Hollywood Spots Burn the Midnight Oil

Hollywood east of La Brea Avenue is loaded with entertainment almost all the time. In this area, there are many theaters, music halls, clubs and cinemas--the Pantages, Henry Fonda, Mann’s Chinese and the Doolittle, the Palladium, Palace and Club Lingerie as well as assorted equity-waiver houses--well, there’s almost too much to do.

And after the evening’s entertainment, there are a number of interesting places to go to converse over dinner, drinks or coffee. A variety of restaurants offering a cosmopolitan selection of cuisines and highly individual ambiance may be found within five to 15 blocks of almost any point in Hollywood.

Here are a few spots you might try, all of which serve meals until late in the evening and, in some cases, until the wee hours of the morning:

Moneejeo Restaurant, 3121 Beverly Blvd. (between Virgil and Hoover streets), (213) 382-3271. Open Fridays and Saturdays till 2 a.m., street parking, reservations not necessary except for very large parties.

This intimate restaurant serves authentic Korean food. The house specialties are barbecue beef ribs (spicy), and Korean-style shish kebob. Prices very reasonable. Beer and wine. It’s a little off the beaten track, but worth the visit.

Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, 1514 N. Gower St., (213) 466-7453. Open until 3 a.m., nightly. Street parking (usually no problem late at night). Large parties should call ahead; smaller groups can expect a short wait for early breakfast.

The specialties of the house, as the name implies, are fried chicken and waffles. This is down-home plain American cookin’. Try their early breakfast of grits, eggs and bacon, sausage or chicken wings. Beer and wine served until 2 a.m.

The Grandia Palace, 5657 Melrose Ave. (one block east of Vine Street), (213) 462-8628. Open Fridays and Saturdays till midnight (11 p.m. weeknights), free parking across the street. Reservations are recommended.

This Greek and Continental restaurant is a fun place to go for a late meal. Though it looks a little ritzy from without, and there’s live Greek folk music, a good meal can be had at the Grandia for $12 to $15 per person. Specialty of the house is tender lamb with artichokes and white lemon sauce. Full cocktail bar and Greek beers.

City Thai Restaurant, 6414 Sunset Blvd. (at Cahuenga Boulevard), (213) 469-4241. Full menu until 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and till 10 p.m. weeknights. Parking behind the building, reservations suggested.

A bright, clean, thoroughly hip spot, this restaurant serves Americanized Thai food--mild, mostly. But they’ll be happy to prepare it hot if you ask for it. City Thai is particularly proud of its Katong Thong appetizer, a concoction of chicken, shrimp and vegetables in special sauce.

The Brown Derby Restaurant, 1707 Vine St. (corner of Hollywood and Vine streets), (213) 469-5151. Open weekends until midnight (10:30 p.m. weeknights). Valet parking at the door, reservations recommended.

The new Brown Derby serves a late night “After Theater” menu. Mostly light fare, consisting of pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. Full cocktail bar. Prices from reasonable to high.

The Torung Thai Restaurant, 5657 Hollywood Blvd., (213) 464-9074. Open from 5 p.m. till 4 a.m., 7 days a week. Ample street parking. Reservations suggested for very large parties.

The Torung Thai restaurant serves spicy Thai cuisine, such as chicken coconut soup, or cashew chicken. Pork saute brought flaming to your table.

Prices very inexpensive (some entrees around $4).

Fellini’s Restaurant, 6810 Melrose Ave. (between Highland and La Brea avenues), (213) 936-3100. Open with a full menu till 1:30 a.m. every night. Ample street parking; reservations suggested.

This fine Italian restaurant and popular bar may be a bit crowded late at night, but it’s worth a short wait. Servings are large and very reasonably priced. Specialty of the house, Scampi Marsala. Full cocktail bar.

The Sun Palace Chinese Restaurant, 1718 N. Vine St. (next to Pantages Theatre). (213) 465-7181. Open until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 p.m. Sundays; other days 10:30 p.m. Validated parking refund in Pantages parking lot. Large parties should call ahead.

This convenient Mandarin and Cantonese restaurant is reasonably priced and serves a variety of popular Chinese dishes. They are especially proud of their crispy shrimp, and their special “3 Ingredient Taste,” a combo of chicken, beef and shrimp with assorted vegetables and special sauce.