This is the first installment of the Source Weekly's new "Lounge Lizard" column in which our intrepid writers set out in search of a nearly lost art form: The Classic Cocktail Lounge. Trust us, they are here among the microbreweries, sports bars and dance clubs. You just have to look to find them. Know a place that serves a good drink to customers seated in upholstered leather with candles on the tables? Drop us a line and we'll check it out. Cheers.
Gone are the days of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin swilling whiskey at a bar from noon until
closing time and puffing on cigars around a game of five-card draw. But walk into the Marilyn Room in Kayo's Dinner House and it's pretty hard not to feel transported back to the days of the Rat Pack. Leather chairs and black linened tables pepper the room and even at 4 p.m., the lighting barely illuminates the lengthy bar. Blown-up photographs of Marilyn Monroe line the walls, paying tribute to the bar's namesake. Cocktails come three ways: Stems, Classics & Concoctions, and Warm & Wonderful, with old classics such as a whiskey sour holding their own next to new creations like the Canditini, made with candy corn infused vodka. During happy hour, well drinks are just $3.75. And having multiple drinks can pay off - every 13th drink is free.
The bar food, too, evokes Rat Pack-era favorites, with chicken fettuccini ($7.25), French onion soup ($2.95/cup) and calamari ($7.25) highlighting the menu. And it's not a gimmick - these dishes are what chef/owner Kayo Oakley does best. And with happy hour items topping off at $5.95, you can channel Sinatra without breaking the bank.
Ambiance: ✩✩✩✩ Drink Strength: ✩✩✩✩
Rat Pack Rating: ✩✩✩
The Marilyn Room at Kayo's Dinner House
413 NE Third Street Mon-Sat, 4 - 11 p.m.
