The Jade on Hollywood Boulevard
- Aug 17, 2023
- 3 min read
An evening at The Jade cocktail lounge promised to be one to remember.
Walking through the door on Hollywood Boulevard, a seven-foot gold Buddha greeted patrons. An enormous carved wooden dragon protected the bar, done in red lacquer with gold leaf. On the walls hung tapestries, framed art treasures, even a life-size painting of a nude blonde. The place smelled like gardenias and Chinese food.
On any given night, you could rub elbows with Hedy Lamar and James Cagney, unknowingly sit beside an FBI agent working a case, or have the misfortune of a thief picking your pockets.
In the early days, tending bar was none other than Steve Boardner, who opened Hollywood staple Boardner’s around the corner in 1942.
