Situated comfortably on the corner of Ventura Blvd and Woodman, of the two times I have been to Il Teramisu I can honestly say that it’s my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. An Italian resto run by father and son team Ivo & Peter Kastelan and you can tell that they have put a lot of time, care and love into this restaurant. From the food to the service, it’s absolutely charming.

Romantic? Yes, but without any pretension or huge hole in your bank account. I am confident that a dining experience there under any circumstances would be excellent. My first visit was a surprise gift from my boyfriend who cherishes his knowledge of this restaurant above most things, stating once we were seated that if we broke up, he gets custody of the restaurant. Being a foodie, I had nothing but respect for this statement and it made the evening even sexier, BUT I digress. Continue Reading

House of Billiards is a sexy 18 and over pool hall, located at 14662 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. Years back, the pool hall went through a short period where it was 21 and over, but I guess that idea was not too successful, so they reverted back to 18 and over. They have 20 pool tables, and just about all 20 were taken the entire time we were there from 11 p.m. to about 1 a.m., on a Saturday night. In addition to the billiards, they have some pinball machines (which rarely see any love), and old school table-top arcade games near the bar area. Part of the bar area is a bevy of TVs, that are always playing sports highlights and games. There is also a smoking patio at the front of their building, which has a large sliding door that peeks into the pool hall.

House of Billiards Front Exterior

Peeking Through the Patio Door

You will be hard-pressed to find a pool hall that is crawling with as much hot puss as House of Billiards. Beyond the hot bartenders, just about every girl that was in there was definitely bangable. At one point, I noticed just saying aloud, “Man, this place is crawling with titties.” On top of the sheer volume of delectable visual treats, was how diversified the selection was. There were some rocker chicks, hip hop chicks, Hollywood chicks, Valley chicks and everything in between. I suppose you can chalk that up to an ancillary benefit of it being 18 and over, in that it is probably one of the cooler spots someone not of bar age could visit.

A great aspect of the pool hall is the quality of the music. Most often the music is controlled by the customers, but when there is a lull in music being chosen, the staff will play some choice jams. In retrospect, they probably have the most modern music selection of any place I have been to, that is crowd-controlled. I am also a big fan of the volume they set it at – not too loud, but not too quiet where it is just elevator music.

Juke Box & Side View of Bar

An important thing to keep in mind is that House of Billiards is cash only. Fret not, credit card toting aristocrats, as they have an ATM inside, and there is a 24-hour ATM at the Bank of America across the street. While you can’t buy hard alcohol at House of Billiards, they have a really good selection of draft beer. We were getting pitchers of Hefewizen for $13.50, which is not a bad price for a place on Ventura Blvd. They do not serve any food, but just about every time I have been there, someone has ordered a pizza and had it delivered to the pool hall. On rare occasions, the staff will order pizzas, and sell individual slices to anyone that wants to add some grease to their chalk-coated hands (the chalk being for the pool cues, not some weird chalk fetish shit, of course).

Handsome Shen Lining up his Shot

The lovely Barbara was our waitress/bartender, and she was an absolute doll. Aside from the fact that she is very cute, she was on top of our beer orders, and apologized for the one time she took a bit longer to get to us. When my buddy Josh paid for our second pitcher, I spoke with Barbara for a moment, and I think she liked the fact that I was recording. Kinky! (If Barbara stumbles upon this, please excuse my friend Josh – he was heavily beaten as a child).

One of the cool things the pool hall does during football season is $5 Sunday football. You give them your hard-earned five buck, and get to pick any table to play at on a first come, first served basis. Additionally, if there is a TV by your table, you get first dibs on what game is being played on said TV, even though they carry all the games on the main TVs in the bar area. Barbara said that many people get there early on Sundays, and don’t leave until the last game is over, which means a solid 10-hour shift from 10 in the morning, until 8 at night. God bless Sunday football.

Delicious Pool Tables for Delicious People

House of Billiards is a fun pool hall, that plays good music, has a young & fun staff, and caters to a young, attractive crowd. Pool pricing goes slightly up on the weekend, but don’t expect to pay more than $15-$20 for a couple hours of pool. Definitely a cool spot to check out, and can make for a good time out with friends. Also not a terrible idea for a first or second date, which won’t be too pricey, and will give you some entertainment to fill in the void of any uncomfortable silences. Plus, if your date sucks, there are plenty other dames to sink your hooks in.

