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• BEST HAPPY HOUR WITH DUCK-FAT POPCORN

  Barbrix

  If you beg for it, it will come: a questionable lesson, proven effective at Barbrix. The Silver Lake wine bar/restaurant is bringing back happy hour on not just one but three nights every week, after an "overwhelming response" to the first happy-hour event. From 6 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, glasses of already reasonably priced beers and… More >>

• BEST HAPPY HOUR FOR LIP-SMACKING DEALS

  Dakota Lounge

  Don't let the fact that Fergie and Josh Duhamel pop in for Laker games make you think the Dakota Lounge has an uppity attitude. The place is unpretentious and feels like the neighborhood bar you wish was in your neighborhood. Owners Alex Fieglein and Sabrina Roark, Hawaii transplants, have had a good thing going with the prime-time club crowd for… More >>

• BEST ELEGANT HAPPY HOUR

  Wilshire Restaurant

  Hundreds of teacup candles hang ablaze on brick, setting the mood at Wilshire Restaurant, a dark, romantic haunt, designed by Thomas Schoos of Koi, TAO and Citizen Smith (to name a few). Sure, the new happy hour may not be as packed as its previous $1 martini nights, which ended in August, but for $7 a pop, cocktails are just… More >>

• BEST LONG HAPPY HOUR

  Yamato

  The Westwood Bank building in the heart of Westwood Village has seen more image changes than Madonna since the actual bank closed decades ago. It was a retail space for most of the '80s and '90s before being transformed for restaurant tenants, and the previous occupant was Eurochow, which didn't seem to fare well. Yamato, the current incarnation, is nothing… More >>

• BEST CLASSIC MARGARITA

  Ortega 120

  Ten years ago, the first sip of any restaurant margarita around these parts that ditched the grocery store sour mix was reason enough to raise your glass for a toast. With the newfound mixology hype, the trick now is finding an affordable fresh lime-juice margarita. Saddle up to the bar at Ortega 120 and you'll find all the requisite fancy… More >>

• BEST CHEAPO HAPPY HOUR

  Hurry Curry

  Even before last fall's economic crash and burn, Hurry Curry was recession-ready with its 3-to-6 p.m. happy hour, replete with drinks and a nosh at bargain prices — and a time slot many a wandering, thirsty, unemployed Westsider could embrace. Hell, Hurry Curry's happy hour practically counts as lunch when you get up at noon. Located in West L.A.'s little… More >>

• BEST HIGH-FLYING HAPPY HOUR

  The Proud Bird

  Nestled near Los Angeles International Airport is the Proud Bird restaurant, whose banquet rooms and lounge are housed in a sprawling complex with an architectural style that might be called Hacienda Montalban. From the outside, the restaurant resembles a combat aircraft museum — real World War II Mustangs, Messerschmitts and Spitfires spread their wings alongside replica MiGs and Spads from… More >>

• BEST EASTERN-EUROPEAN HAPPY HOUR

  Warszawa

  Much of the food of Eastern Europe is, to put it plainly, peasant food. But that, I assure you, is not an insult. Slow-cooked meats, heavy starches and earthy vegetables all go great together but go even better with beer and liquor. But if you feel odd eating European working-class food in Santa Monica, where higher rent means higher food… More >>

• BEST NEW PLACE FOR LIVE MUSIC

  Eagle Rock Center for the Arts

  Sunn O))), FYF Fest Breakfast, Eagle Rock Music Festival, HEALTH, L.A. Record Christmas Party: The best new place to see live music this year was the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, which offers more proof that things keep moving farther east. Blank Blue member Brian Ako Martinez does most of the booking, and has a close relationship with Sean… More >>

• BEST CHEAP MOVIE MOVIE THEATER

  Laemmle Grande 4 Plex - CLOSED

  The Laemmle Grande 4 Plex is a hole-in-the-wall movie theater that offers no perks, the popcorn is mediocre, the floors are sticky from mystery goo, there's no free, nearby parking, and we've seen cleaner bathrooms in bus stations in New Delhi. But what makes this movie house our No. 1 place to watch a new release is simply its lack… More >>

