Lucky Strike Hollywood

Tucked into the side-pocket of the Hollywood and Highland complex lies the original Los Angeles Lucky Strike. The stylized, neon colored space attracts an upscale crowd, sprinkled with Grauman’s tourists and hill and valley types. This chic alley provides all the modern bowling amenities squeezed into twelve compact lanes.

While Lucky Strike is not an establishment your Bandit would normally seek out (primarily due to the high-cost) life does offer one fairly steadfast rule: never refuse free bowling. And in this instance: never refuse free bowling twice. A work function (IT folks getting “crazy”) and then a birthday party, brought your Bandit to Lucky Strike, the center of the Los Angeles tourist universe.

After surviving the near certainty of horrific H&H traffic you will feel compelled, upon entry, to walk up to the brick-backed-bar lined with impeccably clean leather stools and order a drink. You will be greeted by an astonishingly attractive human being, be it male or female, who will politely smile and take your order. Makers ($10), Bud ($6), or select domestic drafts ($5) do not allow for getting blasted on the cheap. But, considering the location, prices are not unreasonable. The bowling games run $4.95 - $6.95 depending on time of day and shoes are a flat $3.95. If you entered in flip-flops, as many do, a pair of socks will run you $2.00.

Once at your lane, relax on the plush, comfortable sofas. Dance music, dim lighting, and soft colored hues complement the overall ambiance. There is a photo booth on the far wall ($5), a perennial hit. There is also a pool table nearby if that is your thing. Six big screen televisions hang in the usual spot above the lanes, as expected they are tuned to sports. Perhaps your Bandit’s favorite adornment is the shimmering neon pink Hollywood sign on the far wall, which lends a unique touch.

At both outings food was served. Pizza, mini-chicken drumsticks, fries, and pretzel bites were all solid, if not exceedingly delicious, offerings.

Hard to argue that Lucky Strike is not a beautiful space. Because it is. Impeccably clean, shimmering neon, and soft-corners to your eye’s content. But underneath the glitter there is something missing. Perhaps a hint of corporate? Hard to say and beyond this Bandit’s predictably impaired judgment. Also, as you may have expected, at these prices Lucky Strike is not an everyman’s lane. You need to save some pennies to chuck some rocks here.

Nonetheless, the establishment deals up bowling to the masses quite well and each of the three Los Angeles locations, Hollywood, Downtown, and Torrance has their own individual vibe. The Downtown location at LA Live is a perfect spot to grab a drink before a Clippers game and boasts an intriguing lunch special. At Hollywood, roll a couple games and keep the drinking light (and cheap), then dart across Highland to the ever-awesome Powerhouse Bar. Torrance, who knows, but I have been told it has charm!

Is Lucky Strike bowling nirvana? No. But it is still bowling, and as you readers know bowling is NEVER bad!

Lucky Strike

6801 Hollywood Blvd

Hollywood, CA 90028

323.467.7776

Action Lanes

Life is like a river. Peer at the water. Observe the current. It presents as calm and peaceful. Logs, leaves, ducks floating gently downstream. The river is moving, heading somewhere. The river is traveling towards its destination, its end.

Like the river, most of us are traveling. Traveling towards our own personal ends. Daily life flows forward, smoothly. Generally, without many fits and starts. We wake, work, return home, eat, sleep, repeat. Our lives are gently coasting, like a duck floating down a river.

But beneath the river’s surface other forces are at work. Counter currents and swirls, shallow patches, huge rocks, sinkholes. These other forces are hidden. These obstacles are out of sight. When encountered, they are quite a shock. One day our lives are gently floating downstream, the next they are abruptly capsized. This is the way of nature, the way of life.

Your Bandit recently found himself capsized. What to do, oh readers, what to do? Sink? Allow a huge hidden rock to impede progress? Get caught in a counter current and forever hold still? No! Heavens NO! It was a moment of crisis. Your Bandit knew what to do and turned to the ever faithful refuge of a heavy, hard sphere, hurtling towards pins: bowling.

