Help An Old Queen Celebrate?

[Guest Les]

A dear friend of mine turns 80 this weekend and when I asked what he wanted all he could come up with is that he's never seen West Hollywood.

 

So this weekend another friend and I am flying him out for a taste of California. He expresses no interest in escorts...but he loves eye candy. In fact he swoons whenever Justin appears on QAF.

 

Would some of you worldly gentlemen help me with some casual places where three old queens(two of us 40ish) can have a good meal without THE attitude..and maybe a bar or club that we would fit in?

 

Is this an impossible task???

 

Thanks, Les

 

I lived in California 20 years ago, but that doesn't help now.

[Guest sdmuscl4hire]

West Hollywood as well as Santa Monica has alot of nice quante restuarants to enjoy. I will say for the record that LA and the "attitude" is only seen when one wants to. If you are looking for it, trust me it will find you. If you want to just sit back and enjoy the candy then it wont confront you>

[BgMstr4u]

I would recommend drinks and dinner at Numbers on Santa Monica Blvd. It is a beautiful room, with consistently good food, and plenty of eye candy most nights, especially after 9 pm or so. Every once in a while there's a sighting of someone interesting. I once saw Vladimir Ashkenazy of happy memory at the old location up on Sunset. Jerry Herman turns up every once in a while, and is an amazingly nice guy. A lot of interesting Hollywood behind-the-camera folks hang out there. Chi Chi LaRue has been seen seated with his stable at table. And of course there is the Youth Group, which will empty your heart as fast as your wallet, but that's another story. In NYC everyone is a waiter. In LA, everyone is either a waiter or just getting into a truly astonishingly interesting program at UCLA. Which of course carries financial demands, etc., etc. For some reason USC does not have the same attraction.

 

As for attitude, there's plenty in LA but then there's plenty eveywhere else as well, especially if you're an older guy enjoying the eye candy scene. My guess is that your friend has already developed some sucessful strategies to meet the dreaded impoliteness of The Tee Shirt People. Certainly Numbers actively welcomes and caters to the older gentleman, including not having obtrusive rock music blaring at ear drum piercing levels.

[Boston Guy]

By all means, go to Mark's in West Hollywood for dinner. If you're going on a weekend night, reservations are a really good idea.

 

It's on La Cienega Blvd, just south of Santa Monica Blvd (half a block or so). The food's quite good, the crowd is great and the waiters are all hunks -- and all nice. You'll love them and they'll love you (including your friend -- I've seen them make a big deal over some very old gents). I think it's one of the most fun places to eat in Weho.

 

Numbers, which was recommended above, has better food -- it's really quite good. But it's been awfully quiet recently and I'm not sure I'd go for dinner if I only had a couple of nights. Drinks later at the bar might be fun, and I've heard that the escort scene picks up again somewhat after 11 on Friday and Saturday night.

 

There's a small restaurant on Santa Monica in Weho, sort of near the center of all the action. It's called Cafe d'Etoile. The food's good (tried the grilled prawns) and the bar is very friendly. The crowd there varies from young to (mostly) middle age and up. No attitude at all and right on the strip, which puts you within a block or two of a whole bunch of fun bars. Lots and lots and lots and lots of eye candy. :-)

 

You don't mention needing a hotel, so I assume that's taken care of. If not, and it's eye candy you are looking for, the Ramada on Sunset is sort of ground zero for gay Weho. It's not the slickest hotel in town, but it's not bad, the rates are great and it's full of boys. The Summerfield Suites (one block up the hill behind the Ramada) offers nicer accommodations for about $30 more per night. If booking there, it's worth the extra $10 or so per night to get a one-bedroom suite instead of an executive suite.

 

Have fun!

 

BG

[Guest Les]

Thanks BgMstr4u,

Numbers is it for late dinner on Saturday. The place sounds great...especially good food in a gay place...a true rarity.

Did this place use to be a bar called Rusty Nail? The address

seems familiar...but it's been a long time.

[Guest Les]

Hi sdmuscl4hire,

THE attitude needs a thread of it's own...but somehow it seeks me out not vice versa...Even when I was young and beautiful I didn't like IT.

Maybe because all my life I have liked older guys or maybe I have an attitude about the attitude. LOL...

[Guest Les]

Hey There BG,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and understanding my thrust.

As we will be there three nights...Friday or Sunday 'Marks' sounds great. He will love those hunky, friendly waiters. :7

I've also heard of a restaurant called Felt that sounds like fun, have you been there?

 

The Cafe Etoile also sounds like fun...but one night my friend wants to go to Spago...I thought Sunday as it might not be so crowded.? dunno.

 

Already have reservations at the Ramada.

 

Take care, Les

[Boston Guy]

>Hey There BG,

> Thanks for sharing your knowledge

>and understanding my thrust.