• BEST COMIC HANGOUT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT

  Unknown Theater

  Yeah, Sunday nights at the Unknown Theater have featured drop-ins by the likes of Jim Gaffigan, Neal Brennan, Brett Ernst, Chris Porter and Bryan Callen. And how cool is it that Bobby Lee is content to mingle without going up, while Bill Burr enjoys playing drums in the postshow musical jams? But here's the real kicker: $5 scores all the… More >>

• BEST CLUB THE BLACK CAT DRAGGED IN

  Le Barcito

  Every Wednesday through Sunday at 11 p.m., Lady Gaga's club jams slowly fade away as El Show de Maritza y Sus Divas takes over the stage at Silver Lake watering hole Le Barcito. Decked out in glitter-flecked gowns and flashing beauty-pageant grins, the performers engage the crowd in a drag revue set completely to Spanish pop songs. If you're itching… More >>

• BEST DRAG NIGHT, OR BEST PLACE TO BUST AN ARTY MOVE OR NUT

  Wildness - CLOSED

  J.D. Sampson, Brian Degraw of Gang Gang Dance, Penny Arcade, Hecuba, Nite Jewel, Mirror Mirror, Barr, A.L. Steiner and many other amazing performers have done their drag thing at Wildness, the weekly Tuesday tranny/arty/hipster night at Koreatown's Silver Platter. Happening for a little more than a year, the spot is a weekly dose of OMG and WTF, as a kaleidoscope… More >>

• BEST EXPERIMENTAL-MUSIC PROMOTER

  Sean Carnage

  Who says the weekend ends on Monday morning? For the last four years, Monday nights have been an assault on the senses at Pehrspace, and the man behind the mayhem is Sean Carnage. Carnage is king of the far-out, curating this musical magnet for all things freaky, and pulling in the most experimental and off-center bands for a spazzfest that… More >>

• BEST FRIED CHICKEN AND BLUES

  Babe’s & Ricky's Inn - CLOSED

  By day they're probably mechanics, insurance adjusters, or perhaps stay-at-home moms, but on the small stage at Babe‘s & Ricky's Inn, they're musical shamans channeling the soul stirring energy of the blues. For more than 40 years, Babe’s & Ricky's has been the premier spot to catch firebrand blues in L.A. Founded in 1964 by working-class, single-mother Laura Mae Gross,… More >>

• BEST ESCAPE FROM WEST HOLLYWOOD

  Roosterfish

  Sometimes it's good, even necessary, to take a break from the glam and roar of gay nightlife and simply hang out and chill. So if you feel like drinking a few beers with the buddies, playing a game of pinball, and listening to good but familiar tunes on the jukebox, Roosterfish in Venice Beach is the place to go. A… More >>

• BEST DEAL ON MOVIE SEATS

  Academy Theater

  There seem to be two scents associated with discount theaters — Lysol and vomit. The Academy Theater on Colorado Boulevard has neither, although years ago, in its Academy 6 incarnation, its lobby did betray disinfectant accents. The Academy has always been a treat for the thrifty cineaste, especially now, in these hard times, when dreamers and film geeks are finding… More >>

• BEST HIGH-END BEER AT A REASONABLE PRICE

  Father's Office

  Sang Yoon is a perfectionist with superstar-chef aspirations. The caramelized-onions and blue-cheese burger at his Father's Office restaurants is such a benchmark of the American staple that even Bobby Flay has had to try a version. And the service at Father's Office is effusive. Yoon subjects his troops to constant testing and training. The flip side of that is that… More >>

• BEST BUSTING, HANGING, MEETING, LISTENING, WEARING AND CRUISING

  Faultline Bar

  Tired of the velvet ropes, the snotty attitudes (which are only a mask to cover up some kind of insecurity), the perfect hairstyles, clothes and bodies? Well, maybe not tired of the bodies. Try the Faultline Bar in Silver Lake, which holds a good, old-fashioned beer bust Sunday afternoon through evening that's fun, cost-friendly and a little wild. Bears and… More >>