Action Lanes is an absurd juxtaposition of style, color, atmosphere, and vibe. It is like entering an ultramodern glass and steel home only to find it decorated with paisley 1950s furniture, each piece covered with clear protective plastic, grandma’s loving touch still intact. What you see on the outside of Action Lanes is not what you find within.

Outside you find the ubiquitous So-Cal stucco exterior situated in the tried-and-true Angeleno strip mall aesthetic. While the outside is old stucco, inside you find bright updated lanes, new ball returns, a stocked Pro-Shop, lockers, and other bowling amenities. Bandit takes in the 31 lanes, grabs a $3 bud from the bar, and gets rolling. Off-peak games run $2.50 a pop, very affordable.

Action Lanes sports the traditional setup of most updated alleys, the ball and pins theme, this time around rendered in hues of pink and green. One unique touch is the ball return, composed of all metal framing, lending a futuristic, ski-lift look and feel.

The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” floats over the speakers, followed by Michael Bridge’s “Cliffs of Dover”, then some Clapton, and the music selection degrades from there. Perhaps the 80s jams are for the crowd, composed almost entirely of elderly bowlers. It is late Sunday afternoon, which turns out to be senior league night. An announcement of a potluck league dinner for the coming Christmas holiday echos over the public address system. A senior bowling league? Bandit imagines his future and immediately recognizes the wisdom of self-help gurus who exhort the virtues of “staying in the present”.

Beyond the mix of seniors a smattering of Latinos and Asians mingle throughout the alley. One group is deep in concentration, playing a card game about eight people deep. Clearly, wagers are on the line. The fast-paced game is generating lots of excitement.

A conversation with the amicable staff at the Pro Shop reveals that the outside surface (known as the coverstock) of bowling balls used to be rubber, while newer balls are now made of polyester (plastic), urethane, or reactive resin. Reactive resin being popular among professional bowlers because of its porous characteristic allowing for more “grip” and therefore more hook. Re-drilling finger holes at the Action Lanes Pro Shop runs around $50.

The tally on Action Lanes, a friendly, well-kept alley, family atmosphere, and an extremely relaxing bowling experience. If Grandma ever says, “let’s go bowling” this is the place to take her. Hopefully, on Sunday night, so she can mingle with other retirees chucking rocks.

Action Lanes

10534 Lower Azusa Road 

El Monte, CA 91731 

(626) 350-8831

The Pines

Bandit, SubZero, R, and Smudge zoomed into West Cadillac, Michigan and descended on The Pines. Yes, faithful readers, another blogging foray into the Midwest.

A quick turn off M55 deposited us into a large parking lot where it was immediately evident that The Pines was more than just an ordinary bowling alley. In addition to twelve well-manicured lanes, the structure also houses the Pizza Pub Restaurant, a Nightclub, and a Softball Complex. Bowling, pizza, nightclub, and softball all rolled into one, decidedly different than any Los Angeles bowling enterprise!

Let us temporarily divert from the review to explore an important bowling-related theme, the pizza-bowling connection. General premise, eating pizza while bowling seems like a fantastic idea. Using logic:

Rule 1: when you bowl you drink beer.

Rule 2: when bowling and drinking beer you get hungry, solution is pizza.

Combining Rules 1 and 2 we arrive at a Law:

Law: Bowling -----> Beer ----> Hunger = Pizza

Based on this law, it is logical that bowling alleys would serve pizza. Unfortunately, this Bandit has suffered supremely at the hands of various of bowling alley pizza. This suffering was due to the unbelievable rip-off pricing involved, as well as intestinal complications related to the consumption thereof. Typical experiences include ordering a personal pie only to receive a nasty, microwaved, mess of inedible crap. As a general rule, bowling alley pizza is disgusting. Nonetheless, natural temptation to order pizza while bowling remains.

