Salsa That Sizzles
There is a place in the Valley where stiletto heels, hoop earrings, rayon shirts and white pants are the desired look and not a trendy tribute to the early ‘80s. Salsa Club 2000, a smallish, hoppin’ North Hollywood salsatec, unabashedly embraces a sexy, carefree style: Construction paper palm trees and candy-colored toucans adorn the walls, B-grade salsa music videos are played on the TVs as the D.J. spins old and new Latin grooves. It makes for an ideal half-hour, after-dinner romp on the dance floor with your significant other.
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THE SCENE: This isn’t the palatial mecca of salsa that La Rumba in Huntington Park is, nor does it have the den of sin atmosphere of Club Bahia in Los Angeles. Salsa Club 2000 is for couples who love to dance. The attire is flashy--sequins and ruffles--and there is very little attitude on the dance floor except in the form of a playful, show-off spin every now and then. If you need a breather from the throbbing music, adjacent to the salsatec is Rusty’s Hacienda, a homey Mexican restaurant with a full bar and plush booths where you can sample one of Rusty’s kookier creations--the cream-cheese filled jalapeno--with a Dos Equis.
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THE CROWD: Salsa Club 2000 draws an almost exclusively Latino crowd, but of all ages. Most of the patrons seem to be couples, and therefore it is hardly a pick-up scene at all. This makes the daunting act of wearing those leggy, shimmery salsa outfits a much less self-conscious experience.
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THE MUSIC: Like all salsatecs, this club features a variety of Latin beats, from the customary salsa to merengue and cumbia. Except for the occasional love ballad, most of the tunes are infectiously upbeat: There’s no way you can opt to be a wallflower and just watch.
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THE GOOD: The club is very low-key and no one is there to make fun of the amateurs. Salsa Club 2000 regulars are there to dance with their boyfriend or girlfriend, and as long as you are willing to let go a little, and shake that “thang,” you are guaranteed a great time.
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THE BAD: Friday and Saturday there’s a $10 cover, which hurts a bit, but the price is a little lower than the cover at big-name salsa clubs on the other side of the hill.
* Salsa Club 2000, 6439 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Hours: 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday to Sunday. $5 cover Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. $10 cover Friday and Saturday. (818) 761-8438.