SAMANTHA BLONS
Assistant A&E Editor
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a seven-part series featuring fun, out-of-the-ordinary activities to do each day of the week. It is the perfect guide for those who find themselves searching for new ways to spend their nights.
Tuesday is the forgotten day. It is not dreaded like Monday, and it does not mark the middle of the week like Wednesday. Nor do people look forward to it like they do Thursday and Friday, as the work week winds down.
Tuesday is a day of heavy courses for many students, and for some, a night to go out before a class-free Wednesday. Luckily for those who want to spend Tuesdays out on the town, the restaurants and venues listed below remembered the forgotten day, planning special deals and weekly events to make for an unforgettable night.
Taco Tuesdays at Marix Tex Mex
118 Entrada Drive, Santa Monica
marixtexmex.com
For the hungriest students who are low on cash, the all-you-can-eat taco deal at Marix Tex Mex restaurant offers a satisfying meal on a budget. Guests choose between chicken, beef, carnitas and veggie tacos for $7.95 in the restaurant.
“The tacos are marinated in a tomato salsa, home-style, with a combination of Texas and Mexican flavors,” said manager Mark Ferrell. “We’ve been doing [the all-you-can-eat Taco Tuesdays] for years, and it seems to be a big success.”
The upscale yet casual restaurant features five plasma screen TVs in the bar, rich cherry wood furniture and burnt terracotta hues, Ferrell said. The walls are also decorated with vintage Mexican movie posters from the 1940s and 50s.
Taco-crazed students who do not want to drive to Santa Monica can also stop at Duke’s for its $2 fish tacos on Tuesdays.
Paella on the Patio at Ciudad
445 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles
ciudad-la.com
Leave the Caf food behind this Tuesday evening and check out the variety of traditional paellas, a flavorful rice dish, offered at Ciudad’s Paella on the Patio special. The restaurant offers three different paellas each Tuesday night, along with their regular, ever-evolving menu.
“A paella is a slow-cooked rice dish originating from Spain, that can include any number of [ingredients,]” said David Byrne, bar manager.
Ciudad chefs serve a sautéed chicken and saffron paella on the regular menu, but also offer two extra entrees on Tuesday.
The $29 paella meal includes an appetizer, salad and a choice of three paellas.
During warm weather, patrons watch as chefs cook their meals in traditional paella pans on the patio. Guests are encouraged to ask questions and interact with the chefs.
“They’ll make the paellas right there in front of the guests,” Sous Chef Raymond Alvarez said. On cold nights, the restaurant moves the party inside to the cantina.
“We still do it as a show out in front where everyone can see it and smell the different smells of the paella,” he said.
Trendy modern art adorns the walls but the restaurant still has a colorful, lively Spanish-style décor, Alvarez said. The house band, which he describes as maintaining a “gypsy-feel,” plays music to match the ethnic theme, mixing in original tunes with some popular songs.
Tuesdays at Cinespace
6356 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
cinespace.info
For those who are sick of the Sicky Dicky Tuesday nights at the Malibu Inn, the Cinespace restaurant and film lounge offers a fun, alternative dance venue for club-goers ages 21 and older.
The Hollywood dinner theater — located on the second floor of a recently restored building from the 1920s — transforms its lounge area on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. into a dance club. DJ’s Steve Aoki and Them Jeans spin indie, hip-hop and dance beats and occasionally host live events. Past live performers have included Whitey, the Scanners and La Rev.
Films are screened on plasma and smaller televisions all throughout the lounge and patio areas, creating a sort of backdrop for the club.
“It’s part of the charm of the venue,” Cinespace employee Sarah Morrison said.
According to its Web site, Cinespace offers “upscale dining with a high quality movie-going experience.” However, the venue does not serve dinner during its Tuesday night program, so film fans will have to visit on the weekends for the full dinner-and-a-movie experience.
Admission to the club costs $5.
Trippin’ on Tuesday
at the Comedy Store
8433 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles
thecomedystore.com
Laughter is often the best remedy after a dull two days of classes. Students ages 21 and older can put the humor back into the school week with a night out at the Comedy Store’s “Trippin’ on Tuesday.”
“It’s an urban comedy show featuring primarily the top African-American comics in the country,” said promoter and co-producer Jeru Tillman.
Past performers include Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Cat Williams, Chris Tucker and Robin Williams, Tillman said.
DJ’s Joe Clair and Tony Roberts, who both appeared on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, alternate hosting the show. The house band plays hip-hop and R&B beats to complement the style of the show.
Doors open to the Main Room at 8:30, a half hour before the show starts. Most visitors will sit at one of the many round tables filling the club. Booths are reserved for VIP guests, such as Lakers point guard Smush Parker, who regularly frequents the club, according to Tillman. Other celebrities who have been spotted at “Trippin’ on Tuesday” include Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Snoop Dogg.
To make reservations, call the number listed above. Before 9 p.m., admission costs $5 for women and $10 for men. General admission after 9 p.m. costs $15.
02-01-2007