Rolling Stone LA - part deux

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Suite 202
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.464.4000www.rollingstonela.com
twitter.com/RollingStoneLA

Parking: $2 for 4 hours with validation in the Hollywood & Highland complexDays: DailyTimes: 4-7pmDrink Deals: $3 Domestic Beer, $5 Wine & Well DrinksFood Deals: None. Bummer.

Not too long ago, JB & I had the pleasure of attending Rolling Stone LA’s media dinner. Our first inquiry was if they had a happy hour, and they were sure to let us know they were working it. When the happy hour details were finally announced, I was happy to know that their happy hour is daily, always a Happy Hour Tour plus.

Happy Hour takes place in the lounge only, the site of our pre-dinner cocktails. On a Thursday visit, it was obvious that Rolling Stone LA had yet to catch on with locals, but it already seemed popular with out-of-towners, particularly businessmen who are likely staying nearby at the Renaissance hotel. There are only a couple of small tables in the lounge area; those were occupied by business people charging their computers and cell phones at the nearby outlets. My friend, P, and I ended up sitting at the bar, and we were a little cramped by some businessmen and their, um, "dates." Luckily, they moved on with their evening, allowing us some breathing room at the bar.

Our happy hour drink of choice was the Casa cabernet ($5), suggested to us by our server, Pam. Other wines offered are a chardonnay and a red blend, but Pam let us know that people always the love the cabernet and she was right. We also caught a quick buzz half way through our first glass!

Unfortunately, there aren’t any food deals at this happy hour. Since the happy hour is new and the restaurant is still getting settled, I hope this does change. It’s one thing when a bar with food doesn’t have any food deals, but for a restaurant not to offer a discount on something is just disappointing. There’s always the choice of splitting a starter (priced $9-13) but the many seafood starters on the menu don’t exactly say “share me” especially with a friend who doesn’t eat seafood. Because it was dinnertime and we were now buzzed, we ordered our own salads ($10). Worth noting, my Galatic Ranch salad, made with avocado, blistered cherry tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, and crispy shallots was really good. For an extra $5 you can get a whole chicken breast with the salad!

While the staff is really friendly, I thought it was a little odd was how closed off the bar lounge was to the rest of the venue. In our previous post, we listed the different spaces (dance club, speakeasy, and restaurant) that were pretty damn amazing. However, during happy hour the doors are closed to the other rooms. This seemed especially odd since the restaurant side was open for business and it’s the side that houses the bathrooms. It felt like we had to sneak through the door and past diners to go to the bathroom. Considering the happy hour crowd is not rowdy, it would be nice to keep the doors open to the other rooms so people can see why they may want to return for a dinner or even a night out in the club.

All in all, I still like Rolling Stone LA, but I would return sooner with some happy hour eats added to the happy hour menu.

-JG
Rating: 3 Martinis