If you love karaoke like I do, there's a ton of spots to check out in LA, but none quite as charming (or David Lynch-y) as Melody Lounge. Be forewarned, this spot is intermittently open. You'll know they're ready for business if they plant a sandwich board outside offering cold sandwiches and cheap beer. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to meet the owner Willie, whose (possibly embellished) life stories rival Hemingway. As for the song selection, the campy MIDI versions and painfully less than accurate lyric translations can suddenly turn your favorite tunes into high-wire acts (i.e. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" magically transforms into "Libyan on A Jet Plane"). Hell, they even have a song called "Schindler's List" on the menu! Even if you don't sing, Willie or his wife will gleefully take the stage. Special tip: for a true Chinatown boner, request Willie sing Enrique Iglesias' "Bailamos."

By day, it's a barber shop. By night, it's a speakeasy with tasty grilled cheese sandwiches, a nice interior, and great music. Weekends are wild, so you'll find me hanging out every first Monday of the month spinning records.

This restaurant has been a Hollywood landmark for over 60 years. The interior looks like time has stood still. Go to the reastaurant area to have a nice piece of prime rib, and after dinner move to the lounge area where Elaine and Marty sing their oldies but goodies. Some believe that their version of "Staying alive" is better then the original.

Delicious Japanese izakaya awaits behind the frosted windows. Their uni risotto and seared foie gras are decadent, and the truffles & organic mushrooms cream udon is out of this world. Reservations are a must.

This is the fast track from downtown to Hollywood. I get all my exercise here, it has the perfect amount of hills and is the by far the safest bike route, as motorists are more used to the cyclists than other streets. Anything you can think of is on Sunset Blvd, so I can pick up my dry cleaning, eat lunch, visit my friends, and exercise all in one trip.