by YaoYao W. on Wasn't too crowded, I actually had room to myself, was nice. Can't say much for the prices or lines since I went for a special event, but I'd definitely try to go again just because it's so gorgeous!
by Jennine Sagaser on Salsa Night ... Friday .. $7.00 cover ... Ventura Blvd. has never seemed that glamours to me, but times have changed I guess and there are surely some sections of the Blvd. today that have pretensions of being upscale. Smiles sits in one of those areas. The valet parking attendants, the "red carpet" and the crowd control line that occupy the sidewalk along the front of this bar suggest this was probably not my kind of place ... and it was true. Fourteen dollars later we were in the door (Friday, 27 Feb. 2009). Inside this is a nice bar. Wood paneling covers the walls and give it a warm feel. There are giant booths that occupy three of the sides of the bar (one side looks like it is used as a stage for some events. The dance floor is wood and looks great and there is a small bar to the back with about 10 seats. Total seating in this place may reach 50 or 60. No band here ... but a "DJ" played a run of classic salsa pieces with only one deviation, a single cha cha cha. This is not a "down home" kind of dance club. You could say it is not "organic" -- but it is not entirely plastic either! Many of the folks who dance here are into performing. The salsa danced by many here was full of lots of showy flourishes and in some cases pretentious performances! Many folks seemed to be the products of dance studios and dance instruction rather than people who had grown up just dancing salsa, merengue, cumbia etc. Many of the dancers here were superb ... and if you aren't a pretty good dancer (as I am not) it is likely you will not feel very relaxed or inclined to hit the dance floor here. There is simply too much showmanship going on and too many extravagant moves on display for the average Joe or Jane to be very inclined to hit the floor. The crowd was racially diverse ... whites, Asians, and Latinos mostly. But in terms of age ... mid 20s to mid-30s ... and clearly a more professionally oriented crowd. Not many folks "working" folks here. This isn't the salsa spot for me. I am looking for a more down home spot with less pretensions and a more relaxed (noncompetitive) dance floor. A broader mix of ages and classes would also be nice ... but then again people often self segregate. Anyway if you know of some likely candidates ... let me know!
