JOIN THE ENTOURAGE AT L.A. HOT SPOTS AND WATERING HOLES.

Byline: Stories by Fred Shuster

Staff Writer

The city of Los Angeles is practically a cast member on HBO's "Entourage."

The popular comedy series, about the ups and downs of Hollywood actor Vincent Chase and his friends, draws on the experiences of industry insiders to illustrate the celebrity lifestyle. And it's shot in real-life watering holes, restaurants, stores and venues.

Key scenes in "Entourage" have taken place at Spago, Del Mar Racetrack, Canter's, Pink's, Book Soup, Jerry's Deli, Fred Segal and even a Valley theater, where Vince's movie is screened before the power goes out in 100-degree heat.

The show, now in its fourth season, stars Adrian Grenier as Vince, Kevin Connolly as loyal pal Eric; Kevin Dillon as Vince's half-brother, Drama; and Jerry Ferrara as Turtle, who's always up for a good time. Also on board are Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold, Vince's aggressive, high-powered agent; Debi Mazar as publicist Shauna; and Rex Lee as Lloyd, Gold's much-maligned assistant. Real stars join the cast playing themselves.

The Wall Street Journal recently complimented the new season of the series, saying that "Entourage" has consistently been funny, "but through that mist, something much finer may be emerging."

The idea of shooting on the streets of Los Angeles was a natural one for series creator and executive producer Doug Ellin. Other programs, like CBS' "Shark" and ABC's "Brothers & Sisters," shoot in real-life L.A. locations, but "Entourage" takes it further.

"We wanted the show to be as absolutely realistic as possible," Ellin said. "Since it's the story of four guys who have the keys to the kingdom -- today's Hollywood -- we had to locate the show in the spots where these folks would hang out. We try to make it as real as possible."

Although Ellin says he's more of a restaurant-type guy than a nightclub patron himself, he's surrounded by the hip and trendy on the set of the show -- people who know well the town's thriving celebrity nightlife scene.

"At first when we shot those public scenes, it was guerrilla-style -- we had to pull it off in the moment, shooting outside clubs or on the street," Ellin said. "Now that our budget has grown, we have more time to work those scenes out. But it's still about being at the right place at the right time."

It isn't only the trendy clubs and stores that get a visit from the "Entourage" cast and crew -- scenes have taken place at a U2 concert at Staples Center and at the Sundance Film Festival.

"There's a kinetic energy you get from scenes like that," Ellin said. "Of course, you can imagine the difficulty of five actors trying to do lines at a Lakers game."

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Here, then, is our selected guide to the famous and infamous locales used in "Entourage." And if you suddenly find yourself in the background of a scene with Vince, Eric and Ari while chowing down at Jerry's, just act natural.

n JERRY'S FAMOUS DELI / 12655 Ventura Blvd. / Studio City

Mandy Moore joined the boys for dinner here.

URTH CAFFE / 8565 Melrose Ave. /

West Hollywood

Used often. At the beginning of season three, Drama and Turtle rate a woman across the street.

FRED SEGAL / 8100 Melrose Ave. / West Hollywood

The boys had lunch in the cafe.

SPIDER CLUB/ 1735 Vine St. / Hollywood

In the third season, the guys all went to this club inside a club, the Avalon.

UNDEFEATED / 112 1/2 S. La Brea Ave. / Los Angeles

An episode centers around Turtle wanting limited-edition sneakers but having to wait in line outside this hip shoe store.

4100 BAR / 4100 Sunset Blvd. / Los Angeles

Eric had a meeting with the director of "The Boulevard" here, and then the director left with a hooker.

GEISHA HOUSE / 6633 Hollywood Blvd. / Hollywood

Mandy Moore celebrates her birthday with the boys here.

THE STANDARD DOWNTOWN LA, 550 S. Flower St.,

Los Angeles

Eric runs into the girl he and his girlfriend had a threesome with.

THE STANDARD, 8300 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood

Turtle went to find out why Saigon hadn't shown up for their meeting with a record label. Drama ends up getting hung out to dry over a balcony rail.

CHATEAU MARMONT / 8221 Sunset Blvd. / Hollywood

The boys went here for a meeting with the director of "The Boulevard," and a party was in full swing.

QUEEN MARY / 1126 Queens Highway / Long Beach

Vince celebrated his birthday here on the latest season premiere.

PLAYBOY MANSION / 10236 Charing Cross Road / Holmby Hills

The boys attend a party here even though Drama had been banned.

STAPLES CENTER / 1111 S. Figueroa St. / Los Angeles

The boys have attended many Lakers games and a U2 concert here. In the new season premiere, Vince went to a game with his new agent while Ari glared from across the court.

BOOK SOUP / 8818 Sunset Blvd. / West Hollywood

Vince shops here and picks up Nicole after she spots him reading about himself in the National Enquirer.

FAIS DO DO / 5257 W. Adams Blvd. / Los Angeles

Saigon's showcase takes place at this hip music club, whose name means nighty-night in French.

CANTER'S / 419 N. Fairfax Ave. / Los Angeles

The boys stop for bagels at Canter's, the famous Fairfax district deli. It's open 24 hours a day and has gotten plenty of celebs stopping in over the years.

ARCLIGHT CINEMAS / 6360 W. Sunset Blvd. / Hollywood

This is where Vince's first big movie, "Head On," opens.

KOI / 730 N. La Cienega Blvd. /

West Hollywood

Ari and Eric have dinner at this A-list sushi joint.

LUCKY STRIKE LANES / 6801 Hollywood Blvd. / Hollywood

A trendy bowling alley where, in the first season, the boys take their dates.

PINK'S / 709 N. La Brea Ave. / Hollywood

Everyone knows this hot dog shack on La Brea. The boys stop by here to grab a bite to eat.

LA.COM contributed to this list

CAPTION(S):

10 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- cover -- color) Are you hip enough to be part of the 'Entourage' scene

(3 -- 4 -- color) L.A. and its environs are the playground for "Entourage," with Vince, the crew and guest celeb Carla Gugino marking his birthday on the water, above, while Lloyd, as Ari Gold's put-upon assistant, has entree to celebrity draws like The Grill, right.

(5 -- 6 -- color) Young, hip and on the loose in the Southland, HBO character Vincent Chase and his entourage work hard to keep themselves entertained, including trips to the racetrack, above, or meeting young lovelies like Carla Gugino, below, at Westside hot spots.

(7 -- color) The DOMe Archlight

(8 -- color) Fred Segal

(9 -- color) Urth Caffe

(10 -- color) Canters Fairfax

Photos for list by John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box:

no caption (selected guide to the famous and infamous locales used in "Entourage') (see text)