Birthday Reconnaissance

With her birthday coming up in a week, Eleanor decided to do a little research on where to go. She knew she wanted to check out some new beer pubs as well as a karaoke bar she found online. Her friend, Siobhan, a singer whose birthday is the same day as Eleanor's, suggested that a night of karaoke would be fun for all. Chauncey put on his favorite going out outfit and announced he was ready to try them all.

Beer flight and a pint

Chauncey and Eleanor mapped out a route from home to Koreatown designed to avoid Saturday night traffic. Unfortunately, they missed a key turn. Now it was up to Eleanor to navigate using an old Thomas guide. They had no modern technological devices. Chauncey remained unusually calm and they found their way to Beer Belly on Western and 6^th street. Beer Belly offers a small but welcoming space with walls made of different colored woods. The bartender invited them to sit down at a reserved table. He said the guests weren’t coming for another 45 minutes. Enough time for a pint before heading off to the next spot.

Karaoke possibility

 Eleanor had a flight of four beers, each from a different local brewery. The Hangar 24 Winter Warmer was her favorite. Chauncey went with a TAPS dopplebock but really liked the Ladyface Imperial Stout from Eleanor's flight. As he paid the bill, Chauncey chatted with the owners and said he would return soon. After that, he and Eleanor were off to check out the karaoke scene at The Brass Monkey, a few blocks away on Wilshire.

A middle-aged bouncer with few teeth asked to see their ID s at the door. After being convinced that they were over 21, he stamped their hands and showed them into what looked like a den with small round tables and a bar. The place was empty but the surly bartender assured them that it would be standing room only once the karaoke started at 8pm. It was 7:45. Eleanor and Chauncey joined 4 other customers at the bar, two of whom looked as though they were left over from the previous night. Chauncey asked the bartender if there were any beers on tap. The bartender scowled and said “no” and added that there wasn't much of a selection. Chauncey settled for a Heineken and Eleanor for a chardonnay. They left when the dj set up the microphone and explained the rules for all who wanted to sing. That’s when the 2-drink minimum kicked in.

Downtown ahead

From The Brass Monkey, they headed downtown on Wilshire to Little Bear, a pub which claimed to offer decent food with a wide selection of Belgium beer. Little Bear was on Industrial, a short street in the middle of a warehouse district. There were 3 other restaurants on the same street, all with people in them.

Do I smell food?

At Little Bear, Eleanor and Chauncey were treated to better-than-usual pub fare. They indulged in pork belly sliders, salad with bacon and a lemony vinaigrette and a cassoulet with sausage, tender pork bits and duck slices with white beans on the side. The Belgium waffles with strawberries and whipped cream were recommended by their cheerful waiter and were even better than at Syrup. The crowd was bubbling and the beer was refined.

Union Station

As Chauncey drove home, Eleanor looked out the window and saw Union Station lit up in violet and yellow. She said “I think I just had my birthday celebration.”   

On the Town

Last Saturday, Eleanor and Chauncey were treated to a night out in downtown LA by their friends, Veronica and Ben. Veronica is an artist and Ben is a journalist who writes about art, baseball and astrology. The evening began with dinner at Soi 7, a thai restaurant in what used to be a department store. It was an enormous space but not cavernous. Veronica had a sake cocktail and Eleanor a Belgium beer despite Chauncey’s recommendation that she have a thai beer. The fellows, as Chauncey calls them, had fancy ginger ale.

Night on the town

After a delicious meal, the foursome walked several blocks to a gallery in the Bradbury building for the opening of an 80’s photography show.  The photos were taken in LA and included several of Bob Marley in Watts and Henry Rollins when he was in Black Flag.

Veronica and Chauncey were cornered by a guy Veronica knows who had one tooth but said he had just eaten some ribs at Houston’s. He apologized for the barbeque stains on his face and shirt.

Eleanor wandered over to a wide window sill and sat down near the wall. She began looking at what the gallery goers were wearing. About half were wearing jeans, Eleanor and Chauncey included. The tall Asian man next to Eleanor wore jeans with a white collared shirt, untucked, and black loafers. He told Eleanor he was an architect. He pointed out the owner of the gallery who was an Asian man in his late 30s. He wore white khakis, a checked green and black button-down shirt with black blazer. His shoes were black with several buckles.

Gallery Goer

Eleanor noticed two women in their fifties who appeared to be friends. Both had bobbed hair. One kept hers white while the other dyed hers brown. They each wore skirts with black leggings and black clunky shoes. The woman with brown hair wore a bronze-colored crocheted skirt. The woman with white hair wore a loose skirt with large brown circles. Very seventies. The best outfit was worn by an Asian woman in her late twenties.  One leg of the woman’s black pants, which came to the knee, was tight around her leg. The other pant leg was loose like a gaucho pant. Eleanor figured the woman was a designer trying to make a statement.

On the way back to the parking lot, Ben suggested a stop at Syrup for dessert. The place was packed with twenty-somethings eating Belgium waffles and playing Jenga. They were on to something. 

Eleanor and Chauncey returned home wanting more of everything.