The Road to El Dorado

You can tell a lot about a place by its doorman. Over the years, I’ve met some stellar guardians at the gate: Steve Harlow from the Viper Room, Eric Elle from Deep and Big John at the Key Club embody grace under pressure. You can now add Doug Biolchini to that short list of smooth operators. The doorman at the El Dorado Cantina in Brentwood puts you in a good mood before you even enter the popular Mexican restaurant and nightclub.

First off, his resemblance to Matt LeBlanc is so startling, “Friends” junkies will feel as if they already know him. An aspiring actor from Oklahoma, Biolchini greets total strangers with a warmhearted smile and, as the weekend nights heat up to full capacity, he appears genuinely bummed when he can’t let people inside.

And they do line up. Despite its very un-Hollywood location, smack in the heart of Brentwood’s sleepy business district, the El Dorado Cantina attracts club-goers from all over town.

It’s not easy to keep a venue jumping on the Westside at night. For the most part, partygoers are accustomed to heading to Hollywood. But these days you’ve got to be a pretty seasoned clubber to get the gumption up to head to Tinseltown on a weekend. There are traffic snarls and tourists and doormen who look as if they’d just as soon whack you as let you in.

Head on over to the El Dorado Cantina and it’s c’mon, get happy. Biolchini, who honed his skills at such Hollywood hot spots as Jones and Bar Marmont, gives the first good impression. Then there’s the price. There’s no cover, ever, and if you arrive early, there’s no waiting. (And at any popular spot, the later it gets, the more likely a venue will hit capacity.) Save yourself the trouble and make dinner reservations. The 18-month-old venue has made a name for itself with its sumptuous tamale bar, which offers such late-night snacks as ahi, mole and sweet corn tamales.

To get the club’s look just right, owner Will Karges visited Mexican restaurants throughout California and Mexico, and the result is a clean, warm venue with lots to offer. Its look is upscale Latin American, but it feels like a jovial sports bar. Adjacent to the El Dorado’s spacious restaurant is the Velvet Lounge, a cozy party room, complete with DJ booth and raised platforms. The Westside crowd is easy and inviting; no one’s mugging for the cameras. It’s Brentwood, for crying out loud.

The El Dorado makes good use of its space at the base of an office building. In addition to the Velvet Lounge, there’s an outdoor smoking patio in front of the club and another DJ area in the restaurant room.

Wednesdays are Brazilian nights, and the place gets packed with samba lines and the power of positivity--compliments of a seven-piece band playing near the tamale bar.

And back to that tamale bar. It’s a draw in and of itself. The bar’s glass case is engraved with “how to” instructions for cooking the perfect tamale. And by the way, those with a sweet tooth can go home with hot fudge sundae tamales. OK, so it’s not exactly authentic Mexican, but it’s definitely Angeleno.

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El Dorado Cantina, 11777 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, (310) 205-0150. 21 and older. No cover.