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First off, I’d like to say that The Edison is one of the most gorgeous and inventive spaces I have seen in a long time. A bar in a former boiler room doesn’t sound so great, but it really, really is. And the food and drink are good, too, thank goodness, because one can only go so far with just a pretty face.

The bar located at the corner of 2nd and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles has some great deals, including 35 cent cocktails (for your first one only) on Thursday and Friday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The “vintage cocktails at vintage prices” rotate, with a different drink featured each week. Edison has been featuring the Bailout, a bourbon drink, and the 401k, a gin cocktail, for these specially priced nights. I’ve had the Bailout, and it was OK. The 401k was better balanced, so I suggest getting that one. There are also Soup Kitchen Fridays where you can get mini portions of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, also free, to go along with your insanely cheap drink. Both the grilled cheese and the tomato soup were great, especially the soup, which is slightly spicy.

401k (left) and Bailout (right) cocktails

In terms of the bar’s regular happy hour, all drinks are 40 percent off from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday (the bar is closed Sunday through Tuesday). I think it used to last until 8:00 p.m., but I know the discount was cut off for us at 7:00 p.m. when I went with Esther of estarLA and a couple other friends about two weeks ago. Actually, it seemed our server conveniently put off taking our drink order until 7:05 p.m., so we ended up paying full price for our cocktails — $13. Anyway, I had the English Afterthought made from muddled blueberries and ginger with gin and St. Germain elderflower liqueur. It was really refreshing, as ginger and elderflower tend to be, and not too sweet with a healthy dose of gin.

English Afterthought

Edison holds a bunch of special nights of entertainment and drinking, from Wednesdays’ Incandescence, with eclectic performers ranging from aerial acrobats to sword swallowers, to Radio Room nights, a monthly (usually) event with guest bartenders slinging their own signature drinks. We saw this burlesque dancer perform atop the bar on a Friday evening:

Can you do that? Me neither.

The bar has also recently introduced new food options, including a happy hour deal of a hot dog, onion rings and a beer for $10. And there’s the new midnight breakfast, which starts Sept. 4, with blueberry pancakes and candied maple bacon (because every place that serves food and/or drink has to have some bacon on the menu these days!). The pancakes will be served only on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.