Zagat Survey
(2007/08)
Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge
“Lucky be the loungers that snag a spot on one
of the ‘comfortable couches’ at this ‘klassy, kool’ hip
urban retreat near Oakland’s grand lake theatre endowed
with a happy hour that ‘rocks’; the eclectic mix of
deejays spin ‘well-chosen music’ almost every night,
establishing a ‘chill yet popping vibe’ to match the
equally diverse crowd.”
Contra Costa Times,
2/08
“Kingman’s Ivy Room,
Albany:
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if it's
Groundhog's or Valentine's, right? All you want is a
quiet, understated place where you can sip and whisper
and smooch in peace. Try this cocktail lounge, which has
finally found its footing after opening to off reviews
one year ago. Dark couches and cool drinks, like the
sweet yet balanced Creme Brulee Martini, is all you
really need. For the holiday, the bar is offering
specials, including
Champagne
splits for $10 and its signature Raspberry Sparkle
cocktail. Word is the DJ will be spinning a little Frank
Sinatra after 9 p.m.”
San Francisco Chronicle,
1/08
IVY ROOM
IN CLOVER
“Jim Grantham Veteran local saxophonist and
jazz instructor brings live music back to
Albany's Ivy Room for the first time in a while.
Until it changed hands in the summer of 2006,
the
Ivy
Room was the East Bay's quintessential dive bar, a dark,
slightly moldy wood-paneled club that hosted a regular
rotation of blues combos,
Americana
rockers and singer-songwriters.
Under the ownership of Kingman Yee, the
Albany nightspot at the corner of
San Pablo
and Solano avenues underwent a welcome refurbishment. In
place of old barstools and a cramped layout that
obscured the bandstand, Yee knocked out the center wall,
turning the
Ivy
Room into a cozy lounge.
Unfortunately for the local scene, he also
ended the live music, employing a DJ instead. But as of
last month, live music has returned Sunday nights, with
a hard-swinging jazz quartet led by veteran saxophonist
Jim Grantham. "It's an experiment," Yee says while
holding court at the bar. "We're going to see what the
response is."
Yee also owns Kingman's Lucky Lounge in
Oakland's Grand Lake neighborhood, and he first heard
Grantham down the block at the Coffee Mill, an Oakland
cafe where the saxophonist has played a regular Sunday
afternoon gig for the past three years. An unassuming
guy with a muscular, middleweight tone on tenor and a
keening, sinewy sound on soprano, Grantham has been a
quiet presence in the Bay Area since the late 1970s…
…On a recent Sunday, Grantham played the first
set with his quartet featuring pianist Terry Rodriguez,
bassist Jeff Neighbor and drummer Kent Bryson. For the
second set, various players stopped by to sit in,
including bass master Jeff Chambers. Grantham thinks
live music has a future in the
Ivy
Room. ‘They put a rug in,’ he says, ‘and it sounds
pretty damn good’.”
Oakland.com,
1/08
“Kingman’s Ivy Room
(formerly Ivy Room) is an East Bay landmark lounge. Come
in any night of the week for the comfortable yet classy
atmosphere, delicious drinks and free DJs. (There's
never a cover charge.) Ivy Room originally opened in the
1940s, but was remodeled and re-opened in December 2006
with a unique designer style that's loaded with
personality.
One of the
East Bay's best spots. Take the Buchanan exit off 880
and turn left onto San Pablo.”
Contra Costa Times,
1/08
“Closer to Solano Ave, are the Albany Bowl,
stores, cafes, shops and
Kingman’s Ivy Room, which, as I told my daughters while driving
by, my mouth agape, used to be a pretty murky bar at
times. I've meaning to get to the
Ivy Room since it changed ownership. I remember Kingman
from the days when he ran a cafe on Lakeshore and I
lived up on Mandana. I practically studied my way
through college there, when they were waiting to just
get a beer and wine license. Then came Kingman's Lucky
Lounge on Grand and now he has pretty much built a hip
empire of hooch.”
CBS5, Eye on the Bay–Liam
Mayclem, 2/07
HAPPY HOUR STARTS NOW
“This was once the bar where the Grammy stars
of tomorrow once played. The
Ivy Room
has had a massive makeover and now looks like a swanky
living room. The stage where bands once played has been
replaced with a DJ spinning on a chest of drawers. This
is the coolest thing to happen on this stretch of San
Pablo Avenue in years.”
