Entourage and the City

(Pic via the AP.)

With "Entourage" set to return on HBO this Sunday, the Associated Press gets hip to the fact that the show takes advantage of actually shooting around L.A., giving it a sense of realism (and another reason it's a sort of male, west coast "Sex and the City").

From the story:

While "Entourage" is a show about four close buddies, the HBO series gets much of its charm from what is arguably the group's fifth member: the city of Los Angeles.

El Lay's status at the...

Wait, hold up here. "El Lay"?! Sheesh.

OK, continuing now:

...center of the U.S. entertainment industry means lots of shows nominally take place here. But few — if any — shows approach the city with such precision and affection for its restaurants, shops and other neighborhood institutions...

Other programs feature known Southern California landmarks, like CBS's "Shark," which places scenes in Los Angeles' Byzantine-domed City Hall, and ABC's "Brothers and Sisters" and NBC's "Raines," which both feature Venice Beach.

But "Entourage" sets its episodes in more varied — but no less specific — spots, like Hollywood's Arclight Cinemas, where movie star Vincent's first big film premieres, or Jerry's Famous Deli, the venerable lunch spot where the boys dine with Mandy Moore.

Many of the real-life locations are posh locales, out of the average Angeleno's reach. Vincent's agent Ari meets with the star's buddy-turned-manager Eric at Koi, the pricey sushi restaurant and celebrity haunt. Eric makes a reservation for himself and his girlfriend at Beverly Hills' Peninsula Hotel, where rooms start around $500 a night...

But most locations are the sorts of everyday neighborhood joints that Los Angelenos get to know and love. They grab dogs at Pink's flamboyant hot dog stand, line up for limited edition kicks at the sneaker boutique Undefeated and browse at Book Soup, ground zero for Southern California bibliophiles.

Above, a scene is shot at Gladstone's in Malibu, featuring Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon). Here's LACOMfidential's take on the story.