>As we will be there three

>nights...Friday or Sunday 'Marks' sounds

>great. He will love those

>hunky, friendly waiters. :7

>I've also heard of a restaurant

>called Felt that sounds like

>fun, have you been there?

>

 

Felt is OK. I've been there and don't like it nearly as much as Mark's. (By the way, Mark's is a 5-minute walk from the Ramada, Felt is a 10-minute walk and Cafe d'Etoile is also a 10-minute walk. Numbers is 3 minutes away, on the way to Cafe d'Etoile.

 

>

>The Cafe Etoile also sounds like

>fun...but one night my friend

>wants to go to Spago...I

>thought Sunday as it might

>not be so crowded.? dunno.

>

 

Didn't the original Spago close???

 

>

>Already have reservations at the Ramada.

>

>

>Take care, Les

 

You, too. Have fun in Weho. If you have any other questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them as best I can.

 

BG

[Guest Kenny]

This thread has just been wonderful. Actually had responses that pertained to the topic, gave wonderful information and just made you appreciate how great this web site is. It's just great not having people bicker about issues that don't involve the original info requested. If only all threads were like this. Oh well.....

[Guest Les]

<<Didn't the original Spago close???>>

 

No, if the original was on Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills.??

 

Spago must be getting a little tired but aren't we all. :7

 

If he insists on wearing a ballcap to cover his defoliation will he still be welcomed at your recommended places?

It may make him look younger...but at 80 I don't think it'll help his pick-up routine...lol

 

Take care, Les

[Boston Guy]

><<Didn't the original Spago close???>>

>

>No, if the original was on

>Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills.??

>

>

>Spago must be getting a little

>tired but aren't we all.

>:7

>

 

I may be wrong on this -- perhaps someone else can help us out. But I think the original Spago is closed (I seem to remember they had some big closing celebration) and that the others are now knock-offs.

 

>If he insists on wearing a

>ballcap to cover his defoliation

>will he still be welcomed

>at your recommended places?

>It may make him look younger...but

>at 80 I don't think

>it'll help his pick-up routine...lol

>

>

>Take care, Les

 

The dress code at all of these is pretty casual and people are pretty informally dressed. And I don't think anyone is going to have problems with an 80-year old guy wearing a cap. :-)

[Guest Les]

I've been reading some restaurant reviews (one of my favorite pastimes)and it appears the Puckster frequently greets diners at the Spago on Canon Dr.(That would thrill my friend as I'm sure the celebs have long since moved on). If this is the original location I really don't know.

I know Mr. Puck opened another place called Granada or Granata or something like that awhile back...maybe that's what you're thinking about?

 

Thanks, Les

[Guest Les]

OOPS BG you are Right!!

 

From google search:

 

This original Spago Hollywood, on the Sunset Strip, closed permanently in March 2001. The newer Spago Beverly Hills remains open, as do Puck's other many restaurants.

But on most days, the big names of Hollywood preferred the Beverly Hills branch, eventually leaving the original Spago Hollywood mostly to the tourists. In March of 2001, just after Oscar night, Puck closed down Spago Hollywood. Many of the restaurants long-time regulars attended one last party at the Sunset Strip location.

 

Take care, Les

[BuckyXTC]

Hi Les:

 

Although I've traveled all over the world, I've never been to California, so I couldn't offer any suggestions for you. I do, however, want to commend you for your thoughtfulness and generosity in doing something special for an elderly friend. Yes, these threads all too often turn into battlegrounds, and I've even participated in some of that. Today was something of a blue day for me, and when I read this thread, it really perked me up to see someone doing something so kind and positive. Thanks for your posts, and I hope you guys have the time of your lives in CA.

 

BuckyXTC

[buzz]

Hi Les,

 

Just wanted to echo what Bucky XTC said in his message. What a wonderful celebration and it's wonderful to know that old queens (and, yes, I certainly now fit that category) have such good friends. You and your pal are a couple of true gents!

 

I haven't been to LA for a couple of years, but one amusing place to stop for a sandwich or a coffee (anything like a real meal is truly mediocre) is the French Market. Lots of eye candy.

 

I hope you all have a super time and give the birthday boy a big kiss.

 

buzz

[OneFinger]

Les,

 

This has been one of the most delightful and informative threads in a long time. Congrats to all that contributed and provided great info.

 

Now for a request. Please let us know how the weekend turned out. (I'm a nosey person who just loves to know the ending of a story.) :-)

[Guest Les]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their recommendations.

We had a fabulous time!

 

We stayed at the 'GAY' Ramada,it needs an update bad...but the location couldn't have been better. It was wonderful not to worry about too much booze and then driving. You could walk everywhere in a few minutes.

The recommended restaurants were great and crowded with great looking guys. Numbers was jammed and our waiter was to die for.

Birthday boy had a ball.

 

Thanks again guys!