Digression now comes full-circle: your Bandit was rather skeptical when SubZero suggested ordering birthday pizza from the attached Pizza Pub Restaurant. Was this some weird Midwestern birthday joke? A ruse by which coastal visitors are tricked? Despite misgivings Bandit acquiesced and we ordered a large pie with green olives, as well as a pitcher of the King of Beers. Your Bandit shuddered with anticipation.

Regarding the alley’s decor, the twelve lanes are decorated by panels of striped pastels. Full rectangular squares of similar color line the side walls. The muted purple, maroon, and yellow lend a Rothko-esque quality to the space. Lanes are equipped with a vintage Brunswick electronic scoring system, clearly outdated but in good working order. Some of the pinsetters were older and having difficulty, no matter, the bowling went on undeterred.

We considered ordering a $12 bottle of wine (The Pines serves bottled wine!) but re-upped the pitcher of Bud instead, just in time as the pizza arrived. Large semi deep-dish pie, filled with a healthy amount of green olives, crunchy crust, and a respectable mix of cheese and sauce. Bandit stared in confusion; it looked good, but past experience demanded caution. While Bandit paused, Smudge (as always) dove in with reckless abandon and boldly declared “Delicious!” Bandit remembered his hunger and chomped down a slice and then another. This was not just good bowling-alley-pizza this was good pizza! The crust was crunchy yet not burned, the green olives were bursting with flavor, and sauce and cheese just right. I confess, the pie evaporated from this planet in record time. Should you find yourself in West Cadillac this pizza comes highly recommended.

It was clear from the outset that it was SubZero’s night. Dude was chucking rocks and took home game high honors of 178 and 152. Prices run $3 a game, with $1.50 shoe rental. Lower prices available during off-hours.

Regarding the vibe, The Pines provides equal comfort for single dudes, families, groups, and forty-something adults seeking an evening escape. The music, via Touch Tunes Juke, provided fuel with Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer, Metallica’s Master of Puppets, Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, and Kid Rock’s cover of Werewolves of London, played in succession. Lastly, as we were departing the attached nightclub was gearing up, clearly a hot destination for youngsters and single-moms.

Our summary, if The Pines is representative of bowling in Michigan, then sign us up. The pizza alone is reason to visit weekly.

The Pines

5992 E M55

Cadillac, MI 49601

(231) 775-7752

Wenger's Bowl

Opening query: Is there ever a bad time to go bowling?

Travelling back-seat in a remarkably clean American made vehicle our party enters West Grand, an aging neighborhood just outside of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Yes readers, Michigan! West Grand is situated on the western side of the Grand River, hence its name. We exit the vehicle onto a small, once bustling thoroughfare. Located on Leonard Street, tucked across from Advanced Auto Parts and Northwestern Home Furnishing, lies Wenger’s Bowl.

At first sight there is no clear indication that this establishment is an actual bowling alley. Los Angeles alleys are mammoth, gargantuan, stand-alone structures that demand attention. Wenger’s is the opposite. Small, unadorned, with a dive-bar like entrance, there is nothing delineating that a bowling alley is found within.

Your Bandit opens the door, steps through the vestibule, and enters the dimly lit space. Initial inspection reveals a small alley with eight lanes. The lanes are only a stone’s throw from the bar, separated by a modest dining area with tables for eating and drinking. A glance down reveals old laser-light carpeting from the early 80’s covering not only the floor but also the support poles holding up a second floor. Wait, Bandit’s mind spins, a second floor? I dart upstairs.

Eight identical lanes are situated in a cozy and welcoming space. These lanes are a replica of the eight below! There is also an intimate dance floor next to large windows overlooking Leonard Street, so you can boogie while checking out the action below. A double-decker bowling alley, your Bandit is bewildered, mesmerized, and awestruck. Bowling alleys like this simply do not exist in Los Angeles.

Upon inspection of the decor it becomes clear that Miller-Time is spoken here. A saturation of Miller, Miller-Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, and Miller High-Life posters cover the walls. In another new Mid-Western twist, Miller High-Life Light is on tap. As though the “champagne of beers” needed a lighter version...Bandit digresses.

