Her name was Lola, she was a....martini bar?

You haven't done LA if you haven't been to Lola's....according to Hollywood natives (I'm pretty sure if you live in Hollywood for more than 6 months, you can qualify as such).

Lola's is a great, swanky, popular little martini bar on Fairfax between Santa Monica and Melrose. Get there before 10 or 11pm to avoid a line.

Swanky? Martini bar? Popular? Now, this entry already doesn't fit the genre of my blog. I like cool, cheap dives and places with friendly atmosphere.

But wait! There is a catch.

Between 5:30 and 7:30 pm Monday-Friday, Lola's has happy hour! Their typically pricey drinks (think $10-$15) are affordable! They have a short happy hour list, which includes martinis and glasses of wine for $5. $5 martinis? Yes. At a swanky Hollywood bar? Yes! Who knew? Now, you do!

Be forewarned, though: These martinis are dangerously delicious. Problem solved: happy hour food menu with select apps at $5.50 (order a couple, because they are teeny).

Lola's does draw a cross section of people, from industry folk, to ladies dressing up for a "girls night." Due to the abundance of tables, and really good food, the bar scene generally doesn't start getting social until later (ie, people eat dinner there a lot).

It is a great place to go with friends; very pricey outside of happy hour, but between 5:30 and 7:30 during the week, have fun!

You are a Lucky Devil if you get to eat here....

Hot damn, that was a corny title! My apologies, but, it will be beneficial for your taste buds to read on...

Lucky Devils is located on the corner of Whitley and Hollywood (just a few blocks east of Hollywood and Highland), and has food that will make you want to sell your soul to the devil! Once again, corny play on words with the title of the restaurant. I will try to cut back.

This little restaurant has it all: bottomless mimosas for brunch ($12), and happy hour, too ($4 beers and cheap apps). The beers are all micro brews and/or imported - think: Chimay, Duvel, Belgium beers, the good, rich brewskis that are full of flavor and potent. All around delicious. Note: this restaurant only serves beer and wine, so don't come in craving jack and coke... The beer and wine here is a really great selection, though.

Unfortunately, the patron is not a lucky devil when it comes to the price of food....or non-happy hour beers. No, it isn't ridiculously expensive, but entrees are more than $10, which isn't all that fabulous, and the good beers run up to $10 a pint.

BUT, all the priciness is worth it, in my opinion. GREAT Turkey burger, great beers, great fire slaw (okay, the only fire slaw I've ever tried, but it is good! and no, I'm not telling you what fire slaw is)

Bottom Line (at the bottom, this time): DELICIOUS food and drinks, not cheap, but definitely worth it.

uWink

uWink? For this? Hell yes, I wink. Okay - that is DEFINITELY a lie. My winking abilities are slim to none (I blink), but this restaurant kicks some serious arse. Located on the 3rd floor of the Hollywood and Highland center, it is enough out of the way to not get crazy-packed with tourists.

Why does this place rock? Touchscreen games. You know how at some bars, they have touch screen games for a quarter or $.50? Well, this place has them for free....at every table. Wait. It gets better. You even order via the touch screen!

Reminding you of Wall-E too much? No worries; there are interactive games, with more players. A friend of mine commented, "this would be an awful place for a first date."

Wait for it....

First Date touchscreen game. It consists of "mild" and "spicy" questions to ask the other person, ranging from "what kind of books do you like?" to "why did your last relationship end?" (that was under the "spicy" option).

Also, there are group trivia games, and everything.

Food-wise, you can get your meal just the way you like it, without pissing off the waitress. No ketchup? Extra sauce? Just touch the appropriate condiments. Food prices average about $10 a meal, so it isn't a total blow to the wallet, especially with all those games included.

Last, but in NO WAY least: Happy Hour. It is 4-7, Monday - Friday. Half price beers, $4 well drinks and $5 House Margaritas.

Sounds delightful. Know what I mean? Wink. Wink.

Kung Pao Kitty

Bottom line: Amazing happy hour, but not too amazing late night.

Yes, I recognize that I put "bottom line" at the top, but that gives you, readers the option to get the gist immediately, before committing to read this whole blog. I promise it will be entertaining and worth reading through, though.

Happy hour at Kung Pao Kitty (located on the North-East corner of Hollywood and Wilcox) is delicious, delightful and deli-cheap. $3. Everything. $3 shrimp pot stickers, which are my absolute favorite, even though they take the longest to come out; $3 calamari, served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce; $3 dumplings and spring rolls, dare I go on?

Of course, I will go on - I haven't touched on the best part! $3 jager shots, $3 bottles of sake, and $3 Tiger beer (for those of you unfamiliar with Los Angeles, a three dollar beer is actually a hard find). Exciting note: drink prices are always this good, not only for happy hour (which is 4-7, Monday through Friday).

I have spent many an hour being happy there, but last night was my first time heading there after dark. (insert spooky music here). At our first attempt at the door, the bouncer rejected us! To his credit, he was just following the rules. My friend and I were wearing sandals, and they did not allow flip flops for insurance reasons (broken glass, etc). However, we were wearing nice sandals, ones with a little bit of a rise. We told him this; he didn't buy it. We told him that we would sign a waiver, so we wouldn't sue them if our feet were cut by broken glass; he didn't buy it.

Fortunately, I live a block away. So, we scurried back to my apartment, donned some covered shoes and were back to the Kitty.

Inside, late night, I found a fairly sparse bar hosting a mix of hipsters and locals - not crazy locals, but easy-to-talk-to locals. Music was playing, but not obnoxiously loud. It was on the darker side, but not too dark. Over all, a decent time....especially with those $3 bottles of sake.

The shoe thing was fairly aggravating, especially since Hollywood Blvd. boasts the city's slipperiest sidewalk (not a known fact, but a strong personal opinion). Heels + Hollywood Blvd = bruised knee.

Top Line: I will go back (with proper footwear), and I do recommend it...but I will always be a little bitter.

Snow White

Oh Snow White.

In the heart of the tourist ridden city of Hollywood sits a tiny (dare I say skeevy?) little bar. Right at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland (6769 Hollywood Blvd, to be exact), with an unassuming red awning is Snow White. This bar has, over the course of the past few months, become "my local dive."

Tourists come to Hollywood by day for pictures by the Chinese Theater, and to walk the "walk of fame." The young and beautiful flock to Hollywood at night for the clubs and drinks. Occasionally during the day, tourists stop in for a beer or some food, but by night time, Snow White is left for the locals.

What is so amazing about this bar? Portion sizes. Whether you choose the 34 oz. beer ($7 during happy hour, $10 otherwise) or the massive glass of wine, you only need two drinks before you are set for the night. A third drink is never a wise choice (believe me, I know)

Along with their massive drinks, Snow White has a physically high bar, with low-ish seats. So, imagine sitting at a bar that comes up to your chest, with a beer the size of your head. You feel like a little kid - not to mention the pictures of Snow White and her seven dwarfs lining the walls.

And then, there is the crowd. Patrons of this establishment tend to be comprised of a handful of regulars (people who bartend there, and men with French accents), students at the Musician's Institute across the street, locals and occasionally littered with Hollywood staples (crazies and tourists).

They have standard, American food: sandwiches, pizzas, pastas. The bar has two tvs - one large one, inconveniently placed at the back of the bar (where 90% of the time, people are blocking it), and a smaller one above the bar. It is dark, dank, dreary - pretty much everything I would hope for in a local dive! I love it!