Adding some style to the neighborhood
Glendale has more shop spots than hotspots, and even with the nearby Scene Bar’s eclectic rock bookings, it’s a galaxy far, far away from becoming a hipster hub.
Or is it?
The folks who run Sidebar are setting their sights on revamping Glendale’s image.
Though most neighborhood bars tend to be no-frills dives or loud, sports-oriented spaces, Sidebar is far more atmospheric. The crimson-hued room is warm and inviting, from its earthy walls to the pretty lamps that dangle from the ceiling, to the plush sofas and pillows that line the length of the place. We did notice a TV tuned to ESPN, but other than providing a way for those who care to check scores, it’s incidental on most nights.
Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays there’s a smooth yet funky mix of hip-hop, ambient electro and pop set at a volume loud enough to groove to yet low enough to have a conversation. Things get louder on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which feature live blues and jazz, respectively, and Fridays and Saturdays, when house and hip-hop DJs get patrons shaking in the open space at the back of the bar.
Owner Louis Hayek had his eye on the little-known dive called the Gold Rail for some time, and two years ago, he and Nigel Manoukian took it over. After a gradual remodel and name change, it wasn’t long before the place was packed with Hayek and Manoukian’s pals, and their pals.
Although Hayek and his partner are of Armenian descent, he’s annoyed that some, including online city search guides, have labeled his place an “Armenian bar.”
“It might have been popular with a young Armenian crowd when it first opened,” he says. “But it’s really mixed now.”
He’s right. On a recent Thursday night, Sidecar was sprinkled with a rainbow of races, ages, fashions and characters. There was the white, married couple in their 50s wearing jeans and sipping red wine; the two Latinas in office attire who popped in after a late work night to relax on the comfy couches, sip martinis and vent about their boss; and a pair of trendy young local gals dressed down in plush velour sweatsuits chatting up the bartenders.
Sidebar was the perfect pit stop for our group, which was headed for the more hectic Sunset Strip later in the evening. The reasonably priced drinks (we had sweet -- but perfectly spiked -- Sea Breezes and Long Island iced teas) weren’t watered down, and we were able to sit down without forking over dough for bottle service.
“I wanted to bring a little Westside flavor to the area,” Hayek told us. “Like Cedd [Moses, a pal of Hayek’s] did with the 4100 Bar in Silver Lake.”
Could Glendale be the next Silver Lake or Hollywood, nightlife-wise? Not likely. But Sidebar is a casual yet stylish alternative for locals weary of the street congestion, valet fees and the meat-market vibe at boites in more bustling parts of town -- and it’s at least as much of a destination as the Galleria.
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Sidebar
Where: 1114 N. Pacific Ave., Glendale
When: Open nightly; no cover
Info: (818) 241-4542; www.side-bar.com