by Alycia M. on Went to the 18+ event on Friday. I'm 21, and had some younger friends go with and was expecting something similar to Club X. I was wrong, thankfully. Was drunk when I went in and was like "AY SECURITY I HAVE MACE". She took it and promised she'd keep an eye out for me leaving. Didn't think I'd ever see it again. The drinks were alright. In my drunken stupor I remember paying 18$ for 2 Adios and later looking at my bank info earlier and it was 23$. Whatever. Music was alright. Got into a fight with one of the security guards (He was chunky and I was about to deck him), but had a great experience with the Asian security guard. He helped me down the stairs so I didn't just faceplant down them, yay! Was way too drunk when I left but the security guard who took my mace ran after me and gave it back. HOWEVER, I lost my keys and am about to go see if they have it. If they do, that'd be awesome. And also, if you're reading this and are named Jose with a 510 area code, I have to ask, why is your name and number written on my calf?
by JEAN S. on I had not had food at Johnny Brenda's for a LONG time. Like, so long that there were fliers up in there for neighborhood meetings so that they could get the upstairs open. In the last month I went for both brunch and dinner and really was impressed. For brunch I had smoked salmon and a bagel, which is hard to mess up but is always one of my faves. I also had no less than 3 bloody marys, and it was a beautiful day and I was seated outside with one of my best girlfriends and they were kind enough to not make us feel rushed out of our seats. Since that experience was so good, I suggested it for a dinner date a few weeks later and was equally impressed. We shared a pear and fennel salad that was really fresh and yummy, then both ordered the trout - I hate ordering the same thing, I really like seeing and tasting multiple dishes, but I really wanted the trout. It was served over peas and potatoes and was all crispy and satisfying. It was also a huge portion - I think it was only $14 - if I wasn't heading somewhere afterward I would have taken it to go. So all of that being said about the food, this is also a great place for drinking. One of my favorite tricks is sneaking out of the Barbary and coming up here for a drink. The upstairs is beautiful and a great place to see a show.
