Michele StuevenA vacant tenant space in the Hollywood Palladium has been transformed into the elegant new Vinyl Room, a first-of-its-kind lounge and dining destination that opens on Sunday, Feb.22, as part of the ongoing renovation of the historic landmark on Sunset Blvd.
Inspired by Japanese hi-fi listening lounges in a stunning setting, the Vinyl Room is a two-year labor of love that reimagines the concert-night experience with acoustically tuned interiors and a music-driven food and cocktail program open exclusively to concertgoers to gather before, during, and after a show.
Vinyl records of acts that go back to the venue’s 1940s opening line the walls of the entrance, leading to a stunning space blanketed with even more records, historic photos, posters, and a DJ to set the mood. The lounge will be open on Hollywood Palladium show days, starting 90 minutes before doors, and will remain open after the show.
The Vinyl Room (Michele Stueven)
At first glance, the menu might seem like your typical bar fare, but Chef Ryan DeRieux’s personal version of Asian classics is as elevated and flavorful as Sean Kenyon’s bar program.
Standouts include sushi tots, DeRieux’s take on the current crispy rice trend, chili crunch chicken wings with a deep, rich tofu interpretation of ranch dressing, and a 10-ounce American Wagyu skirt steak served with blistered shishito peppers, pickled cucumbers, charred carrots, and his signature Vinyl Room gochujang steak sauce.
The Japanese dessert staple, Taiyaki, is a playful fish-shaped croissant dough filled with strawberry jam and hazelnut chocolate spread that comes with chocolate sauce and passion fruit creme for dipping
Cocktails inspired by songs and sounds that have filled the auditorium include the rum-based Golden Years and a vodka-based House of the Rising Sun. The Superfly is a tall, tangy mix of Ruku gin and yuzu, and the Vinyl Room Old Fashioned highlights the bar’s elite selection of Japanese whiskeys. There’s also a generous choice of zero-proof offerings.
Sushi Tots (Michele Stueven)
“It was great to bring together music and cocktails,” Third-generation bartender Kenyon told the crowd during the soft opening. “The theory behind Japanese mixology is beauty and simplicity, and yet complex on the palate. In the Vinyl Room, we’ll concentrate on highballs, sparkling long drinks that are inspired by the songs that are sharp in some places and sweet in others.”
The Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style Palladium includes an 11,200-square-foot dance floor, mezzanine, and a floor level with room for up to 4,000 people. Since opening in 1940, it has seen a diverse lineup of acts from Tom Dorsey and Frank Sinatra to Bob Dylan, Megadeth, and Bad Religion. David Bowie’s 1973 show was the final US performance of his Ziggy Stardust tour.
Taiyaki for dessert (Michele Stueven)
Richard Pryor performed two dates in 1981, which resulted in Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip, and the Palladium also served as the location for the final concert scene in The Blues Brothers film with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.
Historic photos of a time capsule being buried on the property line the walls of the lounge, the location of which in the sprawling space remains a mystery.
What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink
Entrance to the Vinyl Room (Michele Stueven)
Hollywood Palladium Vinyl Room (Evan Joseph)
House of the Rising Sun (Alive Coverage)