• BEST STOP IN THE NAME OF LUST

  Yogurt Stop

  The Yogurt Stop is making an obvious push to cater to a gay clientele on Santa Monica Boulevard as a nighttime hot spot, and it's working with a crowd who finds late nights at the same old bars and clubs getting monotonous — not to mention expensive. There are also those who don't drink and don't even want to be… More >>

• BEST BUILD-YOUR-OWN BLOODY MARY

  La Cita

  The perfect Bloody Mary is hard to come by. Best enjoyed during the day and an absolute necessity when hung over, a Bloody Mary is one of the most personalized cocktails out there. Some like it spicy, some sweet, some like it garnished with veggies, some with meat, but all require a strong vodka pour. The list of potential ingredients… More >>

• BEST REASON TO TURN ON YOUR RADIO IN THE A.M.

  Melissa McAllister

  Poor commuter, it's all you can do to find one decent song amid the screeching, snorting, complaining, middle-aged dudes on morning radio, who're blabbering on about either politics, erectile dysfunction, or underpants and gas. Not that KXLU's Melissa McAllister can't dish out the potty talk, but the format is flanked by densely crafted sets of exceptional songs and tempered with… More >>

• BEST AFTERNOON DJ

  Michael Stock

  Michael Stock's years hunched over boxes of records, trolling for vinyl treasure, certainly has paid off. Every Thursday afternoon Angelenos benefit from the staggering breadth of his musical archive. Stock is half of Part Time Punks (with Benjamin White), the duo who put on the eponymous Tuesday night series at the Echo, which means he's keyed into happenings on the… More >>

• BEST HOCKEY BAR ACCORDING TO AN ACTUAL CANADIAN

  Hollywood Billiards - CLOSED

  Every winter some Northern-clime folks we know end up migrating, much like Canada geese, to L.A. to get away from the cruel Ottawa winters. Even though they're happy to leave the Arctic tundra-like conditions behind, they miss the almost-nightly hockey games. Here, there are very few bars willing to switch on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Hockey Night in Canada, featuring… More >>

• BEST HOUR OF ACTUALLY FUNNY IMPROV COMEDY

  Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

  Sometimes your friends invite you to things like an improv comedy show. Then you go, realize that you're not laughing, and try to decide what the best time would be to punch that same friend in the mouth. But there is good improv out there, and one of the best deals in town is at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre,… More >>

• BEST LIVE MUSIC IN A SHOPPING CENTER

  Space 15 Twenty

  Back in the day, Cahuenga Boulevard between Sunset and Hollywood was a nasty stretch with little more to offer than the Spotlight tranny bar, the Burgundy Room (host to local DJs and bands) and the Room — the back-alley speakeasy bar that specialized in hip-hop and acid jazz. Fortunately, Space 15 Twenty brings a little whiff of grungy street life… More >>

• BEST GRAD-SCHOOL PICKUP SPOT

  UCLA and USC Open Studio Nights

  UCLA and USC host open studio nights about twice a year, and they usually list them on the art-school Web sites. What's the draw? A night of wine, cheese and art being offered by some of the premier graduate art schools in the country, and a bevy of smart, well-dressed and well-connected arty types. Basically, a wonderful opportunity to make… More >>

• BEST SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER BAR

  La Zona Rosa

  With cowboy hats bobbing on the dance floor, low, stuccoed ceilings, and women who top their high skirts with even higher hairdos, La Zona Rosa is as close as L.A. gets to a real border town nightclub. It's like Mexicali with far cleaner bathrooms. On Tuesdays and Sundays, when La Zona Rosa forsakes its cover charge, the parking lot overflows… More >>

• BEST ALL-AGES VENUE

  The Smell

  With all due respect to Echo Curio, host to a consistently compelling combination of outsider art both audio and visual, Jim Smith's The Smell remains the single best venue for showgoers of all ages to experience not only the music of their peers, but that of some bona fide legends, to boot. Despite its rising profile, the downtown venue has… More >>

