On Tuesday we asked you to guess which "upscale jazz club" is up for sale in the inaugural Name That Venue feature. But because restaurant sellers generally want to remain anonymous, we couldn't actually confirm the venue. Combining your responses and a bit of investigative legwork, we think we have the answer.
Many guessed Vibrato, the Smith Brothers/Herb Alpert-owned restaurant and jazz club at the top of Beverly Glen, but it only opened in 2004 and seems to be doing well. Others guessed the Baked Potato in Studio City, but the Potato is, as far as we know, still hot. The rest of you guessed Catalina Bar & Grill, which when you look at the website, fits the description to a tee. Reader Nancy adds:
That place has been dying slowly for a long time now. Big name jazz musicians can't really do anything for Catalina because 1) most jazz fans are other jazz musicians who are too poor to drop $$$ on a "high-end" place like Catalina, and 2) the food is shit. If you're going to charge $20 for mushroom ravioli, it better be the best damn mushroom ravioli in this town. Not even Dizzy Gillespie can justify $20 for mushy ravioli. It's a beautiful space though. I hope it stays a restaurant.With something like a jazz club, we hope it sells and stays a club; especially one with a great history. It would be a huge loss if it closed entirely. Here's the listing if you have $1.7 million burning a hole in your pocket.
· Name That Venue: Upscale Jazz Club For Sale [Eater LA]
Thanks for playing everyone! Look for more next week, and if you hear of something fresh on the market, let us know.
