Musso and Frank Grill

Musso & Frank Grill is a restaurant located on Hollywood Boulevard. Their actual website is under construction however they have a fan site with 7 Chapters of history and stories.  Opened in 1919, it is steeped in Hollywood history, having been the hideout of a host of famous Hollywood celebrities from days gone by. It is named for original owners Joseph Musso and Frank Toulet.  As Hollywood's oldest eatery (since 1919), Musso & Frank is the paragon of Old Hollywood grillrooms. In its heyday it was a popular destination for Hollywood's elite, including movie stars, film directors and producers and the great writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Bukowski, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway drank here during their screenwriting days and where Orson Welles used to hold court. Legend has it that Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and Douglas Fairbanks raced each other down Hollywood Boulevard on horseback, the loser having to pick up the dinner tab at Musso & Frank's.

We went on a Thursday night, around 7ish, the restaurant was actually pretty empty but the bar was packed.  We scored 1 bar stool so we shared it/Grete stood.  The bartender was nice and anxious to make us a drink...whatever we wanted.  Grete chose a Grasshopper and I had a Cosmo.  They are known for their martini's but I'm not a big fan of straight up martini's so I went with the Cosmo.  I tried Grete's drink, a little too sweet for me.  It reminded me of the Girl Scout cookie, thin mint.  My Cosmo was good but nothing special.  If I were to go back, I would bite the bullet and try a dirty martini.  If it's going to be my first one might as well be at a place that is known to have the best in the city.

Their dinner menu looked good but we didn't get any eats.  They have nightly specials.  The special that night was prime rib and it reminded me of classic Hollywood which overall sums up the vibe of this place.  If you're in the mood to get glammed up (you don't have to) and relive the old days, Musso and Frank's Grill is the place to go.

The Hungry Cat Raw Bar

The Hungry Cat was a hard bar to find.  It's address states it's on Vine street in Hollywood but there is no signage or indication that the bar exists from the street.  We had to get out of the car and look for it.  It is tucked into a pedestrian alley way that is between the old Borders and the Bed Bath and Beyond on the corner.  On top of that, there are 6 ft hedges that hide the restaurant.  I felt like I'd solved a mystery trying to find the place so I was ready for a cocktail, which is what I had come for!

Before we get to the drinks, the restaurant has incredible seafood and a raw bar.  We actually sat at the raw bar and saw the chef''s prepping the nights specials right in front of us.  It was really cool.  But we came for the drinks.  The cocktail menu isn't big.  they have 8 on the menu and a daily special.  The special that day was the Rumble so that's what Liz got.  I went for the Tigerlilly which has green tea-infused vodka, lemon, honey, tonic, blood orange.  The drinks are a bit pricey, mine was $13 but I figured having one wouldn't hurt my wallet too much.  After we ordered they brought oyster crackers (probably in anticipation of us ordering seafood), and the waiter briefly explained the menu, pointing out the small plates and the entrees.  Liz actually was swayed to get food so she ordered the cheese plate which had 5 cheeses, honeycomb, and almonds on it for $20.  Our drinks came and they looked quite festive.

My drink was bitter, I anticipated the blood orange would add sweetness however it was more like grapefruit juice.  Liz's drink was great however I don't remember what was actually in it since it was the special.  

 

The atmosphere was laid-back.  The restaurant was not crowded; it was still early in the evening.  The cheese platter was really good and more than enough to share.  The best part of the experience came when we got the bill.  The drinks were half off due to happy hour.  We were not told of happy hour so I was not expecting this at all.  At this price, the drinks are more than worth it. 

If you find yourself in Hollywood during happy hour sniff out The Hungry Cat.  You'll enjoy the cocktails and if you're hungry I'm sure the food is more than worth it as well :)