When You're Alone and Life Is Making You Lonely, You Can Always Go...

Living in Los Angeles, we sometimes lose touch with our past. New construction, new music, new noses -- these things pervade our world, especially out here on the Westside, where the oldest thing I've seen in a while is that Toyota Previa that makes a lot of noise outside my window every day.

That's why it's good, every now and then, to see something that's topped the century mark, stood the test of time, fought the good fight, and so forth.

Ladies and gentlemen, for both your Happy Hour and historical pleasures, I give you Cole's.

I'd been wanting to do a Downtown LA Happy Hour study and had a different course plotted, but when I saw Cole's, I called a serious audible. And I'm glad I did.

Now, I knew Cole's -- open since 1908, rumored to have a liquor license so old you can still get takeout. And I knew that nightlife maven Cedd Moses had taken over the place, so I didn't quite know what to expect.

What I got was an experience that could have only been made more authentic by the Wright Brothers flying past.

Great atmosphere, great sandwich, great drinks. Great.

The vitals: Cole's is more about the environment and experience than the Happy Hour deals. This is OK in my book, since it's the only place I've been to in this financial downturn that survived the last big one. In short, the deals aren't that great, but it's totally worth it. Two dollars off well drinks, one dollar off signature cocktails (which are prepared with the same aplomb as they were when William Howard Taft drank here, probably), and $4 half sandwiches. Again, not deals that the coupon-clipper in all of us is going ape over, but deals nonetheless; and, for this history nerd, more than enough to get me to come back.

Coming soon: more Downtown Happy Hour reviews.