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The Charlotte Observer
Charlotte.com
Nightlife

All about the cocktails
Bryan Neil

Published: Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Imagine a fantastic view of the fireworks show, a martini in hand, and a neighborhood lounge, all wrapped up in a tight little package as your Independence Day plans for a moment.


It's a six month commitment from now, but makes sense after visiting the Elizabeth's latest addition, Loft 1523 (1523 Elizabeth Ave., 704-333-5898, www.loft1523.com). The second floor payoff is the L-shaped outdoor patio that might pencil in those plans for you.

Adam Whalen, the sole proprietor, sees the Elizabeth area's future, bolstered by the impending arrival of Volare Italian Restaurant from Myers Park. Why Elizabeth? "I was eight months on the hunt for a good location, and I found me a terrace!" he exclaims.

Indeed. It's certainly not the highlight of the lounge in the chilly weather, but heat lamps do just fine, and they help the smokers satisfy their craving in the smoke-free environment.

With interior square footage flirting somewhere south of a couple thousand, maybe the name is appropriate for these new cozy quarters just a block shy of the Visulite Theatre.

A Raleigh native and Wake Forest alum, 28 year old Adam's theme is all about cocktails, thanks to his $10 annual private membership. Anchored by a hefty wine selection (they encourage purchasing the bottle) and the usual draft assortment, pricing is expectedly stiff to satisfy the rent.

Expect the infused vodkas to run you in the $8 to $15 range, while the wine selections run slightly less per glass and offer many bottled selections in the twenty and thirty dollar ranges. My bottled brew pries me loose of $4.50. Keep the four bits change, barkeep!
The interior decor, designed by Leo Dowell, consists of an interesting quilted ceiling that silences what I thought would be a noisy polished concrete floor; it even reduces the house soundtrack to a subtle accompaniment. Wired track lighting illuminates the entire room and enhances the meager layout of the handful of hightop tables and couches.

Three flat panel televisions, on this Friday night, offer ballgames, which sure beats the clubby alternative of video lava lamp screensavers.
The weekend crowd is already on the discovery, numbering some one hundred fifty on that Friday, and my Saturday encore, which was unexpected, was easily over two bills. With an "uptown chic" dress code, the 28-45 age group rivals what I've seen at Blue, Therapy, and a Bobcats game.

An elevator is underway for an exterior entrance, and theme nights are on the horizon, including a Tuesday SIN (service industry night), Wednesdays for the ladies, and Thursday to weekend DJ/live acoustic audio.