On to the bowling, where the classic Brunswick Gold emblem with 70’s pattern holds the back wall. An above ground ball return and crisp lanes keep the bowling moving. Scores are tallied on first generation IBM green-screen computers, proving that Americans need not upgrade devices every three seconds to “keep up” with technology (written as Bandit spots no fewer than seven glowing MacBook Pros in the local coffee shop, of which one [wince] belongs to this Bandit).

As for the scores, your Bandit spent the afternoon in the gutter behind his Midwestern counterparts. Shout-out to R, who came within one mark of breaking 200! Tally of scores below.

A quick word about Wenger’s food, beverages, and prices. A number of delicacies are offered, all cooked up by the auto-fry machine behind the bar (none were sampled). A well-equipped Jägermeister machine serves straight shots ($4.50) and Jägerbombs ($5), which are a shot of Jäger plus a splash of Monster Energy Drink, for those who dare. Bud Light, Miller Light, Rolling Rock, Miller High Life Light and both Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy and Sunset Wheat are on tap, all at reasonable prices. Bowling games run around $3 a pop with shoe rental at $2. Unbelievable weekly specials include dollar-games and shoe rental on Fridays from noon-5p and again on “Wild Wednesdays” from 10p-close.

Our roundup, established in 1942 by Al Wenger this alley epitomizes the bowler’s dream. If Lebowski lived in Grand Rapids, Wenger’s would be his hang. Since its establishment ownership has changed a number of times and now rests in the able hands of AJ Purdum. As Mr. Purdum attests on his Facebook page, “Everything I have in life is because of bowling and I make sure I give back every chance I get.” With an ownership statement like that it is easy to see why Wenger’s Bowl remains a Grand Rapids institution.

Circling back to our opening query, the answer explodes forth with the resounding crack of ball against pins: No, there is never a bad time to go bowling.

Wenger's Bowl
629 Leonard Street NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 454-4482

Hours and Prices
Open Daily at 10am
Shoes: $2
Games: $1-$3

Alhambra Bowling Center

Smudgie here, this time to report on a recent trip to Alhambra, mecca of of dim sum palaces and other yummy Asian cuisine. After a disappointing meal at a highly recommended restaurant (that will remain nameless), we sought and found redemption in desert: ice cream at Fosselman’s. For those who have not yet experienced the delight of Fosselman’s, head east with gusto and great speed, Fosselman’s is homemade ice cream to write home about. And should you, like Hamster, watch your two scoops roll off the cone and go splat on the sidewalk, fear not, the kind staff will replace the scoops free of charge, provided you have cleaned the wayward melting cream off the sidewalk. Redemptive desert in stomachs, we took the evening up a notch with a trip to our true destination, Alhambra Bowl.

Walking through the entrance, there was a distinctive 1970’s rec-center-esque feel, similar to the high-school hangout in which the kids played pool and drank beer in Dazed and Confused. Because we were there for nighttime bowling, the overhead lights were out with only the lanes lit up. Once my eyes adjusted, I could see there was a certain grunginess masked under the cover of darkness.

Aesthetics aside, the price was right, and there was no wait to start bowling. After being greeted and helped immediately at the front counter, our names were entered for us by the friendly bowling staff, and we only had to pay for shoes before we were given our lane assignment. 

The Bowling Bandit immediately hit the bar, where there were numerous signs proclaiming, “No outside alcohol is allowed,” as well as one that said, “And NO, we will not give you a cup with ice.” Too funny, as it seems some patrons not only want to sneak in alcohol, but they also want cups and ice to cool their tasty beverages! Oh, to be young again. A fantastically under-priced $7.50 snagged the Bowling Bandit not just one but TWO imported beers, a New Castle and Tecate. Is Alhambra really just 10 minutes from downtown? Can drinks really be this inexpensive? Bandit’s mind was bending. Drinks in hand, now we were ready to roll.

