Ultra Vulgar Super Fiend

By Kale Knox

In one of the concave portions of Hollywood and Cahuenga Boulevard, where the streets reach that fork which turns from the puddles of homeless piss into scientology lemonade stands, my party and I find ourselves at the old Vogue theater, presently taking on the reception of red carpet splendor that is Supperclub. As we walk in, we are greeted by this pretty lass behind the bar, decked out in David Bowie face paint and holding shots of pure liquid candy to our steady strides. A couple hits on the bar top with the glass and down the hatch. Delicious.

Walking into the main area, to the left we find a giant white curtain, above it there are suspension performers twirling beneath a hollowed out box in the ceiling. We look right and find a bar; there we are greeted with the drink list, in which I read over ingredients that catch my eye: Rosemary, scotch, jalapeño, mint, all good subsidiary flavors for a fine drink selection.

The first drink ordered was a spicy jalapeño and lime concoction that grips the palette with an over-baring sweetness before the jalapeño and rosemary kick in and I’ve got a tasty little sipping drink. By the time I’m half way threw it, the curtains pull back and we are invited into the expansive main area where a giant bed drapes along the seating arrangement like a snake around a heat rock. Stair panels direct patrons down into the main stage to await a variety of entertainment.

We take our seats on the reclining bed space, prop our feet up and lean back in luxury. Everything around us is engulfed in white, while the lighting drips incandescent and shimmers, waiting for the show to begin. Selecting another beverage form the inventive house cocktail menu, I choose The Professional, consisting of a 12 yr old Jameson and bitters. This was easily the best drink of the night, although all had a particular charm about them. The complimentary flavors hit the tongue at different successions, creating a well crafted bounce of sensations with every snoot full. After that another curtain behind the Thunderdome-esque stage opens up to reveal an army of chefs ready to make our taste buds dance. The first dish on the plate is – Pan seared diver scallop with cauliflower, hazelnut, raisins and caper dressing. As I sink my teeth into the dish, my brain does a barrel roll. Perfect texture, perfect seasoning, and the topping on the Peskitarian cake, it was made for mass quantities. Maybe earlier I failed to mention the crowd’s overall size, and that we were all being dined in unison, with the same dishes. This Fall menu preview night was very close to becoming a clusterfuck.

The show opens with a charming transvestite carnival barker, Courtney Act, summoning a D.J. and a group of breakdancers, hitting the stage like a typhoon. George Alexander, Joe Lee, Wonder Ledezma, Duncan Tran bring a swag-tastic elegance to their art.

The next performer is an operatic singer, Ashley Knight. Her voice hits the eardrum with such poise and vibrato that you would swear she was a recording to accompany the symphony projected with her. As I’m taking this on, the second course is served to us; crispy pork belly with pickled vegetable, cilantro, green onion and cider syrup. Although the food order arrangement was a bit of a letdown, the overall dish was sensually pleasing. The sweet marinade used worked its way into every bite of this prime cut of swine, and the crust on the top gave the pork belly a well placed allyoop. We promptly requested seconds.

As we prepare for dinner, my eyes direct to the stage once again where the host has summoned our attention with a well sung tune followed by a point to the ceiling. From a little black box a rope falls, and a man with a rubber spine, Brett Womack, starts flailing around on the crowd near the stage. Eventually he finds his way to the rope where he climbs up with effortless intensity. He then proceeds to engage in a high risk rope exhibition that parallels contortion with the added danger of rapid elevation change. Up and down he goes in ballet orchestrated movement drawing everyone away from their hunger.

Right at the end of this performance, in almost perfect orchestration with my attention span and hunger, comes the main course: Oven roasted wild pacific halibut, English peas, butter potatoes and fennel sauce. Another fine dish to accompany the sensory output, however, the dryness of the cut left something to be desired. Considering that they were cooking 50 or so of these dishes at a time, it’s not the biggest mistake one could make. Lastly, a yogurt Panna cotta with yellow peach and almond crisp for dessert; the perfect night cap in combination to another perfectly blended in-house sugary cocktail.

So if you are not aware, Supperclub has a rich history stemming from its Amsterdam roots. While we’ve all heard tales about the debauchery exhibition that is Amsterdam, Supperclub is not far off. Most of the time establishments on Hollywood blvd seems kitsch and tourist fodder, but the atmosphere was nowhere in sight on this particular night. The drinks and food are exceptional and the entertainment is unparalleled. For anyone seeking a wildly engaging evening of dinner and a show, make this your destination.

Supperclub is located at 675 Hollywood Blvd. Call them at 323-466-1900 for reservations and more info.