The intersection of Wilshire and La Brea used to be one of the most famous crossings in LA. It was through here that the glitterati would be driven, gin-sodden, from an event in Hollywood to food, drinks, ladies of the night and (finally) bed at those catty-cornered sin bins of the Golden Age: The Brown Derby and the Ambassador Hotel. I guess scarcely a glance would be afforded to the Wilson Building, once listed for its historical importance (LA’s only dirigible landing station, destined to have flights direct from the Empire State), and now rudely emblazoned with a gaudy, blue neon Samsung logo.

[googleMap name=”Wilshire and La Brea” description=”Little Bar” width=”480″ height=”320″directions_to=”false”]757 S La Brea Ave, 90036[/googleMap]

Half a century since Charles Chaplain Jr. hung out at Pierinos, a drink of a very similar sounding name (Peroni) is making its way to that storied intersection by way of the Little Bar at 757 S. La Brea, only a block from Wilshire, and within easy walking distance of the El Rey.

(see the Wilson building, center-right with the Samsung sign? UGH!)

The Little Bar is a nice neighborhood joint with a balanced list of pros and cons:

Pros

• Great beer selection: 15 top-class beers on tap including rare brews like Chimay
• Always easy to get a seat

Cons

• Indifferent, almost rude service
• Locals and regulars get all the attention – they ride their bikes around the bar, push in front of patient customers (like me!) and get served whenever they want to.
• The juke box is awful, the audio quality of the speakers is shitty
• The credit card printer takes 5 minutes to process the fucking card swipe
• There’s no hard alcohol
• The seats (although available) are uncomfortable
• People order pizzas constantly and eat them at the bar
• There’s one man’s restroom which has dried puke on the floor (been there for over a month)

BUT, I’ll probably go there a few times a month because you can park on Olympic and Cochran after 6pm, and walk to the bar easily. If the constant smell of pizza and inane music don’t put me off I might keep frequenting the place so I have the opportunity to become a regular and become assimilated into the holier than though clique called the Little Bar clientele.