Photo Essay:Villains Tavern Opening Night

Villains Tavern
1356 Palmetto
Los Angeles, CA 91003
(213) 613-0766

stage

I am mid-summer travel right now, firmly and irrevocably enmeshed and obsessed with the Detroit public school system, the city itself and the vast inequities in the region between the haves and have-nots. If you follow my Facebook feed no doubt you have seen multiple posts, videos and commentary and probably have me on your ignore list.

awning covered patio 

I really enjoyed myself at the Villains opening. Opened by Dana Hollister of Bordello, Paramour, Cliff's Edge and 4100 in Silverlake where in my thirties I left a large part of my liver. 

There were several people attending whom I hadn't seen since the old bar days 4100.  It was a mini-reunion.

inside bar

Located on Palmetto, basically next door to the Molino Street lofts, in a neighborhood hungry for a quality local, Villains has a built-in clientele. Smart stuff.

barkeeps used real fruits

making artisanal beverages

interesting selection of brews 

bloggers out in full force

D and I both thought it was interesting that a few (most) of the bloggers we talked to thought Villains wasn't necessarily their kind of place.  Having logged countless hours holding up a bar stool at Three Clubs and 41, Villains is definitely my kind of place. In a taxi, it is not prohibitively far. In the late nineties, we would have driven there and back.

chandelier

enamored of the vintage bottle wall

mixology?

Everyone stands somewhere different in terms of their acceptance of this term. Whatever, people. Have a drink. They're delicious.

taxidermy

crowd remains the same

upstairs

view from above

bartenders/mixologists slammed but gracious

VIP lounge overlooking main bar

view from VIP lounge

d

badges? we don't need no stinking badges

In short, Villains is a beautiful turn-of-the-last-century inspired watering hole. With cozy Hollister-esque indoor spaces and outdoor spaces ideal for live and canned music, a little dancing and lots of posturing I foresee myself hitting this before or after dinners at Church & State, inspired drinking after hanging out in Little Tokyo, destination drinks when the Flicks are in town and maybe the occasional drive-by happy hour. It is definitely my kind of place. I will be sure to see some of the old crowd and make some new friends in the process.