Been avoiding that story about City Council corruption? Having trouble coming up with something nice to write about Dwight Howard? Turn off the BlackBerry and climb aboard the Redwood Bar & Grill. A steep block from the Los Angeles Times, Redwood Bar is a cozy, nautical-themed bar that also happens to be full of Times writers. Have a good Sam Zell joke? This is your forum. (It probably will even be better than what you'll hear at the Redwood's open-mic comedy offerings.) With its low lighting, cheap drinks and decent burger, the Redwood is a safe place to dodge those deadlines while feeling like you're far from work in the bottom of a ship. 316 West Second St., dwntwn. (213) 680-2600, theredwoodbar.com.

—Sean J. O'Connell

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