• BEST I'LL-HAVE-WHAT-SHE'S-HAVING ROCK FESTIVAL

  FYF Fest

  In a YouTube video uploaded in the days following the early September FYF Fest, which took place at the L.A. State Historic Park in Chinatown, a woman who looks to be in her early 20s is talking to the camera. Smoking a cigarette, she relays with curious wonder a story of what happened to her in the front row during… More >>

• BEST STRIP-CLUB MUSIC

  Sam's Hofbrau

  Sam's Hofbrau of downtown L.A. isn't the Rolls Royce of strip clubs. Adjacent to a parking lot of shopping carts and an enormous yellow warehouse not likely to become lofts, Sam's Hofbrau feels more like a pimped-out El Camino, complete with kickin' reggaeton and an interior straight out of a Robert Rodriguez film. Unlike strip clubs of various ilks, the… More >>

• BEST ART GALLERY FOR MUSIC

  L'Keg

  Straddling Echo Park's south side and downtown, L'Keg sits tucked between a rotisserie-chicken restaurant and a vinyl–sign-making shop, downplaying its claustrophobic, punk-rock interior with a quiet exterior in the daytime but lighting up when night falls — long after the strip mall's other tenants have left for the day. L'Keg — named after a line in the film Velvet Goldmine… More >>

• BEST PLACE TO MEET A SUPERSTAR DJ

  Monday Social at Playhouse

  Maybe you haven't noticed, but this superstar DJ game is serious business. Some spinners have been known to travel with bodyguards (we're looking at you, Danny Tenaglia), and five-figure paydays are common. While well-known jocks are still more accessible than, say, members of U2, the days of practically everyone getting backstage at a big DJ gig are over. The Electric… More >>

• BEST SOCCER PUB

  Underground Pub and Grill

  The World Cup returns in summer 2010, so L.A. soccer aficionados should begin to think about where they'll post up to watch the sport's premier event. The Underground Pub and Grill, just off the Strand in Hermosa Beach, has everything you want in a soccer pub: a proliferation of HD flat screens, a crowd that knows and loves the Beautiful… More >>

• BEST 3 MARGARITAS BY A BEACH

  Bouzy, La Cabaña and Mucho Ultima Mexicana

  There's only one way to drink a frosty, get-your-head-spinning citrus-tequila blend — and that's near the beach. If you're going to knock back the hallmark drink of spring break you might as well feel like you're on vacation. The city is home to showy flaming margaritas, cotton candy-based margaritas, and $2 specials, but it's in the beach towns that you'll… More >>

• BEST WESTSIDE SUSHI NAZI BAR

  Karaoke Bleu

  To qualify as a locals bar, a place has to have a pecking order, rituals and rights of passage. At Karaoke Bleu, which many people pass on Sawtelle without realizing it's a full-service bar, the owner regulates the seating arrangement like a sushi Nazi dispatches spicy-tuna-roll-ordering celebrities. Locals get their pick of tables and bar seating. Others get the Siberian… More >>

• BEST WEEKEND ELECTRONIC BEATS

  Hyperion Tavern

  You'd never notice Silver Lake's Hyperion Tavern unless someone pointed it out. It's housed in a nondescript navy blue brick of a building on a shady tree-lined stretch where Fountain meets Hyperion. Its owners don't do much promotion; the only signage is a striped barber pole. Until relatively recently it was a gay leather bar (leading surprised would-be patrons to… More >>

• BEST LOU-AND-BEHOLD

  Lou Serrano

  Lo and behold, at Mo's, a comfy restaurant in Burbank, magician Lou Serrano will confound even the most cynical magic nonbelievers. He'll stop at your table to give you a 15-minutes-or-so show of up-close magic tricks that are mind-boggling. One signature trick is taking a dollar bill, crumpling it into a ball, and making it come to life, dancing up… More >>

• BEST BURLESQUE CLUB

  Devil's Playground

  A club packed with both video game nerds and buxom burlesque beauties may seem like wishful thinking, but downtown it's just another sold-out, Saturday night installment of the monthly residence of Courtney Cruz's Devil's Playground at Bordello Bar. Lights dim and the curtains open as the Legend of Zelda's Link heroically takes the stage scantily clad in a green tunic,… More >>

