By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Staff
It’s five o’clock and time to kick back, go to the
local pub, meet some friends, network with new business contacts
and drink juice. That’s the concept behind Healthy Hour, the
new traveling nonalcoholic bar from Healthy Hour Enterprises.
Kicking off under the auspicious slogan “Eat, Drink and Be
Healthy,” the event premiered May 3 at McCormick &
Schmick’s Fish House on North Rodeo Drive.
Drinks were provided courtesy of various corporate sponsors,
including Dole pineapple juices, Ocean Spray cranberry juices,
Martinelli Apple juices, Red Bull energy drink, and Reed’s
ginger brew The Republic of Tea. Patrons can choose from an
eclectic mix of beverages; everything from nonalcoholic beer to
wine spritzers to lemonade is on hand.
Guests request drinks at the bar, and receive their requests in
tiny plastic shot glasses. Traditionally, only highly potent
alcoholic beverages are served as shots, and it’s easy to
wonder why Healthy Hour decided not to use normal, full-sized
glasses.
It soon becomes clear, however, that the whole point of Healthy
Hour is not to quench your thirst but to meet new people. Although
its name pays homage to the traditional Happy Hour of loud, smoky
bars, Healthy Hour is a breed apart from its predecessor.
In an increasingly fragmented society where people spend more
time hunched in front of computers or stuck in traffic than
socializing with their neighbors, Healthy Hour offers a unique
chance to get together with close friends in elegant, refined
settings. The relaxed atmosphere of the gatherings aims to be
conducive to friendly conversation, and a social situation where
ease is not dependent on alcohol consumption is a pleasant change
from typical college parties.
Rhino Shots is another odd concoction present at Healthy Hour
that must be based on the old truism that the more vile something
tastes the better it is for you. A “high potency” brew
of organic herbs, Rhino Shots, like new and improved Calgon, claims
to be based on ancient Chinese recipes whose effectiveness has been
proven over the course of 5,000 years.
As true as this may be, it does not change the fact that these
substances, which resemble nothing so much as pond skimmings, have
the same bitter aftertaste as Dimetapp. Although the shots
supposedly come in four flavors ““ sweet, sour, bitter and
pungent ““ they will all evoke painful childhood memories of
being confined to bed with the flu, forced to swallow foul-tasting
medicine. The bottles’ labels indicate that the four flavors
help to improve vitality, memory, mood and strength. Luckily, Rhino
Shots are the sole exception in a veritable cornucopia of tasty and
exotic drinks. After all, rarely does one get the opportunity to
taste raspberry-kiwi juice.
In addition, light appetizers are also served. Some, like the
bowls of unsalted almonds and greaseless potato chips, are provided
by sponsors, but others come from the host restaurant’s
kitchen. For its first Healthy Hour, McCormick and Schmick served
soft seasoned chicken kebabs, light gummy sushi and California
rolls, and chewy crab-stuffed mushrooms.
Multi-colored corn chips were another staple of the evening,
along with a powerful and frightening salsa blend that consisted
mostly of onions.
All of these dishes appeared in the small but diverse buffet
that stood in the corner, inviting customers to snack at their own
leisure.
What at first appeared to be “fun-sized” candy bars
were really PowerBar energy snacks, chocolate and peanut butter
snacks that tasted like neither chocolate nor peanut butter.
Because each Healthy Hour is held at a new restaurant, guests
can expect to find different snacks upon every visit, new treats
that reflect their host’s unique menu and style. Future
events are planned for many of Los Angeles’ trendiest
establishments: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Schatzi, Wolfgang
Puck’s Manhattan Beach, The Beverly Hills Country Club,
Louise’s Trattoria and Duke’s of Malibu. Despite the
elegant surroundings, the price of entry to Healthy Hour always
remains a mere $5.
If this Healthy Hour is any indication of things to come, food
served at future installments will always be a pleasant surprise.
The friendly mood might make Healthy Hour an excellent choice for
recent graduates struggling to form business contacts and get ahead
in the world.
The combination of healthy lifestyle choices with business
networking represents the fusion of two extremely L.A. ideas.
However, as Healthy Hour shows, this is not always a bad thing.
DRINKS: The next Healthy Hour events are scheduled for May 11 at
Duke’s at 21150 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu; May 16 at
Louise’s Trattoria; and May 18 at the Beverly Hills Chamber
of Commerce. For information, call (310) 472-2717.