true sangria – more like a nice fruity wine than something too sweet. For her second drink, Booze went with the Stone Smoked Porter for $3.50 and that was a tasty light-dark beer.

Gus's Blonde Beer ($3.50) posed with homemade BBQ sauces;

Southern Sangria ($5)

Lots of drink choices (including JG’s and my favorite Red Blend, Red Velvet Cupcake Wine!!), but not as much on the food side. The small BBQ sandwiches did look good, but I didn’t see anyone ordering the ribs near me. Ribs – I do miss the smell and texture :). Also loved the music – a nice bluesy mix that made my Memphis-born self feel right at home!

A couple downside notes – of course I’m not crazy about the 3-6pm Monday-Friday Happy Hour, any Happy Hour that ends before 6pm in LA just ain’t cool! I was glad to have this particular Monday off to try out the HH, otherwise couldn’t have made it! Also, the bartender wasn’t that friendly – not mean by any means, just not that nice. Booze and I started feeling a little uncomfortable when the guys next to us received a full-size sandwich after ordering the HH small-sandwiches and there seemed to be a slight Mexican standoff as to whose fault it was. All worked out, but really – why would the guys have ordered a regular sandwich from the Happy Hour menu? Hopefully, the bartender was just having an off day.

I’m about to have a Mexican standoff with myself here – it’s hard when I love a place, but its Happy Hour could be better (in this case, better times and a couple more food options). Still, the positives outweigh the negative here and I really did enjoy this cute restaurant! So I recommend going anytime and if it’s Happy Hour – even better for your drink choices!!

 

Happy New Year!

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis 

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

Really, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt want to know!



If you're still not sure of your plans, check out some of these great listings of happenings in the greater Southland area!

• Caroline on Crack's Guide to 2012 New Year's Eve Parties with Open Bars
• Thirsty in LA's So Long 2011! 
• NBC 4's Celebrating 2011
• LA Magazine's New Year's Round-up

Have buttloads of fun (from our inner Beavis & Butthead), but please don't drink and drive! Lots of other options -  LA Metro is offering free rides from 9pm to 2am; AAA offers a Tipsy Tow program if you need it; and if all else fails, take a damn taxi! No excuses!

Happy New Year's!!!

And surely you'll buy your pint cup!
and surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne...
x's & o's -- JB & JG

JB’s Favorite Happy Hours of 2011

As 2011 comes to a close and the Tupacalypse of 2012 nears (I don’t really believe the Tupacalypse is coming, though I highly recommend Daniel Pinchbeck’s awesome tome 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl to quit fearing and learn to love the changes that could be at hand) – I sit here drinking my Disarrono & Cranberry Juice and reflect over the year in Happy Hour Touring. 2011 saw us hit the LA Wine Festival and attempt our first at home Twitter Wine Tasting and it also saw us continue doing what we do... visiting lotsa Happy Hours!

We’ve seen favorites close (so long Mexico (the bar, not the country)!); relocate (hello Boho at Hollywood & Highland); and well… some just stay golden like Ponyboy (love our standards the Woods and Bodega Wine Bar) And then, there’s a whole new batch of favorites – new spots we first visited in 2011, of which I present a select few below: 

In 7th grade, I was in a play called Tied to the Tracks; mercifully, it only had a 2-night run! 

This sign reminds me of it.

Villains – Downtown (Arts District) 

Technically not a Happy Hour, but homegirl (that’d be me) just loves this spot – Wild West saloon meets American Gothic in an off the beaten path location in a crazy cool (and slightly scary) part of the downtown Arts District. Like where you might film a post-apocalyptic movie in LA and not need to dress the set! I digress… While the $9 Sno-Cones are well worth their higher price tag, you can also get by on less with Villains’ $3 tall-boys of Schlitz & Bud Light. Yay for Villains (boo for superheroes?)!

Yxta, beautiful Yxta!

Yxta – Downtown

Much agreed with JG’s inclusion of Yxta on her Best of 2011 list. This beautiful space is also a little off the beaten path too – that is unless you find yourself in Skid Row often (no judgement!) – and has phenomenal food and beverage! The restaurant is a primo-supremo event space so be sure to follow Yxta on Facebook so you can keep track of when they’re hosting private events so you don’t miss the fantab Happy Hour. 

 

$5 Chickpea Fritters @ Public Kitchen

Public Kitchen – Hollywood 

How do I love the Hotel Roosevelt? Let me count the ways. 1) The beautiful pool and Tropicana bar with bathing beauties and casual celeb sightings (Colin Farrell on his phone near the entrance – My ma about shat her pants, I told her not to because that surely would not impress Colin Farrell). 2) 25 Degrees and their truly wonderful Happy Hour where I can get a glass of wine and more French fries & onion rings than anyone should eat for like $8. 3) Another new and terrific Happy Hour at Public Kitchen, that tres tres chic restaurant with $5 drinks and an appetizer of the week (alongside some swell side items). The food is delicious and the setting is… sublime. 

