WHERE: Dream at Dream Dance

WHEN: 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday

ADDRESS: 1721 W. Canal St., inside the Potawatomi Bingo Casino

PHONE: (414) 847-7883

BOOZE: The vibe here and the setting require classy booze. If you want a beer, you can have one, but I'd recommend a martini -- perhaps the Blue Train, made with Stoli, Bombay Sapphire and blue Curacao; the Dreamsicle, made with Absolut Vanilla, Cointreau, orange juice, pineapple juice and cream; or the Purple Hooter, made with Absolut Citron, Cointreau, Chambord, sour mix and Sprite. Those are my favorites -- the first two for taste and the third, I admit, 'cause the name makes me laugh. If neither beer nor a martinis cuts it for you, there's always the huge wine list, full of half-bottle options as well as glasses and whole bottles.

BUZZ: If facilities could multitask, Dream Dance would get an A- plus. No need to worry about that four-star restaurant morphing into a nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights. On the contrary, Dream at Dream Dance serves as a rich dessert: a means to keep diners from heading home after a meal. It was a good call, because unlike the scenes we see in movies, not everyone who goes to a casino goes to gamble. Some of the best live musical and theatrical performances are in casinos. That whole cat-biting thing notwithstanding, look at the shows put on in Vegas by Siegfried and Roy. And speaking of Sin City, Caesars Palace even built Celine Dion her own $95 million auditorium in which to show her tonsils. Things don't get that big in Milwaukee, but the talent's high quality at Potawatomi. Last month, the Bennett Carl Band and Rapture with Mike Walters were a couple of the regional, nationally known jazz acts that lit up the stage at Dream. If you're a fan of the genre, their sounds don't need to be explained to you. The same goes for some of the stars who will be taking the mic this month, including Dierdre Fellner tonight and Saturday, and Christopher's Project Jan. 14 and 15.

THE ANTI-BOREDOM: Well, you already know the music's great. And the odds are, if you stick around late enough in the evening for Dream performances, you probably already avoided boredom with a full meal earlier in the evening. However, on the off chance that the music can't hold your attention, you're at a casino. Just take a stroll and gamble. As with any potentially addictive exercise, like boozing and smoking, my disclaimer is do it if you can control yourself. If you can't, just listen to the tunes. But if you have self-control and the music puts you in a feisty mood, at Potawatomi your options are many, including blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, bingo and slots. And for those of you who are health-conscious, there's the Sky Lodge, a smoke-free gaming zone.

-- James H. Burnett III

Credit:PETER ZUZGA

Source: FOR JOURNAL SENTINEL

1. Liz Perry and Wyatt Graikowski, both of Milwaukee, share conversation over a glass of wine.

2. A tray of drinks makes its way through Dream at Dream Dance.

3. Bass player Harrison Bankhead of the band Rapture hits some jazzy notes.

4. Dream offers a fun place for Juanita Pate and Dorothy Nwonye, both of Milwaukee, to get together.

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