Oakland.com,
11/07
“Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge is a pioneer of the "ultra-lounge" trend,
sporting an urban chic decor and an upscale, hipster
atmosphere. However, unlike more pretentious
establishments, Kingman's Lucky Lounge still offers
drink specials, friendly bartenders, and house DJs who
keep the beats thumping and the grooves deep while
commanding the dance floor. Leave your ratty A's cap at
home and bust out some cool threads to come chill with
your friends at this local bar hotspot.”
Diablo Magazine,
3/07
“Albany’s
Ivy Room,
a classic bar on San Pablo near Solano, has been a great
music and drink spot since the 1940s. In December,
Kingman Yee (of Oakland’s Kingman’s Lucky Lounge) took
over the Ivy, and he has given the place a major
makeover, taking the Ivy from comfy dive to retro chic.
A full martini menu, nightly DJs, and no cover charge
add to the Ivy’s newfound charm.”
East
Bay Express, 1/07
“Few would recognize this former 1940s
blue-collar dive bar. Bought by the owner of Oakland’s
Kingman’s Lucky Lounge in 2006,
Kingman’s Ivy Room was transformed into a spacious, bright, and
swanky lounge with a retro vibe to appeal to a younger,
hipper crowd. Instead of live music, the club now
features rotating DJs spinning nightly. Open seven days
a week, with happy hour daily 5-7 p.m. Never a cover
charge.”
For Immediate Release:
11/06
Singleguychef.com,
12/06
DISH ON DRINKS:
Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge, A SOMA Lounge in Oakland
“Because it’s the holiday season, and the
holidays are a time for celebrating and libations, I
thought I’d do a review of a bar. Despite being the
Single Guy Chef, my days of hanging out at the bars into
the late hours are long gone. I’d rather be home mixing
my own special pomegranate martinis. But you have to be
in the scene to be seen, right?
So I venture out to the Grand Lake area to meet
a date at Kingman’s Lucky Lounge. (Yes, you read that
right. I was on a date. Whether I got lucky at the Lucky
Lounge is none of your business!) It was my first time
at the Lucky Lounge and I was sucked into the eclectic
Euro-velvet charm of the décor and the dim, very dim
lighting.
What’s even more surprising is that Kingman’s
Lucky Lounge has been around for many years in its spot
on Grand Avenue near the Grand Lake Theatre. It’s like
this ruby gem in this row of tired stores and marginal
restaurants that seem to close earlier than Bingo Night
at a Florida retirement home.
But back to Kingman’s. This narrow space
provides a cozy, intimate spot for people looking for a
fun neighborhood bar on the East Bay and, specifically,
in the Grand Lake/Lake Merritt area of Oakland. Its
charming décor of seventies lamps and vintage love seats
is accented by chill-worthy music and funky specialty
drinks.
What I like about the Lucky Lounge’s drinks is
that they’re made from quality alcohol. They have fun
names like Sex With An Alligator (Absolut Citron, Midori
and lime juice), St. George Manhattan (Super Premium
Single-Malt Barley Whiskey with Sweet Vermouth), Crushed
Velvet (Absolut Citron, Lemon Drop with Chamboro liquer),
Pomarita (Pomegranate juice and tequila), and Luck Be A
Lady (Raspberry Stoli’s and pineapple juice). The drinks
weren’t always consistent (Luck Be A Lady was a bit tame
in taste compared to a St. George Manhattan) but I was
there mostly for the atmosphere rather than the liquor.
They do make a nice dirty martini--still one of my
standard drinks.
In the early evenings, Lucky Lounge is a
welcoming neighborhood party with a diverse crowd. Late
into the night, it can get crowded and all bets are off
regarding the drinks. But still, Kingman’s Lucky Lounge
keeps the cool in Oakland.
No rating because this isn’t a restaurant, but
out of five stars, I would give the Lucky Lounge three
stars. I mean, I had a second date there, so how bad can
it be? ;-)
NOTE: Earlier this month, the owners of the
Lucky Lounge opened a new location in Albany, spreading
the cool factor around the East Bay. If you’re in the
neighborhood, check out Kingman’s Ivy Room at 860 San
Pablo Ave. (510-526-5888).”
