Finally, People Put Bite on Shark

The Scene: Opening night Wednesday at the Shark Club, which bills itself as “L.A.’s newest and most glamorous dive.” The invitation specified an open bar from 7:30 until 9 p.m., a smart incentive to ensure that everyone arrived early. (When it comes to L.A.’s club sharks, free alcohol is a more potent draw than blood in the water.)

The Buzz: The Shark Club is taking over the space at the corner of Olympic and Grand, the site of Myron’s Ballroom and later Vertigo in two of its many incarnations. Unlike the folks at Vertigo (now operating in another downtown location), Shark owner Charles Snow promises that everyone who meets the club’s dress code will be admitted; detailed sartorial requirements are posted at the door. Moreover, there’s no VIP area. It begs the question: Can a club this populist still be chic? Celebrities are accustomed to hanging out in VIP areas, the better to appreciate each other’s fabulousness.

Who Was There: Actors Ed Begley Jr., Peter Horton, Esai Morales, Kelsey Grammer, Khrystyne Haje, William Katt, David Keith and Mimi Rogers; Myron’s Ballroom owner Myrna Myron, and more. Seeing members of the rap group N.W.A. and the ultra-businesslike KCBS anchorman Michael Tuck in the same room was worth the price of admission.

Sights: Go-go girls gyrated in cages decorated like sharks’ mouths. Waitresses in shark-bite cutout T-shirts circulated with drinks. Other waitresses dispensed potables from bandoleers filled with shot glasses instead of bullets.

Chow: The “complimentary feeding frenzy” included shrimp, sausage puffs, egg rolls, roast beef, desserts and much more. (After the opening, the cover charge will entitle guests to a nightly all-you-can-eat buffet, with breakfast brought out at 1 a.m. There’s also a full-service restaurant on the premises).

Confidential to Cher: One of the bartenders is Rob Camiletti, better known as Cher’s former boyfriend. Come to think of it, you could staff a whole bar with Cher’s old boyfriends. (Just kidding, Cher. Just kidding, Cher’s lawyers.)

Triumphs: The sophisticated show. Imagine the light and sound show at Griffith Observatory brought inside, or perhaps the final scene of “Close Encounters” come to life. For those who have never been under a Concorde taking off, the Shark provides a reasonable facsimile on the dance floor.

Glitches: The club is constructed on many tiny levels that had guests tripping over the black carpet. Descending the dramatic black-lighted, black-carpeted grand staircase after a few drinks might also up the risks of club crawling.