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For at least one major Hollywood hotspot last night, it was all smoke and no fire. And ironically enough, that molten mecca rockstar restaurant wanna-be of radness is named “Charcoal”.
El Ocho de Mayo marked the much bally-hooed opening of the latest Place to be Scene, in the bare-ass belly of the underused ArcLight Cinema Center, a location screaming of great late-night possibilities.
If you’re still wondering what the hell kind of place “Charcoal” is, well, so am I. Yes, it’s supposed to be a restaurant and bar. And also sorta a club / sexy after-movie deal-closer locale...
Uhhh... okay, look – if you’re gonna bill yourself first and foremost as a restaurant, then it’s probably not such a great idea to COMPLETELY RUN OUT OF FOOD before the party even gets started!
The “official” word was that the Joyous Invite-Only Party Celebrating the Official Opening of “Charcoal” was kicking off at 10:00p.m. And everybody knows you don’t show up early for anything in Hollywood – God forbid you expose yourself as the insecure geek you really are! So, of course, I got there at 9:20 p.m. and just barely got in by the skin of my...well, shamelessly exposed flesh – jeez!
But I had nothing to fear because the place was already jam-packed to the rafters! Squeezing through the sooper-packed mega-wattage Holly-would-do-anything-for-a-photo-op-yes-I’m-an-actor-slash-musician crowd, I found some people willing to acknowledge my existence, and was promptly informed that the kitchen had completely run out of EVERYTHING edible.
Fortunately, enough people realize that alcohol is actually one of the four food groups, so at least the open bar did remain open all night long – otherwise I honestly might have perished. Or worse yet, been forced to run across the street to Jack in the Box (sans JD!) for some take out – ack, the irony!!!!!!!
But wait, it gets better. At around 11:30p.m. there suddenly became available one of my favorite things ever: deliciously crunchy-yet-still-juicy, perfectly cooked strips of BACON! I kid you not!
Bacon!
At least for us ravenously unrepentant carnivores jacked-up on Jim Beam and Stoli, (etc.) it served as a marginally decent compromise to not having been served giant smoking plates of perfectly grilled Meat-Stuffs, heralded by exquisite amuse-bouches...all for FREE, as the invite promised!
So, all that being said, basically, here’s the scoop on Hollywood's latest big-deal-whatever-ya-call-it thingy: Great location, cool-n’-sultry-sexy-hot atmosphere, “cutting-edge” deejay/music stuff, lots of TeeVee cameras at the opening, reporters and lights (to make you feel like a celebrity even though none of us really are...) and great bar staffed by VERY cool and competent people, (they graciously & efficiently handled a massive crush of pissed-off hungry drunkards just like me, all while under the crazy-ass hawk eye of their boss who sat right there in front of them for the entire evening!!)
What was I expecting in the way of food?
I'll put it this way: “Charcoal” is being brought to you by the very same peeps who have stoked your world with fabulous forums of fried, fricassed and filleted flesh, in trendy joints as “Geisha House”, “The Lodge”, all of your friendly neighborhood “Gaucho Grills”, among others. So it should be pretty tasty.
If it ever arrives.
Carry on Los Angelenos – it’s all good, as long as the whiskey don’t run out.
Charcoal
6360 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA, 90028
(323) 465-8500
Parking in the covered lot in the Arclight center
Cross street is Ivar
photo by chad k
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not sure from your organization attended, but last night was a private friends and family night. not open to the public, so there was no necessity for a fully stocked kitchen. its was a night for personal friends of the owner to see the new space and sample an idea of the menu. your review is very very premature.
so youre saying that tv crews, celebs, and the press were not invited to be there, and bacon wasnt thrown together to make up for lack of food at a celebration for a restaurant opening?
Bite me Hollywood and then go drop in the ocean
Ummm yea, I don't really care about what a good time you had drinking Jim Beam Staci. My reason for reading an article about a restaurant opening is to find out if the food is worth going there for. I'm not sure why I would want to ever try to eat at a place where they couldn't feed one person on opening night. Thanks to your review I'll stick with.umm anyplace else.
i call bullshit on the first comment.... i stopped by there for lunch yesterday..and they said they wouldnt be open until the evening... that place is already a disaster opening months after promised.... just look at the sushi joint next door opening summer 2006... wah wahhh.
I went for dinner at Charcoal 2 nights ago, same quality as the lodge, 30% cheaper, and a great candle light ambience and chill out music....I strongly recommend trying it...I would say their menu is "The lodge meets Houston's" definetly worth trying, especially if you like the lodge....
I went for brunch on Saturday, August 18th and was extremely disappointed. The decor was pleasant and the food decent (though a tad overpriced). However, the service was awful. Our appetizers arrived without sideplates, & I tried in vain to get the server's attention for over 5 minutes. Ultimately, I had to leave my date to go over to the bar, where the server was busy chatting with friends. Later, I was short-changed on the bill. When I (politely) brought this to the server's attention, she very snidely stated that the restaurant "carried no coins" so "if the bill says $46.55, it's actually $47." I was shocked and complained to the manager, but she offered me nothing aside from a promise to "tak to" the server. Unbelievable. Obviously, I'll survive without the change, but I won't be visiting Charcoal again nonetheless!!