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Friday, January 14, 2011
First impressions of Dayton’s newest dance club - Tempest
Tempest Lounge, the new dance club that Mark Fisher introduced on the Taste blog today, has been open since mid-December. So it was long overdue for a Lounge Lizard visit.
I checked out the place on Thursday night, which incidentally was Martini night - sold!
First of all, if you’re planning on making a trip to Tempest you should know it’s easy to miss. The club at 1066 Patterson Road in the Breitenstrater Square Shopping Center is situated in a tiny strip mall and labeled with an unassuming sign. Head for Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers, then go two doors over and you’ll see it.
But don’t let the docile exterior fool you, the club packs a sound and light system that will blast your senses the moment you open the door.
Some immediate positive impressions:
The lights are sweet. I was like a dog going nuts for a laser pointer staring at the various patterns created on the floor.
The place has a very intimate, comfy vibe. There are five or six huge plush couches to sink into if you don’t want to pull up a stool at the bar. But I liked the feel of the bar myself. The music was at a perfect level so you could actually hear the bartenders and have a conversation with someone across the bar. Great for snooping - I mean “people watching”.
The music is of the Top 40 and hip hop variety, but I was pleased to not hear a single over-played radio track. Instead the DJ was cranking out ODB, Eminem and a really sweet mash-up of “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and some dance track I’d never heard before.
Only slightly negative impressions:
The place is small - but again, some will prefer the coziness to the expanses of some warehouse-sized clubs. The dance floor is very small. I don’t foresee any line dancing going on, but since I hate line dancing that’s actually a perk.
Nobody was dancing. I’m chalking this up to it being a Thursday night. The place definitely wasn’t dead, but everyone was chilling at the bar, enjoying the martinis. I’m confident that a Friday or Saturday night visit will include some bodies on the floor.
Speaking of the martinis!
All varieties of “tini” are just $5 on Thursdays, and they didn’t skimp on the alcohol.
The traditional Apple-tini and Chocolate-tinis were there, but the list includes some unique concoctions. The signature Tempest martini was killer - seriously, it’s got 151 in it so be careful. The rasberry/vanilla/orange flavored Mega Martini also got a thumbs up.
NOTE - Tempest is not your “Mad Men” martini bar. They’ll make you any of the classic cocktails, but the emphasis is really on fun drink inventions that don’t take themselves too seriously, and don’t come with fancy, stuffed olives.
Example, the Root Beer Float-tini, aka delicious dessert in a glass for grownups! Whipped vodka is the key.
Jägermeister fans can thank Kenny the DJ for the Kennytini. The Jager and Red Bull drink is so far from being an actual martini that it’s presence on the menu made me laugh. But that appears to be the point and I dig Tempest Lounge for that.
According to Mark, Tempest features a DJ Wednesday through Saturday nights. Wednesday night is Retro Night, Thursday night is Martini night, and Saturday is Top 40 Dance night. The lounge is open seven days a week: weekdays 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. For more information, call (937) 254-6007.
Have you checked out Tempest Lounge yet? Leave a comment and share your impressions. Any more drink recommendations?
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