• BEST COFFEE SHOP FOR MUSICIANS

  Café de Leche

  Café de Leche, located on the corner of York Boulevard and Avenue 52 in the increasingly gentrified neighborhood of Highland Park, seems to have satisfied the communal hunger that the growing ramshackle hipster contingent was craving. Already appearing in a New York Times piece about the changing face of Highland Park, the always-crowded café seems to have become the locus… More >>

• BEST COSTUMES 'N' KARAOKE BAR

  Dimples

  Dimples is an often-rowdy Valley bar and restaurant that fills up most nights with groups of friends who arrive together to support the bad singers among them (though a lot of amazingly good singers can be heard each night, too). But singing talent doesn't really matter, because the real attraction here is the chance to don hats, boas, fur jackets… More >>

• BEST PLACE TO BE ADMIRED

  "Booby Trap" at Temporary Spaces - CLOSED

  There's no doubt about it — "Booby Trap" at Temporary Spaces in East Hollywood is the nighttime event for gorgeous lesbians to see and be seen in L.A. Dancing until late into the night every Wednesday under a big, mirrored disco ball to the sounds of nu wave and electro pop, gals love to let it loose midweek, packing the… More >>

• BEST UNPREDICTABLE MUSIC NIGHT

  Low End Theory

  On any given Wednesday, Low End Theory drops genre-warping jams that destroy the envelope, not push it. Low End Theory, housed in Lincoln Heights' eclectic club Airliner, often gleans cut-up, sonic-patchwork hip-hop production techniques. But the comparison usually ends here, as Low End Theory transmogrifies the genre, sometimes melding it with IDM and Dubstep, or free-association vocal flow. Sound sculptors… More >>

• BEST BEYOND THE CURE

  M/R/X-Wolfpak - CLOSED

  L.A. has never had a shortage of goth-friendly clubs, but right now the darker side of the nightlife is gaining newfound interest. At the forefront of the movement is M/R/X-Wolfpak. The monthly bash, which began in 2003, stands out for its musical selections. Resident DJs Job Leatherette, Tony X and Eric Dead have no problem with dropping genre classics, but… More >>

• BEST BAR WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOU'RE LAME

  Cindy Club

  L.A. hostess bars are often wrapped up in unfamiliar rites (sitting uncomfortably in a booth with women who pretend to like you) and unfamiliar languages. What's more, they're expensive: table-service expensive; C-note-tip expensive. What's more, there's little of this exotica to sample between the high-end clubs of Koreatown and Little Tokyo and the gritty, Latino taxi-dancing venues of downtown. One… More >>

• BEST BAR FOR VALLEY VAGITARIANS

  Moonshadow Lounge - CLOSED

  Touting itself as "Valley chic," Moon Shadow Lounge in North Hollywood, more often known as NoHo, offers a regular happy hour, go-go dancers, live music and Sunday brunch. You can play darts or pool, dance to DJ Boulevard's spinning of hip-hop and electronica on Saturday nights, or sing karaoke on Tuesday nights with host KJ Tony, who offers more than… More >>

• BEST MALT SHOP

  Daily Pint

  Ask Daily Pint owner Philip McGovern why he started amassing one of the largest Scotch collections in L.A. 15 years ago, and you’ll likely hear a grunt about the customers who pestered him to do it. The pub currently offers more than 300 single-malt and blended scotches, all wedged shoulder-to-shoulder on an overhead wooden shelf that runs the length of… More >>

• BEST OENOPHILIA SPONSORSHIP

  Silverlake Wine

  Silverlake Wine's newsletter will tip you to the vibe of this wine shop, promising "Disco Inferno–interesting Loire Valley whites" that are "as much fun as throwing a TV set off your balcony." And for the cost of one hotel bar cocktail ($12-20) the weekly tasting events have become attendance-required for both oenophiles and wannabes, with food pairings by chefs from… More >>