East Bay Express,
11/06
Ivy Room
Re-opening
“Albany's Ivy Room is reopening under the
ownership of Kingman Yee, owner of Kingman's Lucky
Lounge in Oakland, on Friday, December 15. As the
Express reported back in September, the Ivy Room was
sold by Bill MacBeath, whose family had owned the Ivy
since 1992 and turned it into a happening scene for
blues, rockabilly, country, rock, and swing acts like
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Jim Campilongo, the Loved
Ones, Deke Dickerson, and Chuck Prophet. Since the Ivy
Room closed its doors on September 17, speculation
circulated about the club's future. But according to a
recent press release, the newly named Kingman's Ivy Room
will feature a "custom-created martini menu and a swanky
lounge feel that harkens back to the bar's original
era." The newly remodeled club will feature DJs seven
nights a week and no cover charge. "We wanted to
preserve the character and history of the landmark
lounge, but we also wanted to update it so that new
generations can fully appreciate and enjoy it," said Yee
in the press release. In other words, don't expect Dave
Gleason to play anytime soon.”
East Bay Express,
6/05
“Deep scarlet walls, gilt mirrors, and house
plants correspond with the dressy crowd at
Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge, which also has a full bar, faux leather
couches, and mood lighting. Most nights of the week
you'll hear DJs spinning downtempo, house, funk, and
drum 'n' bass. The Lounge is most crackin' on Thursday
nights, when resident Massive Selector DJs PantyROBber
and Proof spin classics from 9 p.m. 'til close.”
Oakland Montclarion,
5/05
“REAL SURREAL: It was like stepping into a
Quentin Tarantino movie when I walked into
Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge the other night. Friends had been talking
about the Grand Avenue bar and I soon found out why.
Zagat rated for its nightlife, this is the perfect place
for a cocktail and conversation. Fun and eclectic,
deejays spin their own brand of background music as you
sip $2.50 well drinks. And no, that's not a typo. But
sit there long enough and you'll be pinching yourself to
see if you're dreaming.”
Sfgate.com,
3/05
“Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge: This bar has a Zagat rating, and a pretty
good one at that. It seems we'll all have a Zagat rating
soon, but the Lucky Lounge deserves it. Oakland's
famously diverse population actually mixes here, hanging
on the couches and listening to the nightly DJs spin
jazz, house, hip-hop and more. It's a fine place to just
be whatever it is you are.”
For Immediate Release:
8/04
Kingman’s Lucky Lounge
Celebrates its Fifth Anniversary
Popular, Eclectic Oakland Social Scene Shows Customer
Appreciation with All-night Happy Hour Prices and
Discounts on Drinks
East Bay Express,
2/03
It's all gravy: King Kooba and the Trout
“Nod your head if you've heard this one before:
You feel like getting your groove on to some shakin'
tunes, but you don't necessarily want to see a live band
play. So you decide to go to a DJ bar: If you're an East
Bay person, this usually entails a mission out to SOMA,
the Haight, or some other hipster-approved spot in
Frisco, because, dammit, there just aren't that many DJ
bars -- or even DJ nights -- on this side of the Bay
Bridge. After securing a parking spot, which in itself
can be an adventure, you arrive at the club, show the
doorman your ID, and enter. But before you can even
approach the dance floor or cozy up to the bar for a
gulp of courage juice, you feel the icy stares of the
see-and-be-seen crowd checking you out, deciding if
you're cool enough to strike up a conversation with.
Flashbacks of unfortunate incidents involving prom
nights, Kmart dresses, and/or JC Penney suits appear
before your teary eyes. Suddenly, all you wanna do is go
home. Besides, nonstop German techno can get über-monotonous.
Why should the combination of high-profile
dance floors, tacky music, and embarrassingly long waits
at the bar to get your Cosmo force you to find solace in
DVD rentals and Conan O'Brien when a DJ could be saving
your life? Cheer up, sunshine. You're in luck, or you
could be, at
Kingman’s Lucky
Lounge (3332 Grand Ave., Oakland), one of the Lake
Merritt area's plushest drinking environments. Slow Gin,
the venue's new Thursday night weekly, offers all the
benefits of a DJ bar -- without the tired aspects of the
DJ bar scene.” |
