Magic Castle: An Enchanting Evening
Written: May 18 '03 (Updated Jun 30 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: food, service, entertainment, ambiance - an all around winner
Cons: you can only go if you belong or get a pass from a guest
The Bottom Line: Hogwarts has nothing on the magic in this place. One of the best places I've ever been
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| naphtalia's Full Review: The Magic Castle |
Since childhood I have heard about the Magic Castle. Up until last night, I had never been. I wanted to go, but there's a problem. In order to go to the Magic Castle you must either be a member of the Academy of Magical Arts, a guest of a member, or have a pass given to you by a member. I finally got my chance last night when a magician friend who works at Best Magic (located in Anaheim at the corner of Orange and Magnolia) gave me a pass.
The Magic Castle is located at 7001 Franklin Avenue in Hollywood, California. It is a real Victorian mansion that was built in 1908. The Magic Castle has a fine restaurant upstairs, and bars around every turn. In fact, I was told that one is never more than 100 feet from any bar in the Castle. I will get back to the restaurant, but the Magic Castle is more than a place to eat.
The Magic Castle is famous around the world to magicians and non-magicians alike as the best of all magic venues. If Detroit is the center of the auto industry and Nashville is the center of country music, The Magic Castle is the center of the magician's universe. It is a place where magicians come to perform not only for the general public, but for one another. There are three main performance areas.
The first is the close-up gallery which only seats 22 spectators at a time. Here, you can sit up close. No stage lighting and no fanfare. Just you and a magician who will amaze you. The scheduled shows here are at 7 and 10 p.m. and then as required. Different magicians perform at the 7 and 10 p.m. show, so you can see something entirely different for each of these.
The next performance space is the parlour. This is a medium sized venue which recreates the feeling of being in a Victorian parlour and watching someone perform. The audience is at an angle. The stage is fairly simple. I really enjoyed the performance here. If possible, try to sit up close. Our seats here ended up being in the far corner of the back row. The performer that we saw did many tricks which would have been better if we could have seen things more up close. Again, two different performers appear: the first has shows at 7:30, 8:45, and 9:30, and the second at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:00.
The last venue is the The Palace of Mystery. It is the largest showroom in the Castle. Seats fill up quickly here. Preference for seating is given to those who have eaten dinner and have tickets. The remaining seats are on a first come, first serve basis.
There are other spaces where magic acts might go on. While down in the basement, our group was lucky enough to be invited to an impromptu performance. In one of the bars, another magician was performing slight-of-hand at his corner table.
The Magic Castle is also a museum of magic performers. The walls are lined with playbills, posters, and photos of the great magicians. There is an area downstairs that is actually identified as a museum. There you might run into artifacts from magicians who performed in vaudeville or even before. Except for those areas marked private, employees only, or emergency exit, no area of the castle is out of bounds. Everything is meant to be explored and you will find things of interest down every hallway and around every corner. Make sure to go to Irma's room and listen to her playing the piano. Irma has been playing piano at the Magic Castle since its opening, and no trip would be complete without requesting a tune from her.
Back to the dining room at the Magic Castle. There was a time when the Magic Castle wasn't known for its food. Not anymore. The food here was wonderful. All entrees are named after famous magicians. I had the Lasagna Ose. This had cheese, spinach, eggplant and roasted red peppers in a surprising sweet chili tomato sauce. Normally, I'm not a big fan of tomato sauces as they tend to hide the flavors of other foods. This was a light sauce. It combined the best sweetness of tomatoes with a light hotness. The combination accented the other flavors of the dish rather than masking them. Even my mother who does not like spicy loved this. Dad and mom both went for the sea bass which was the special. Mom was still raving about how good it was this afternoon. Other items on the menu included a Beef Wellington which looked amazing when it came to the table next to ours, some vegetable stir fries, filet mignon, salmon, and chicken dishes. All entrees come with a salad. The main courses were superb. The prices ranged from $12 to $28. There is also a buffet available which includes pates, salads, fresh fruit and cheeses. The food here is not trendy. The menu even has a bit of a retro feel to it. The food, however, is presented perfectly and everything about the presentation exudes a first class atmosphere.
We sampled a flan for dessert. Other dessert choices included chocolate mousse, a fruit tart and plain strawberries. I was particularly impressed at the offering of strawberries. I've often been out with people who can't have processed sugar for whatever reason. To have a plain fruit dish as an alternative is a great idea. The strawberries were red and gorgeous - simple and elegant.
The service in the restaurant was impeccable. The place was incredibly busy, and yet our waiter kept our water glasses filled and never made us feel he was rushing away. There is, for me, an incredible pleasure added to the experience of eating out when I experience a waiter who is a real professional. This was one of those occasions, and it was not just our waiter. It was the entire staff who impressed our party.
The restaurant is located in the old living quarters of the house. Frosted glass windows look out onto the grounds. There is a gorgeous dome of Tiffany glass overhead. This is truly elegant and wonderful.
The Magic Castle is an adult venue. No one under 21 is admitted except for Sunday Brunch. There is a dress code. No casual clothes here. You are likely to find women in everything from pant suits to evening gowns, and men in everything from business suits to tuxedos. There is definitely something positive to be said for a place where only grown-ups get to go and play.
Reservations for dinner are required, and the Magic Castle suggests you call at least one week in advance to make them. You will need to have your guest card ready when you call for reservations and will have to provide the name and membership number of the person who gave it to you. Dinner seatings are at 6:30PM, 8:00PM, and 9:15PM. During our visit, the dining room was filled to capacity at all three seatings. Guests may arrive at the Magic Castle as early as 5:00PM; the club closes at 1:00AM.
If you can get a pass to the Castle, this is someplace you should not miss. If you are interested in taking a magic class, the Academy of Magical Arts offers a six-week course for $295 which will give you entrance to the Castle.
Valet parking costs $6 and, like the rest of the staff, the valets are complete professionals. Considering the Castle's location, this is really the only way to go. There isn't much (if any) parking other than their lot. Evening performances at the Hollywood Bowl or the Kodak Theater mean increased traffic on Highland, which can significantly affect travel time to and from the Magic Castle. It's recommended that you check the schedule for the Bowl and the Kodak when figuring out your drive time to the Magic Castle. You can also take the MTA's Red Line which has a rail stop at Hollywood and Highland which is just a few blocks away. If you have questions, you can call the Magic Castle during regular business hours at 323-851-3313.
If you want to stay over in the area, there is also the Magic Castle Hotel at 7025 Franklin. You can reach them at (323) 851-0800, fax them at (323) 851-4926, or call for reservations at (800) 741-4915.
I had a great time at the Magic Castle. I look forward to another trip their soon. If you get a chance to go there, don't skip it. This is one of the best places in all Southern California, and not everyone even knows it's there.
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If magic is your thing, you might also want to check out my review of Best Magic at http://www.epinions.com/content_104542015108
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
naphtalia
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 in Restaurants & Gourmet |
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Location: Somewhere in Southern California for Now
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Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the_circus has left town.
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