It's 1 a.m., you can't sleep, and there's nothing on TV except infomercials and
Bewitched reruns. What to do? Hightail it over to Rickey's, where you're sure to find a few other friendly faces: nurses from Hollywood Memorial Hospital, police officers on the night shift, and other night owls. Take advantage of a special on chicken wings -- 25 cents each -- from 12:30 a.m. to closing, which, by the way, is 3 a.m. during the week, 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 a.m. Sunday. The unassuming rust-color building that has been a mainstay of Hollywood since 1955 is a favorite hangout for
Herald reporters, the guys from Hollywood Woodworking, and firefighters, who get a discount if they're in uniform. With its high-backed wood booths, expansive center bar, stained-glass Coca-Cola hanging lamps, seven TVs blaring sports and a popular trivia game, and a jukebox in the back, the small room has a cozy feel, although the din can be deafening during the peak hours of 6 to 9 p.m. Most come for the weekday special -- a pitcher of beer and a platter of 20 wings drowning in mild, medium, or hot sauce, all for $9.95. The chicken wings are shipped three times a week from Alabama, and the sauce is so popular that the owner bought his own plant in Louisiana and exports the fiery condiment to Europe and the Middle East, which apparently have a huge appetite for the stuff. As does Hollywood.