Once we arrived laneside, it was so dark that the only thing my eyes could see were the guide lights built into the lane to help see where the arrows were. Usually, night bowling involves flashing strobe lights and pulsating rock hits, but that was not the case on this evening. Perhaps to fill the void caused by the lack of customary disco balls, strobes and black lights everywhere, the large crew of college kids bowling next to us punctuated each throw of the ball with extremely loud screams and the occasional shriek. Their excitement was infectious, even though I couldn’t get a strike to save my life.

The lanes were smooth, and featured an old-style ball return that alternated between sending the ball back with great speed and then not such great speed. The mixture of balls to choose from was haphazard and mixed together in terms of weight and finger size, which made our bowling-ball-less compadres have to hunt for a while to find something that worked. Looking around, the lane was probably two-thirds full with an overwhelmingly Asian clientele on the Saturday night we visited.

The snack bar offered an assortment of sodas and nachos which we did not sample. The bathrooms, despite a few warnings on Yelp describing them as “being like something out of ‘Saw’ ” were not as scary as they could have been.

Bowling newbie Tiger Pants took high game of the evening honors with a competitive come-from-behind win of 129, by marking in his final four frames. Music was an upbeat mix of popular rap and R&B featuring Missy Elliot and 50 Cent, and appeared to be a big hit among the Saturday night crowd.

Despite the slightly down-on-its-luck feel, Alhambra Bowl garners high ratings for low prices on everything from bowling to beer, ease of use in terms of not having to figure out the computers or wait for a lane, and authenticity -- no gimmicks, no strobe lights -- just honest-to-goodness bowling.

I’m sure we’ll be back to Alhambra Bowl, perhaps next time during the light of day.

Alhambra Bowling Center
1400 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 289-5168

Gable House Bowl

It's Smudge here. In the waning days of vacation, one tends to get a bit grumbly and there is no better antidote than to pick up the nearest bowling ball and chuck it at some pins. The Bowling Bandit and I visited Gable House Bowl in Torrance to do just that and I was surprised to find one of the most welcoming alleys in town tucked away in otherwise unassuming environs, surrounded by office parks and strip malls galore.

Upon walking in to the building on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I was pleased to find a bright airy space instead of the usual dark cavern . Initially, we were told it would be a half hour wait, but after wandering around for fifteen minutes outside and then checking back in, we found our name had already been called and were put on top of the list for the next available lane. We were assigned to lucky lane 13 and the attendant tried to give the Bowling Bandit complimentary socks with the rental shoes, which he gently declined--but it is good to know that if you show up in flip flops, you are covered!

When we got to our lane, the first thing I noticed was that this was definitely not an AMF bowling center--no fluorescent lights and balls, but rather cream and teal blue beach scene backdrops across all of the lanes. The forty gleaming, polished, nick-free lanes have a huge, open feel to them. Each set of two has a table and chairs with a table you can eat at right behind your lane, too!

The ceilings are extremely high with exposed air ducts and metal rafters lending a warehouse-y feel and the whole place was immaculately clean. It was unusually quiet when we were there, with no music playing at all. When we bowled, the only sounds were the Bowling Bandit's pins flying and crashing everywhere. Then a loud rumbling signaled that the 1960's era "bowling machine” was doing its work and putting all the pins upright again. New Brunswick ball returns quickly sent back the ball. Speaking of bowling balls, there was a huge selection of every finger size, weight, and color imaginable, without the usual color-coded divisions. It was more like an Easter egg hunt, searching until finding the perfect ball to chuck down the lane. Our Bandit scored well, carrying him to the highest scores of the day for both games.

It was not busy during our visit, but there was a large birthday party going on, with an upstairs room for the festivities, and quite a few families rolling games as well. Another welcome surprise was the environmental consciousness of the entire establishment, with recycling boxes behind each lane, no-flush urinals, and to our shock (and delight), solar panels covering the building’s entire roof which are able to provide all the power to the alley during the day, and even make a surplus to sell back during some slow weekdays. Back to the bowling, though--there was an auto-coach on the television screens which provided instructions of how to pick up the pins missed on the first throw, and although this didn't help me on what was a decidedly off bowling day, it was a nice feature.

