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Absinthe, Jazz & Dueling Pianos: 1930s Restaurant & Gastrolounge ‘The Charleston’ Now Open in Santa Monica

by Lauren Lloyd
LAist
March 30, 2012

The Charleston Absinthe, Jazz & Dueling Pianos: 1930s Restaurant & Gastrolounge The Charleston Now Open in Santa MonicaWhere do you go if you’re hankering for 1930s décor, jazz, ’80s cover bands, karaoke, comedy, dueling pianos, comfort food and absinthe? The combination sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It’s not. The Charleston opened its doors to Santa Monica Thursday night, inviting L.A. to experience the newly renovated Wilshire Boulevard spot, formerly known as Angel’s.

Aside from the eclectic mix of aforementioned features, the “sexy” venue, as described by The Charleston website, also boasts burlesque, DJs and hip hop acts. Chef Jet Tila serves up American fusion comfort food in a menu of shared plates — all attractively priced at $13 and below. One gander at the menu will send most tummies into a growling fit and evoke slight to severe salivation (Don’t be embarrassed. It’s only natural). The “Bites” menu includes Bacon Wrapped Dates, Garlic Edamame, Short Rib Tacos with Shaved Brussel Sprouts and Korean Salsa, and bigger plates include Shepard’s Pie, a Three Cheese flatbread, Smoked Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries and of course, THE Wedge Salad. Sweet teeth can score satiation with three desserts: Plantain Sundae, Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding and Orange Butter Milk Panna Cotta.

Playing host to monthly pop-ups spotlighting local and national chef talent, Tila has so far recruited Evan Kleiman, KCRW “Good Food” host.

The Charleston 2 Absinthe, Jazz & Dueling Pianos: 1930s Restaurant & Gastrolounge The Charleston Now Open in Santa MonicaThe libations menu, which will run patrons $12 to $14 per drink, sounds ideal for an after-work drowning or casual evening of sipping. Whiskey, cognac, vodka, gin, pisco — the gang’s all here! The Charleston, Kaffir Lime Pie, Cucumber Cooler and the Sweet Tart all sound divine, as does the absinthe menu. And for those who prefer to steer clear of classic cocktails, wine and beer are also available.

Tila and partners Mike Lee, Jack M.Y. Lee and Trey Martin welcomed Angelenos to the joint Thursday night at 10pm, showing off the 1930s-style aesthetic, entertainment, eats and beverages.

House of Vibe All Stars will take The Charleston stage tonight at 9pm.

Let’s see a show of jazz hands of those planning to check out the new Westside locale.

New Nightlife Venue The Charleston Opens in Santa Monica

by Connie K. Ho
Haute Living
March 29, 2012

TheCharleston GrubStreet New Nightlife Venue The Charleston Opens in Santa Monica

With the weekend coming up, get ready to check out new nightlife hotspot The Charleston in Santa Monica. It’s located on Wilshire Boulevard, close to other nightlife venues and a pit stop before the beach. A collaboration by entrepreneurs Mike Lee, Jack M.Y. Lee, and Trey Martin, The Charleston features live entertainment, savory dishes, and special cocktail mixes.

The live entertainment, particularly the dueling pianos, is one of the reasons to visit The Charleston. If that’s not your thing, it also promises to bring back 80’s cover bands, hip hop acts, as well as comedy and karaoke nights. It’s a great way to loosen up after a long week of work.

Not only is there live entertainment, but The Charleston offers an array of food and drink to sample. The new menu was created by Chef Jet Tila and, with stints on Iron Chef America and the Encore Resort in Las Vegas, he brings a multitude of experience to The Charleston. With an ambitious take on flavors, he aims to showcase a twist on American comfort food with a variety of shared plates. There are a number of mouth watering dishes, including the Charleston Burger that’s topped with cheddar, arugula, an onion marmalade sauce, and a sun dried tomato aioli spread. Save room for dessert, with beverages like the Kaffir Lime Pie that’s a mix of Stoli Vodka, Stoli Vanilla Vodka, lime juice, and a touch of simple syrup.

What to Eat at The Charleston, Grand-Open Tomorrow in Santa Monica

by Hadley Tomicki
Grub Street Los Angeles
March 28, 2012

20120328 charleston 560x375 What to Eat at The Charleston, Grand Open Tomorrow in Santa Monica
Already soft-open and serving over the last few weeks, Jet Tila grand-debuts The Charleston tomorrow night. This is the former Wazuzu chef and big-time bistronomics pumper’s reworking of the Angels space in Santa Monica into another nightlife venue that, like Angel’s before it, plans to have nightly live entertainment by bands. This includes that jerky eighties cover band that must have played everywhere else by now, as well as karaoke, comedy, and get this, dueling pianos (apparently, you can take the guy out of Vegas, but…well, you know). Anyway, what we’re really here for is the food and drink, and here Tila plans a selection of unique comfort eats and spruced-up cocktails, along with a series of pop-ups (an event with chef Evan Kleiman is already in the works we’re told). Come check the menu and bar.

The interior exhales the same vintage supper club cool as its predecessor, with a bar wrapped in kinky white leather (we’re imagining this, but like, at a bar), red booths, and a central portrait of Josephine Baker (please be this one).

20120328 charlestonint 560x375 What to Eat at The Charleston, Grand Open Tomorrow in Santa Monica

The menu features Tila’s take on comfort eats and will include tacos with slow-roasted short ribs and shaved brussels sprouts, fried chicken wings in a sweet chili sriracha, flatbreads of various designs, Welsh rarebit, and five-spice pork belly bao.

Tila will not, as far as we can tell, take Kaya toast back from Susan Feniger. Nor will he introduce a bar program called Tila’s Tequila. Instead, the spot offers beer, wine, and craft cocktails like a vodka-soaked “Kaffir Lime Pie” and a “Jet 75.”

See The Charleston’s full drinking and dining menus.