No RSVP Needed: Angelo's Lounge

Friday, June 25, 2004

WHERE: Angelo's Lounge

WHEN: 3:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 3:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday, and 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Saturday.

ADDRESS: 1686 N. Van Buren St.

TELEPHONE: (414) 347-4144

DRINKS: This is a lounge, a live music lounge, so while beer and wine are available, do the place justice and have a martini. Think James Bond. Think Sinatra, but don't think you know martinis until you've tasted one of owner Angelo Martelanno's personal creations. They're personal, because Angelo only makes them with gin, and because he does not lay out a cookie cutter martini list for his customers. His recipes are in his head, and he blends each drink with the same care a tuner balances a piano. If that has you curious, you have to see the martinis being made, because at the end there's a flair that gives an extra burst of flavor.

LIKELY TO SEE HERE: This is Vegas, baby! Well, it's Milwaukee. But this lounge is definitely Vegas-style, complete with piano, small stage and pictures of the Rat Pack. You'll also see one great shot above the piano of Angelo posing with old-school crooner Tom Jones. As for the people, it's a surprising mix of old and young -- old regulars, who have been faithful to Angelo in the 15 years he's had the place, and curious youngsters from the Brady St. area who either know the tunes courtesy of a grandparent's old record player or who enjoy singing the tunes themselves.

THE SOUND: It's probably a given at this point, but I'll say it anyway: You'll hear lots of Dean Martin, Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in this place, whether it's over the sound system or from the mouth of a brave amateur. But if you value your life, don't call Angelo's Lounge a karaoke bar.

BEST-KEPT SECRET: There are a few. One is that back in the day, Angelo played blackjack with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. in Vegas. If that's not inspiration to open a piano lounge, I don't know what is. Then there's the fact -- no secret to the regulars -- that Angelo has a pretty good set of lungs and on weekends you might catch him belting out a rendition of "Mona Lisa." But longevity counts for a lot with us, so the best-kept secret here is Norma Angeli. From day one, Angeli, a piano and organ player, has been a part of Angelo's dream, accompanying him and other amateur singers as they flatter the classics through imitation. And even before Angelo's Lounge, Angeli was an accompanist for more than 30 years.

-- James H. Burnett III

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