The LAtest on DTLA Bar closures (Cole's and Hank's) and RIP to Catch One's Jewel Thais-Williams
Plus, catching up with Lenora Claire (video) and 'What's Going On' this week in LA
From top left: sign from Hank’s Bar DTLA (now closed); Lenora Claire (see video below about her event this Sunday); Cole’s French Dip neon, Jewel’s Catch One “DISCO” neon, Apollo Staar art at La Luz de Jesus Gallery; flyer art from Lydia Lunch at Bar Covell show this Sunday; Tonga Hut sign and Frida Kahlo art from Mi Vida, both having events this weekend.
Downtown Diminished: Cole’s Closing
News of Cole’s French Dip’s coming closure had Angelenos in a teary tizzy this week, but as a chronicler of nightlife and hospitality, I’ve got to say it: if you haven’t been to or supported a business in years, it’s sort of disingenuous to lament the loss on social media, unless it’s to express regret for not going.
And it’s not like there weren’t signs. The Varnish, the snazzy bar in the back (‘don’t call it a speakeasy,’ owner Cedd Moses would often tell me) closed last year, and Cole’s identity (bar versus restaurant) has been unclear for a while now. Famous for inventing the French Dip sandwich according to its neon sign out front —though Eater says Philippe’s was actually first— I loved the place for its handsome and homey decor and potent old school drinks.
I was just there this past December, but admittedly it was for a pop-up called Krampus Cove. The dark and delightful Christmas cocktail experience found the perfect home in the back bar at Cole’s, which also included animatronic horror holiday decor in the front restaurant space.
There’s been lines down the block since the announcement earlier this week, and I get wanting to pay respects and/or see the place one last time, but the irony is, if even half of the crowds coming out now came earlier, maybe there wouldn’t have been one at all. Visiting now to share mourn porn for cred on FB or the ‘gram is just performative. The same thing happened at Cafe Tropical in Silver Lake, though thankfully it ended up getting bought and saved.
I texted with Moses earlier this week to see if there was any possibility the bar might stay open and there is one— if he can find a buyer. Go to the Cole’s website now, a subset of Moses’ company Pouring with Heart, which has just added a pop up note with contact info if you’d like to purchase it.
In the meantime, expect the place to be packed until August 3, when it shutters. And mark your calendar for upcoming events, like its big farewell bash, themed to celebrate their delectable deli dills.
I’ve been covering Moses’ businesses for decades, both the openings and closures. I was actually just as sad about the Broadway Bar’s goodbye earlier this year. It makes me think about all the spaces we’ve lost. Here are a few bars I’ve written about over the years, of which only a few survived. Remember the rest?
🍸 10 NEW L.A. BARS WITH GREAT COCKTAILS AND GOOD VIBES- LA Weekly
🍸 L.A.'s Best New Bars Of 2016 — LAist
🍸 A Brief History of the Last 20 Years of LA Barhopping— Thrilllist
I like to think the ultimate chronicle of LA’s historic drinking hubs is still (until I update it) my book Los Angeles’ Best Dive Bars: Drinking and Dining in the City Angels, which is out of print but can still be found on web. I think the book still has value as a snapshot in time, when dives like Smog Cutter and The White Horse were our LA hot spots thanks to their cheap drinks and chill vibes.
Hank’s Bar Closing Last Week is Another Historic Loss
One of my favorite old bars in the book closed for good last week too, and sadly, it’s not getting any attention because it’s been overshadowed by the Cole’s news. I’d like to remedy that here….
Hanks Bar, one of the oldest dives in DTLA, bit the dust last week. According to head bartender Arcy Islas, she got her notice the same day Cole’s employees got theirs. It was a very abrupt end to another beloved but struggling old L.A. locale. Clearly emotional about not being able to say goodbye to her regulars (many of whom lived in the building where Hank’s was housed— the old Stillwell Hotel), Islas and I spoke on the phone as she picked up her last check on Friday.
