Small Town Bar on the Sunset Strip - Red Rock

Red Rock Bar
8782 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
9.2.06 - Saturday, 4:30 PM
Myself + 1 guest (The JAG)

Red Rock's got a personality disorder. It's OK, it happens to the best of us.
Nighttime - especially on a weekend - finds this Sunset Blvd. staple chalked to the gills with sorority drunkards and frat boy sake bombers. It's not pretty. If you're past the age of 22, you might feel old.
Daytime at zee Rock - especially on a weekday - is bliss. There' s crowd of tough-edged drinkers, sports enthusiasts that also come equipped with brains, and pleasure seekers alike. You walk into the wooden nirvana, upstairs and down, and feel like a time warp has hit the bustling strip. It's small town in the largest town, and it's a rare, wonderful thing. The bartenders are a bit surly and crusty but no less kind and helpful, and the drinks are stiff and yummy. They taste better without the frat brats around; trust me on that one.

Saturday was a big day. The JAG came to visit. He's a former boyfriend, one I loved madly through a long-term long-distance affair. We met in person in Budapest, Hungary after an online fling, than romanced each other across the globe for a year. He fought a war in Baghdad - I stayed home and cried. When he returned, we jetted around the country together, and I ended up in Sicily for a summer of love. Which was the end of us, and poetically so.
It's been a year since the good-bye, and now he's stationed in Coronado. We're relabeled as Very Good Friends, and this was our chance to prove it. He arrived via the train at Union Station, and we had huge dindin plans at Providence. So first stop was a cocktail or two, and Red Rock, just down the street from his hotel, sounded purrfect.

We drank Guinness and fell into a new groove, a new rhythm of friendship. Drew, our bartender, kept our drinks full and our smiles genuine. The other patrons had love for one and all, through scowls at the UCLA game and various outbursts made the visit all the merrier.


BAR REPORT CARD

Ambiance - C+
Staff/Service - B
Wine/Drinks - B
Value - C+
Vibe/Energy/Scene - B+
Overall Experience - B-

Final word - It was a big day, and Red Rock was there for me. I am most grateful.

I muse a lot. If that sounds appealing, Visit Me.