 

JB & Matching Frosty Stella at Second Story

Second Story Restaurant – South Bay 

Sometimes it takes a visiting friend to get you to visit another part of town and find a new great Happy Hour. Thankfully, pal & HHT-enthusiast AP was in town for work and we made our way to a couple South Bay Happy Hours, of which the bomb was Second Story Restaurant at the Belamar Hotel. With a daily 4-7pm Happy Hour, Second Story offers up $4 drink specials (including draft Stella in a frosty mug!) and an assortment of bites (starters, entrees, AND desserts) for half-off – all in a chill nouveau-retro lounge at a boutique hotel! 

Blood Orange and White Peach & Hibiscus Margaritas ($4.50 each)

Blanco –Tucson 

Sure, you’ve got to head west for this one, but what’s an 8-hour drive for a rad happy hour with the most delicious vanilla margarita you’ve ever had (and maybe the first you’ve ever tried)? Half-kidding aside, I loved checking out this Happy Hour with Tucson-local AP; Blanco is a beautiful light & airy bar-restaurant with fantastically priced gourmet eats and drinks (½ off margaritas, $2.50 bottles of beer, and ½ off starters & ceviche). 

What new favorites will 2012 find for The Happy Hour Tour? We look forward to finding out! 

Until then, wishing you all a wonderful new year full of good booze, good-er friends, and being a good person – all about the GOOD! 

Oh and Happy Tupacalypse ;)! 

JB

JG’s Favorite Happy Hours of 2011

I’m a big fan of year in review lists. If a magazine has “Best of (Insert year here)” on the cover, I am sold. These lists remind me of major news & pop culture moments and what TV shows, movies, & music I should be checking out. It’s also nice to walk down memory lane and remember where I was, who I was with, and what I was drinking during such momentous times. In the spirit of reminiscing, I was inspired to recap what happy hours I went to this year. There were some that were just ok, some I’d like to forget, and some that I loved so much that I talked about it for weeks after visiting.

Here’s to my favorite happy hours that I reviewed this year!

Barbrix – Silverlake

Twitter-turned-real-life-friend The Minty and I met up at this Mediterranean inspired restaurant in Silverlake in April. I was treated with such amazing service the second I walked in the door. I was pretty impressed considering they had no idea I was booze blogger. The great welcome was followed up with amazing wine, amazing food, and amazing dessert. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t been to this place sooner. As I write this, I wonder why I’m not there right now.

Waterloo & City – Culver City

In late spring, I checked out the Culver City restaurant, Waterloo & City. I was amazed that they have more food options than any happy hour that I’ve ever checked out. They feature 19 – NINETEEN!!! – food options on the menu. My friend Kate & I only had a few things to eat, but I aspire to work my way through that happy hour menu because the mussels and the tuna tartar were so damn good. It was also a good sign to see all the regulars that the restaurant had made in the short time that it has been opened.

Saint Felix – Hollywood

Saint Felix opened a new location on the Cahuenga Corridor in June, and I checked it out with one of my favorite happy hour partners, June. Fate, right? Saint Felix quickly became a favorite happy hour of mine because they feature specialty cocktails half-off at happy hour, something few bars do. For $6.50, one can try my favorite, The Stockholm Syndrome, a refreshing cocktail made with gin, mint, and some other goodies. Non-booze related, I am also in love with the leg lamp on the bar.

Boneyard Bistro – Sherman Oaks
Sometimes food is just as important as booze when going to happy hour. Since most people are attending happy hour straight from work and in need of dinner, food deals are a must. Boneyard Bistro makes sure that your belly leaves happy with their spin on BBQ. To the Kobe Meatloaf Sliders: I heart you. Very much. My friend Arielle & I got adventurous and also tried the gator tacos. If that doesn’t make you feel warm & fuzzy, Boneyard Bistro also donates a percentage of alcohol sales to a different charitable organization every week.

Drinking for a good cause w/ Arielle at Boneyard Bistro

Yxta Cocina Mexicana – Downtown LA
In September, JB & I were invited to check out this somewhat hidden gem in downtown LA. It’s not so much that it is literally hidden, it’s just in a remote downtown neighborhood, so you have to be a little adventurous (for LA, anyway) to make it here. With all the different margaritas, tacos, salsas, & desserts that we enjoyed, I hope that we encouraged more people to go outside their regular neighborhood spots.

Fat Fish – West Hollywood
Fat Fish was not only one of my favorite happy hours of the year – but maybe ever. The drink and sushi deals were out of this world. I mean good sushi dishes too, not just the basics. My buddy Kyle introduced me to Fat Fish in February. A few weeks later, we ran into each other on a random happy hour visit and joined our tables. Sadly, the day after our feast there, Kyle emailed me that Fat Fish had suddenly closed. Hopefully, there is a plan for a new location in the New Year. It is missed.

The Last Sake-tinis at Fat Fish. Sad Face.

What were your favorite happy hours of this year? What memories do you have at these places?

Wishing everyone a safe & sexy New Year!!

Until 2012… JG