L'Scorpion

L’Scorpion
6679 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 464-3026www.scorpionhollywood.com

Parking: Valet parking at Essex House next door - $10, starting at 10 pm. Metered street parking. Misc. parking lots, various prices
Daily, 6-9pm, NY-feelin' dark, Spanish-gothic spot with ½ off all drinks. Will run ya about $3 Beers, $6 Well Drinks & Margaritas
L'Scorpion is a cool little joint nestled near a well-touristed stretch of Hollywood Blvd. The other J & I wondered what sort of audience we might meet in such a spot (Tourists? Local drunks?) and were excited to encounter a wild cast of characters, including:

-- The resident barfly with the savant-like knowledge of 5 off-the-beaten-path happy hours within a quarter mile (we verified the times and locations the following week)

-- The charming bartender happy to refill our 2 spilled vodka sodas (yikes!)

-- The fun off duty manager who took us on down to Geisha House

-- A baby-faced It girl with the coolest shirt ever

-- And a sexy-voiced hostel guide minding his international charges/lushes

And the happy hour deals aren't so bad either. From 6 - 9 daily, all drinks are half-off ($3 beers, $6 well drinks & margaritas - yum!). There is a restaurant in the back seating area, but happy hour is drinks-only at the front bar. The ambience is NY cool and dark, the bathrooms are not nice and NY gross (right self-portrait from bathroom, hawt). And Veronica Mars cutie, Kristen Bell, is an investor in the bar. Just a shame Logan Echolls didn't show up! While the bar was a lot of fun, we gotta be truth telling and admit this place wasn't quite happening until happy hour was over. However, we had a great time using the quietude to chat up bartender Tyler and listen to the eclectic musical tastes of Raul.

We heard some rumors they're thinking of converting the place into a pizzeria-bar, which could definitely be cool and would hopefully continue to draw the same mixed crowd.

Rating: 3.5 Martinis