Spotlight on: CT Lounge

(Credit: Felix Salzman)

CT Lounge may be housed in a historical structure (built circa 1929), but you'd never guess from its futuristic style. Glowing in red and blue lights, it almost looks like a spaceship—or at least a bar addition to Disneyland's Space Mountain. And while CT doesn't serve Tang, the impressive selection of beer could leave you with a questionable sense of gravity.

Like Father's Office, there are some stellar beers on tap, including Racer 5 IPA, Chimay Tripple and Deschutes Mirror Pond. (Unlike Father's Office, CT also caters to the non-beer-snob crowd with Bud Light, Sam Adams and PBR.) CT has more than 100 kinds of bottled beer, many of which could have been named by J.K. Rowling: Xingu Black Beer, Wychwood Hobgoblin, Spaten Premium Lager. And where there is beer, there is wine. It's a smaller list, but the prices (about $6 for a glass and $20 to $40 for a bottle) are just right.

The lounge fare won't empty your pockets either, though it might require undoing the top button of your pants. There are Parmesan-and-basil fries, chili dogs, internationally inspired tacos and five types of burgers, including a namesake selection made with bacon, avocado and Swiss cheese.

It's not just about the beer and burgers, though. The main attractions are three large plasma TVs and a video projector, which are dedicated to showing sports games and, yes, award shows. (After all, people say that that Oscars are to women what the Super Bowl is to men.) Eagle Rock doesn't have much of a sports bar scene, which gives CT Lounge a leg up. It's been open just over a month, and the space is already packed with a down-to-earth crowd filling out the spacious blue booths and high red chairs for weekend afternoons that turn into night. (The walls are purple, proving just how much the CT folks love those reds and blues.)

Time killers: Too buzzed to drive home after the game? Stay awhile. The bar has a TouchTunes digital jukebox that they say “has just about every song ever recorded.”

Craving vodka? Sorry! CT is a beer-and-wine joint.

Stay tuned: An outside patio is in the works and should be ready this summer.

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