Other notables included a bar that we did not check out, and a Pizza Hut express/snack bar combination with an extensive menu. The arcade had an assortment of pinball machines, video games, and Dance Dance Revolution, where I watched a kid work up a sweat with the fastest footwork I have ever seen. He was a blur, and quite a crowd gathered with their mouths hanging open in incredulity. At the end of our play, the friendly staff asked if we had fun, and were very helpful in answering our myriad questions. In case you were wondering, Gable House owns the entire mini-mall plaza. It appears family-owned and operated, and the whole experience made me feel at home. We will come back here and play again soon!

Gable House Bowl
www.gablehousebowl.com
822501 Hawthorne Blvd
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 378-2265

Hours and Prices
Mon-Thurs: 9a - 2a
Fri & Sat: 9a - 3a
Sun: 7a - 1a

Shoes: $4.50
Game: Weekdays $3.75, Nights $4.75, Weekend $5.00

El Dorado Lanes

It should come as no surprise that this Bandit much prefers the local, unaffiliated lanes, to the monster that is AMF (American Machine and Foundry, creator of the first automatic pinsetter). Well, never say never; thanks to our Alaskan guest, visiting by way of Mexico, we found an AMF worth its lane grease: El Dorado Lanes. El Dorado is located in Westchester, CA near LAX and just down the road from Loyola Marymount University.

Our crew of three arrived ahead of Monday’s rush hour and waited until 5 pm for Dollar Mania to begin. The usual Dollar Mania deal is touted: $5 entry gets you $1 shoe rental and unlimited $1 games. Monday equals “deals” at the El Dorado and for those hard-core bowlers there is another super-special running from 3:30p-5:30p featuring unlimited bowling.

We passed a couple of minutes in the large bar adorned with an exposed, red brick wall and 70’s wood paneling, reminiscent of low-end Vegas. A jukebox, French bartender, chilled Patron shot machine, and one lonely pool table completed the scene. $5.21 gets you a 16oz Budweiser in the shape of a bowling pin! $6.75 for a 20oz New Castle on tap.

At 5 pm sharp we hit the mostly empty lanes. Emptiness did not last long as the alley filled up quickly with a mix of folks including LMU students, die-hard bowlers, kids, single moms, and small groupings of balding men. We are pleased to report a nice mix of races and ethnicities present, lending a balanced feel to the Monday evening crowd.

On to the bowling where the words from "The Big Lebowski" rang true: “Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes, well, he eats you.” Your Bandit was spanked into submission by his female counterparts: a 148 first game garnered last place, with Smudge knocking down 151, and AK Mama pummeling an outing high of 153 pins. The next three games were dominated by the Alaskan, as there must be something in the water up there (see full scoring below). Props to the ladies who rolled extremely strong games.

Other details about El Dorado include the typical AMF setup replete with fluorescent flying pin backdrop, new, fast ball-returns, a wide open feeling, and 32 well maintained lanes. Helpful staff also provided an interesting piece of information. Look far down the lane on the gutter rail and you will notice a small piece of plastic on top. Housed in this plastic is a camera with a mirror that feeds information to screens above each lane. That is how the automatic scoring works and why it is sometimes wrong -- the camera gets tricked!

Final verdict on El Dorado: this is an AMF lane that kicks butt and we love it. Will we be back? Definitely!

El Dorado Lanes
www.amf.com/eldoradolanes/centerhomepage.htm
8731 Lincoln Blvd.
Westchester, CA 90045
(310) 670-0688

Hours and Prices
Mon-Thurs: 9a - 11p
Fri: 9a - 12a
Sat: 9a - 1a
Sun: 9a - 11p

Shoes: $4.50
Game: Weekdays $4.50, Nights / Weekend $5.75