Tempest Taking Night Denizens by Storm

Night life in Hollywood is unlike night life in any other part of the city.

It starts off slowly, like a ticking clock. Dance floors are empty and tablecloths are spotless. The clock speeds up as the night slides toward 10, pulsating more like a cool song on groove radio. And by midnight, it’s like the countdown to the New Year--time racing toward the grand finale.

Some clubs have it, others don’t. Tempest--a new Santa Monica Boulevard supper club that’s slowly making its mark in Tinseltown as an upscale bar and restaurant with a jammin’ club--does.

Nights at Tempest, the site of the old Checca, start off slowly. Denizens dine by candlelight in private booths where beveled glass decorates the walls and a twisted lava-lamp like laser spins overhead.

As the evening grows dark, slick scenesters congregate around the bar and a hip lounge scene unfolds. And as night creeps toward morning, a standing-room-only scene is in full swing.

These days it’s the norm to have a really cool lounge or nightclub. But Michael Najjar, who owns the club with movie director Francis Ford Coppola, is aiming for a place that offers both and dinner to boot.

Najjar, a partner in the now-closed Bar One, contends that Hollywood just doesn’t have enough supper clubs. With Tempest--which takes its name from 1950s burlesque dancer Tempest Storm--Najjar has created an establishment that has the style of yesteryear and the pizazz of today.

“We’re targeting a mature industry crowd to come in for dinner, see a performance and spend the evening here,” said Najjar, who opened the Hollywood club--formerly located in the Beverly Center--last month. “This town needs a place like that.”

In its relatively short life, Najjar says Tempest has attracted the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and writer-director-actor Chazz Palminteri. Hugh Hefner has dropped by.

The sleek-looking club appeals to the Hollywood set as much as young jet-setters. Fashionable females wearing silk China dresses crowd the bar with trendy dudes in black leather jackets. The outside patio is just as packed, offering smokers a place to indulge in their habits.

When the scene is cooking, it’s hot. Unlike many Hollywood spots where the beautiful people get the crowd moving, at Tempest the dance floor is fair game. The clientele is a refreshing mix of club goers who span the gamut when it comes to both age and race.

And the music is as diverse as the crowd. The deejay, a mainstay on weekends, plays a mix of tunes that range from Grace Jones to ABBA and from trip-hop to hip-hop and groove.

At Tempest, which is open daily, a deejay spins dance music Friday and Saturday and in keeping with the times, Tempest holds court for swing dancers each Thursday at the Cosmo. Tuesday’s name-brand comedy night features acts like Margaret Cho.

The supper club is still finding its footing and Najjar has grand plans to make Tempest more tempting. He’s slated to add a salsa night in coming weeks and bring back the China Club--a Monday night jam session that featured some of the best musicians around when the Tempest was located at the Beverly Center.

BE THERE

Tempest, 7323 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. (213) 850-5115. 21 and over. Cover varies. Full menu.