For Partygoers in Power Suits

Rock ‘n’ roll is growing up, a concept Balboa is banking on. The classy new bar and restaurant at the Grafton Hotel, a pretty boutique hotel just west of the Mondrian on the Sunset Strip, have set their sights on an upscale party crowd--and just might have the goods to pull it off.

The brainchild of the partners behind the successful Sushi Roku restaurants, the month-old Balboa shoots for simple elegance and mostly hits its mark. The partners, Lee Maen (who used to own the Gem on Melrose), Craig Katz, Philip Cummins and Michael Cardenas, along with designer Dodd Mitchell and Grafton designer Toni Peck, developed an American steak-and-lobster theme for the restaurant but gave it exquisitely clean, simple lines. In other words, it’s not Sizzler.

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Balboa isn’t first on the hipster steakhouse map: North, also on the Strip, made big strides in this direction when it launched a few years back, giving guests a porterhouse steak to write home about. But Balboa is the shot in the arm the Grafton needed.

The year-old hotel, at the site of the old Sunset Park Hotel, has been doing steady business, pulling from the music industry as well as tourists who enjoy its theme suites (you, too, can lounge in the pink furry Jayne suite, designed around Ms. Mansfield, or hole up in the Rat Pack suite, where images of this century’s favorite cocktail crew adorn the walls).

But the hotel originally planned to work with hipster bar designer Rande Gerber, who gave L.A. two of its favorite nightspots--the Whiskey Bar at the Sunset Marquis and the Sky Bar at the Mondrian. But Gerber had to do battle with Mondrian owner Ian Schrager, who filed a lawsuit against him last May stating Gerber couldn’t do business in competing hotels. Although the Grafton and the city were forced to miss out on another Gerber gem, it was a blessing for the Sushi Roku crew.

Balboa is set up in two separate areas, each flanking the hotel’s colorful lobby. The restaurant, to the left of the hotel’s front door, seats about 60, and its light, bright attitude has already attracted repeat customers. The lounge, to the right, is small and like most hotel bars in the area, designed primarily for hotel guests. Nevertheless, we had an easy time crashing the velvet rope on a weeknight, and that’s the point. If it’s not at capacity, it’s the doorman’s job to keep people coming in.

Once inside, we saw an array of guests, from well-dressed busi-nessmen to young industry professionals. It’s exactly the crowd Balboa was angling for. Balboa’s main appeal is its warmth. Everything seems to shimmer. The color choices are coppers and ambers, the materials aim for creature comforts--leather seats, hardwood floors, traditional elements. It still has a slickness to it, but not in an overpowering way, in a way that makes you want to wear a short skirt and a loooong jacket. The music coming in over the speakers is a mix of acid jazz, a bit of classic hip-hop and soul, and it’s a nice touch to the overall lounge-like atmosphere.

One overt homage to the things that await visitors on the Sunset Strip is an art piece by Bobby Furst, titled “Take a Look in the Mirror,” a tribute to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Using letters from an old wooden printing press, the piece has 600 words embedded in it, and if you look hard, you’ll find references ranging from Jimi Hendrix to a Tribe Called Quest and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Those who appreciate Balboa may want to check out the partners’ upcoming venture, a restaurant called Katana, across the street from Balboa in the Miramax building and scheduled to open in September.

In the meantime, kick off those tired vinyl pants and throw on a power suit. Balboa’s just the place to show it off.

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Balboa at the Grafton on Sunset, 8462 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 650-8383. 21 and older (in lounge); reservations recommended.