Chimney Sweep Lounge is a fun and young locals dive bar, virtually hidden in a shopping center, located at 4354 Woodman Ave Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. In fact, I remember when I lived in the area, and had trouble finding it at first, but it was certainly worth the hunt. “The Sweep” as you will eventually call it, after going a few times, is the kind of place that if you dig it, you will turn into a regular. While my group of friends really likes Chimney Sweep, I can’t say it is for everyone, or even for every evening.

The Sweep has an authentic dive bar feel, that is mixed with a young, attractive crowd, good music, and stiff drinks. When you get there, notice the old time register they use, and the vests the bartenders wear. My main beef with Chimney Sweep, which is probably of no concern to the bar itself, is that it has gotten too popular for it’s size.

Their outside smoking patio is small, which makes it home to tons of random conversations, so long as there are not 20 people standing out there, because then it turns into a zoo. One annoying policy they have, that I have always had a gripe with, is that they do not allow any drinks on the patio after midnight. In my professional opinion (read: right out of my ass), I do not think this has anything to do with any city ordinances, but rather just a way to maintain a safe atmosphere as the evening (and binge drinking) continues to flow.

Who Needs Friends when you have Beer?

There is a really small staff, so try your best not to piss anyone off, since they will most likely see you again next time you come in. Not to say they are going to drop a deuce in your Guinness, but you might be waiting quite some time for that [Pulp Fiction]tasty beverage[/Pulp Fiction]. Rick is the main bartender, and he is not the friendliest guy in the world. That being said, I think he gets a bad wrap by some people who think that because he does not talk much, means he is an ass. Simply put, Rick does not want to deal with your shit; you treat him right, and you will not even notice any potential for a bad side.

When Life Gives you Lemonade, have Popcorn

Expect to see a lot of young San Fernando Valley kids, looking to have a good time, smoke a little crack (smoking crack is optional) and land themselves a warm body for the night. Occasionally you will see a cougar swing through, who will tell you she can show you the world like you have never seen it, but it is very much a 20-somethings dive bar. The trouble (and luxury) with the music is that it depends on the crowd, as the juke box is controlled by the bar-goers. That being said, rarely will you hear any music that makes you want to hurl, but sometimes you will hear some lame shit. It happens – just drink more (as they say, “Drink to forget”).

Flipping the Bird, Dr. Jonathan Style

The mixed drinks are affordable, and they have a wide selection of draft beer. But be mindful when you order some of the more exotic mixed drinks, as a Rum & Coke might run you five buck (the “s” intentionally omitted, of course) but an Irish Car Bomb will run you twelve buck. I think it is pretty clever that I referred to an ICB as an “exotic” drink – shows you how high class I am. One cool thing you will notice when you go deposit your beer, is that they have signs in the restrooms saying they will not be increasing their prices next year.

Old School Meets New Whores at Chimney Sweep

While there is a pool table, there is not a whole lot of room around the table, which makes it a bit inconvenient to play.

Rack 'Em Up, Ladies

For those of you that are awesome, I liken the pool table setting to the episode of Seinfeld where Frank and Kramer shoot pool in a cramped room. For those of you that are not quite that awesome, fear not, as a delicious YouTube-r has come to your rescue:

So let’s just say that if you are looking to do something beyond talking, drinking, or smoking on the patio, then you’d probably be better off with the electronic darts than the pool table.

Drunk People make the Best Baby Sitters

Chimney Sweep is very much a regulars dive bar, and you will get special treatment if the staff recognizes you. That being said, if you are not an asshole, you will still be taken care of. There is always a fun, attractive crowd, and you will usually strike up random conversations either at the bar, at the tables, or on the patio. For your first visit, I might recommend that you go on a slower night – say Tuesday or Wednesday – just so you can get a good feel for the bar, and the staff. Then when you come back on a busier night, you will already feel like a regular, and all the chicks will think you are the shit (note – author is not responsible for chicks not thinking you are the shit, sport).

As a special treat, I will clue you in on why we were at the Chimney Sweep this particular night. We went to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Jonathan C. Goodvibes, for his big 2-5. w00t w00t! It ended up being about 20 of us taking a big section of the tables. To give you an idea of the type of people to expect at the Sweep: there were two guys sitting at the lone table right next to our large group, that we did not secure, and they got up (of their own accord) and sat at the bar to give us more space. I thought that was a really cool gesture, and felt like sharing (go me!).

Here is a video I took of most of the people with our group (some cower in fear), trying to get everyone to do/say something sexy for the good doctor, on his night of nights. I realize it is dark, but give me a break – it is a dive bar: