Legends Café

2029 Harrison St., Hollywood

954-920-1312

It's time to ditch the sandals and cargo shorts and don dress shoes and a button-down. Today, I'm OK putting down the sweaty beer mug and picking up a martini glass. A good night at Legends Café will do that to you. The dimly lit, 5,000-square-foot lounge is the playground for dozens of young professionals and aspiring musicians — all dressed to impress. Individuals seemingly of every color and creed blend into a beehive of intermingling socialites. I don't know if it's the structural semicircle that forms around the bar, drawing everyone in, or the floor that rises in steps the farther you get away from it, allowing everyone to see everyone, but the comfort level among the clientele is remarkable. The regulars can be spotted receiving complimentary Legends Lovers — a flaming drink whose recipe is not allowed to leave the lips of the bar staff and that is not for sale. For the rest of us, there are the many combinations of flavored martinis and a full bar as well as a full menu (go with the crab cakes and the barbecue shrimp, if you like seafood). On Fridays, Salsa 98.3 and Mega 94.9 broadcast live beginning at 7 p.m. During the rest of the week, you can catch one of as many as ten house bands jamming out classic, new, and original salsa, bachata, merengue, and vallenato tunes — Legends proclaims itself "a place for musicians" because of its dedication to harboring local talent. That talent might be the reason that on any given night, local celebrities stroll through to fill their tummies with tasty food and their ears with delicious music. For a place known as the stomping ground of music greats Pastor Lopez and Nino Segarra, Legends is aptly named.