What makes our favorite hangout so special? It’s the history of the spot—not just the generations of people who’ve enjoyed it, but also the history we’ve made there in our lives.
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Some people come to Southern California and remark upon the fact that everything here is new—that there isn’t any history. That we’re all just tourists.
I guess history is relative, because the truth is that there is a ton of history here in Los Angeles. Hollywood has been captivating imaginations since the first star walked into a premiere. The glamor, the glitz, and the mountains that punctuate the skyline were unlike any place Americans had seen before and draw new, awestruck people everyday.
Los Angeles is a town for dreamers. For budding ingénues and the guys and girls who believe they can make the next great American film—the one that changes people.
My favorite Los Angeles hangout is the embodiment of Hollywood history. And yeah, you’ve seen it in a ton of movies—probably most notably the 90s Gen-X angst film Swingers—but the reality is, locals still love The Dresden. We love it because it belongs to us, and it marks a time and a place in our histories—both individual and collective.
In a city that is still relatively new, a restaurant that opened more than 60 years ago is our living history. While trendy restaurants and clubs with faddish menus and long lines come and go, The Dresden is always on the minds of Angelenos looking to dine and hang out where our movie-making forefathers made deals and cultivated their creative genius.
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Most of the time you discover your favorite hangout spot by accident. The place you end up with friends has to feel comfortable, and has to be consistently great. Like my favorite drink, a rum and coke made with Mount Gay Rum and garnished with a lime, the place where my friends and I like to get together and relax has to be smooth, dark and embody good taste.
When you walk into The Dresden, you can almost hear the ghosts of celebrities and Hollywood moguls gone by whispering in your ear, “Your dreams can come true.” Celebrities slip by quietly, deals are struck in corner booths, and everyone loves the fried calamari.
In the lounge, you can still have a listen to Marty and Elaine, who’ve been playing jazz at The Dresden for more than thirty years. Marty and Eliane have become a reliable source of fun for locals who’ve been packing into the round booths to hear the longest-running live duo since they were the best new act in town.
Many of us remember seeing legendary swing bands like Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy at The Dresden, and nobody can forget the iconic dance scene between Jon Favreau and Heather Graham from Swingers that takes place in that lounge. As the two of them danced, we believed for the first time that the heartbroken “Mike” might actually find love again. That’s how we all feel when the music starts up at The Dresden. Like there is hope for us. When we were young, that hope was that we had a future in this city. And now that we are a little older, no longer wondering what we’re going to do and who we will be, The Dresden makes us feel like we’re still those hopeful kids.
This is our town, and The Dresden has been a hangout for us for generations. There is a time and a place for us to discover who we are going to become, and for many Angelenos, the place we found it was at The Dresden. Friendships were made, great food was eaten, and romances were sparked. The Dresden has held not only the history of many Angelenos, but the history of our town as a whole.
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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Mount Gay Distilleries via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Mount Gay Distilleries.