Rock 'n' Roll

Let's say you're out on the southwest side of town. You wanna find a place where you can hang out and sip martinis with friends, but you also have a hankering for a little raw fish. Two joints in the area cater to sushi-hungry night owls. Typhoon Japanese Restaurant & Lounge stays open until the wee hours on weekends, offering live grooves from the likes of DJ Sun, Jimmy Skinner and LeRoy Peters -- along with some wicked sushi rolls. "I've been wanting to do this for a while," says promoter Joe Applewhite. "They have sushi nightlife scenes in New York and Los Angeles. Why can't there be one here?"

Bambu, a lounge attached to the Rickshaw Far East Bistro on Westheimer, also serves up late-night sushi and drinks alongside music from DJs Jason Graeber and Lushus Brown and live music from Yelba on Wednesdays.

Don't expect a rivalry to start brewing between these two operations. Applewhite even highlights Bambu events on his party Web site, VinylPimp.com. "I feel that everyone should have a packed venue," he says. "I want everybody to succeed."

Typhoon After Hours, 5610 Richmond, is open from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursdays, and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For information, call 832-242-2765. Bambu, 2810 Westheimer, is open from 10 p.m. to midnight Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For information, call 713-942-7272 or visit www.rickshaw-bambu.com. -- Craig D. Lindsey

Stirred and Shaken
Chef G's Seafood & Steakhouse's Mimosa
I was just settling into the bar at Chef g's Seafood & Steakhouse (1915 Westheimer, 713-522-5551) when a waiter approached me. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have any electrical tape in the car by any chance?" he asked. "Our fax machine is on the fritz and I need to splice a few wires together." Talk about a strange request. But that wasn't the only strange thing about Chef g's. How can you enjoy a perfectly-made steak without a perfectly made martini? Zach the bartender informed me that since the restaurant was so close to Lanier Middle School, the liquor license was slow in arriving. I settled for a mimosa, a rather ordinary one at best, and sat back and wondered if the restaurant would make it. In the short time I'd been in Houston, I could recall at least two other restaurants at this location, neither with any staying power. The new owners had done a wonderful job revamping the place, with floor-to-ceiling wooden wine shelves that separated the bar from the dining room. Apparently, though, they hadn't put up the dough for a decent fax machine. I excused myself, trekked to my car and returned with the tape.

Kenwood brut sparkling wine
Tropicana extra pulp orange juice

Fill two-thirds of a champagne flute with the sparkling wine. Top off with orange juice. -- J.W. Crooker

SAT 8/23
Silent Support
Stricken with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), local artist and graphic designer Hugh Pirnie can no longer work. The 53-year-old's wife and two children struggle to make ends meet while caring for Hugh, but it isn't enough, so some nice folks are throwing a fundraiser. More than 60 Houston artists and businesses, including Ibsen Espada, Sharon Engelstein, the Houston Symphony and benjy's restaurant, have donated stuff for a silent auction. Food comes courtesy of Boulevard Bistrot, Café Brasil and La Mora. And organizers will raffle off a diamond-and-sapphire tennis bracelet -- an essential item for the serious gallerygoer. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, August 23. ArtScan Gallery, 1113 Vine Street. For information, call 713-523-3435. $10. -- Troy Schulze

FRI 8/22
Topless of the Class
Skinny whiners Heidi Strobel and Jenna Morasca from Survivor: The Amazon have put on a little weight, oiled themselves up and taken it all off for the August issue of Playboy. It's not clear how much they got for shedding their clothes -- but as anyone who watched the latest Survivor season knows, the gals ain't picky (they did it for peanut butter on the show). Both ladies say the shoot was a great experience; Morasca has described the Playboystaff as "really top class." Strobel makes two appearances Friday, August 22: 3403 FM 1960 West (9 p.m.) and 6130 Richmond (11 p.m.). For information, call 713-278-8108 or visit www.thehurricanehut.com. For $20, you can get your picture taken with Strobel and an autographed Playboy. -- Cathy Matusow