Los Angeles December 3, 2009


"Is there anyone in Silver Lake who is not in a band or a part-time stylist?”
-- overheard @ Cha Cha Lounge



03 THURSDAY Japanese Eats for Cheap.

Late-Night Happy Hour at Agura
Japanese restaurant Agura, which just opened on La Cienega’s restaurant row, recently debuted some incredible deals for late-night diners. The Kyushu-born owners seek to lure in deal-savvy Angelenos with a late-night happy hour (nightly from 10 pm to midnight) that is impressive even by jaded L.A. standards. We’re talking $1 edamame, $3 spicy tuna rolls and $5 Kobe beef burgers. And that’s just for starters. Drinks are also half-off (we recommend “The Buddhatini” with Tyku sake) during happy hour. Sure, there are other well-known Japanese restaurants in the area, but where else are you going to get salmon nachos for $5 in an upscale setting?

Go: Weeknights from 10 pm to midnight & Sunday from 6 pm to midnight. Bring: A date and an adventurous streak for fusion items such as creamed crab crepes.

Agura Restaurant, West Hollywood


04 FRIDAY Shanghai Sexperience.

Absinthe, Opium & Magic
Think L.A. Theater is deadly dull? Think again. At Hollywood’s ArtWorks Theatre, a new show entitled “Absinthe, Opium & Magic” aims to titillate all your senses via an experiential production evocative of Shanghai in the decadent 1920s. Mingle with festively dressed theater-goers (vintage attire not required but encouraged) and “Sing Song Girls” (Chinese Geishas) while you sip actual absinthe before the show begins. Then, all kinds of fun will break out in the form of Flashlight Follies, songs and a live travelogue. Expect a re-created opium den, a mini-play about a Chinese Madame, hypnotists roaming the venue and even a puppet troupe. Leave the kids at home, as this play is for the adults (but is really more of a PG-13 type affair, so it may well be date appropriate).

Go: Fridays and Saturdays evenings at 7:45 pm, through January 3rd; also selected Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays (click here for details). Bring: $20. More information is available at (800) 838-3006.

Art|Works Theatre, Los Angeles


05 SATURDAY I'll Drink to That.

Repeal Day at Comme Ca
We know it’s not a “real” holiday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat it as such! Melrose Avenue’s Comme Ça is offering up great deals for those who hope to raise a glass to Theodore Roosevelt, who signed the 21st Amendment into law, thus officially ending Prohibition in 1933. Your first specialty cocktail at what will surely be a packed Comme Ca over the weekend will set you back $11. Your second drink is just 76 cents (this deal is good Sunday, too) if you tell the bartender the password, which is “Roosevelt." Sadly, each guest is entitled to only one 76 cent cocktail, so for those seeking more than a couple of whiskeys this Repeal Day, we suggest heading downtown, where there’ll be celebrations at Cole’s, Seven Grand, The Edison and the Redwood.

Go: Saturday from 6pm. Bring: A top hat.

Comme Ça, Los Angeles


06 SUNDAY Fiesta in K-Town (w/ Santa).

Festival Navideño En La Calle Ocho
Since the late 1990s, Los Angeles’ Festival Navideño En La Calle Ocho has lit up 8th Street with a decidedly L.A. twist on “Christmas spirit.” The massive street fair (over 100,000 are expected this year) exists in part to help underprivileged children receive toys for the holidays, so bring a toy if you can spare one. Once you arrive, expect top musical talent, multiple authentic street food vendors (think outrageously tasty Latino and Korean fare) and even a few rides. Also, we hear Santa Claus will be dropping by for the little ones. For those seeking to celebrate L.A.’s diverse cultural heritage and Christmas, Festival Navideño might well be your ticket (did we mention it’s free?) to holiday cheer.

Go: Saturday or Sunday between 10am and 10pm. Bring: A toy to donate and a hearty appetite.

Festival Navideño En La Calle Ocho










CHARLIE AMTER,
CITY EDITOR
Still looking for that perfect last-minute spot to book for your office Christmas party? Here are a few of the hottest private rooms to rent this holiday season.


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