CLUB REVIEW : Bar Deluxe: Zen and the Art of Resurrecting Hollywood

The intersection of Las Palmas Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of elegance. Downtrodden buildings and graffiti-splattered restaurants line the street, which despite its fabled past has come to embody anti-glamour.

But a 4-month-old nightclub, the Buddha-themed Bar Deluxe, has taken a chance on the district, and it appears to be paying off. Much like the Lava Lounge--which spruced up a nearby strip mall when it opened its tiki-style doors at the same time--Bar Deluxe is drawing folks into the neighborhood. The very red and very dark bi-level club--which contains numerous renderings of the rotund deity--attracts a non-poseur crowd by offering an eclectic selection of music, drinks and food.

Country, zydeco and blues acts play upstairs a few nights a week, and Tuesday’s deejayed selection of vintage punk is particularly inspired. From Jonathan Richman’s “Dancing in a Lesbian Bar” to X’s “Los Angeles” and ample Sex Pistols selections, the music suits the environment like a well-worn combat boot--which you may need when it’s time to leave Buddha’s watchful gaze and hit the street. But with the words to “Los Angeles”--X’s homage to Hollywood’s seedy underside--fresh in your memory, anything less would be a bit disappointing.

* Bar Deluxe, 1710 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood, (213) 469-1991.