“We never really recovered after the pandemic,” says the longtime employee, who worked at Hank’s for nine years. It was closed for a while about 10 years ago (when Eater wrote this), but it reopened soon after and she’s been with the bar ever since. “It was the kind of place you could go in and talk to old folks for hours, or sit in a corner by yourself if you wanted to. “
Islas, who you can still see bartending at the exciting new bar, club, arcade hybrid called Uncle Ollie’s Penthouse on Wednesdays, points to lack of marketing and social media presence as part of the reason Hank’s didn’t make it, but she also adds that the bar’s old school ways were part of its charm.
Here’s hoping that some benefactor with big bucks will buy both landmarks and keep them alive! Not an original idea, but Quentin Tarantino is an obvious name to mention at times like this. After all, the iconic bar scene in Pulp Fiction (ya know, the one with Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’ playing in the background) aims to capture the austere allure of a classic local dive and QT has an obvious understanding of what makes vintage LA so special. Kiefer Sutherland also comes to mind, and if you read my book, you’ll know why.
It’s a sad week all around when it comes to nightlife. An absolute legend has left us. Jewel Thais‑Williams, founder of Jewel’s Catch One, LA’s first Black-owned LGBTQ+ nightclub, passed away on Monday.
The tribute posted on the club’s Instagram page says it all: “A visionary, activist, healer, and mother to many, her legacy transcends nightlife, reverberating through community health, advocacy, and the fight for acceptance and safety. She welcomed everyone under her roof and transformed our city. Today we honor her spirit and aim to carry forward her message of love, resilience, and unity at Catch One.”
Mitch Edelson, who owns the club, shared that he’s been inspired by Jewel's service through the club and her Village Health Foundation. “When her community faced adversity, whether discrimination or the AIDS crisis, she didn't stand idly by. She stepped up to help," he wrote on Facebook. “From the start of my time at The Catch, she taught me that the club was more than a place to listen to music, drink, and dance. It was a safe haven and a vehicle to serve a beautiful community. “
If you’d like to learn more about Jewel and her impact, watch the documentary about her life, which beautifully captures her spirit and ground-breaking endeavors in the club and health spheres. See trailer below.
Further reading about Jewel, Edelson and Catch One below:
🪩 A Three-Ring Circus at Jewel’s Catch One — LA Times
🪩 AFTER 42 YEARS, JEWEL'S CATCH ONE SAYS GOODBYE — LA Weekly
🪩 MITCH EDELSON REVEALS HIS BIG PLANS FOR UNION, HIS NEW CLUB AT THE OLD CATCH ONE — LA Weekly
I hope to feature conversations with important LA figures as often as possible for this newsletter, and this week’s was especially cool since I consider the subject a friend. Lenora Claire has been an art and events maven for years and I’ve always known that if she was involved in something, it was worth checking out. In more recent years, she’s become involved in activism, helping stalking and assault victims and going to Washington, D.C. to request legislation during the Biden administration. Read the feature I did on Claire’s work and the Washington trip here:
💜 From L.A. Scene Queen to Victim's Rights Activist
And some fun further reading:
🪩 PARTY PICK OF THE WEEK: LENORA CLAIRE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY PUPPETPALOOZA
🪩 L.A. NIGHTLIFE: THE TOP 10 MOST ECCENTRIC, CREATIVE (AND QUITE POSSIBLY CRAZY) CHARACTERS
More recently, she’s been focused on connecting directly with the L.A. community, working with private investigators to help victims, providing insight and advice through various programs and creating a new podcast called Credible Threat that goes beyond typical true crime fare to explore the victim’s perspective in some big cases.
She’s having a big bash at St. Felix in Hollywood this Sunday to celebrate the new project (which will be released soon) discussed in the clip above.
What’s Going on (July 11-17)
Art, comedy, spoken word, live music, tiki drinkin’, shopping, burlesque— it’s just another wonderful week in LA. Click the linked events for more info.
Naughty Pine “I’m Not Okay” Emo Fest Beer Party — July 12
NELA Art Walk— Check out live music from Katie and Charlie Overbey at Honeywood Vintage and a Frida Kahlo fashion display at Mi Vida Boutique among other amusements)— Saturday, July 12
Lydia Lunch and more at Bar Covell — Sunday, July 13
Tonga Hut Summer Spectacular — Sunday, July 13
