Essentials
Address: 729 N Milwaukee Street
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Review
The Scene:
Gorgeous with a bite, or where beauty comes to get groovy. Two floors, an
exceptionally friendly staff, and a solid progressive tunes menu all stack
up for some tall fun served up in an atmosphere that's the metaphorical equivalent
of a sliver platter.
The Drinks:
Did someone tell them we were coming? A glance at the minimalist bar shelf
showed us all we needed to see: Standing tall in the center position was that
prince of all spirits, the king of aquavits, the one, the only...OP. Deee-lich.
But, assuming you're a normal person, and thus not fanatically obsessed with
a particular beverage, you'll find a great selection of cocktails and mixers.
Top shelf is the name of the game at Tangerine, so if you're a Stoli fan you're
out of luck, since this is definately Grey Goose Territory. The drinks are
on par with what you can expect at similar venues. Neither notably strong,
nor remarkably expensive. While they don't bill themselves as such, Tangerine
is actually an outstanding martini bar, and the staff can be very creative
if you give them a little to work with. Metros were top notch. And though
you'll likely end up writing novels in your head waiting to place your order,
fear not: Tangerine gets top nods for having approachable, real, friendly
people behind their 3 bars. So, waiting is actually ok, since the reason for
the wait is that the barstaff will actually take a few seconds to greet customers,
say hi, ask how your night is going, etc.
Nice Touch #1: We set our drink down to take a picture, looked up, and it
was gone. A simple 5 second explanation was all it took for the drink to be
replaced - free, and in the "tall" version rather than the original
"short." (yes, you should still tip)
Nice touch #2: Every person who served us remembered what we were drinking
after the first order. Kudos.
Tangerine does offer exclusive bottle service in the lush VIP area, but unless
you're a Rockefeller (or run a cool website *cough, cough*) you'll probably
want to save it for a special night.
The Music:
Progressive House. That's our story and we're sticking to it. In fact, it's
probably the best representation of this particular genre available in the
city . Have a request? Too bad, since the DJ basically lives on top of Mt.
Everest - up a big winding staircase guarded by some imposing looking German
guys. But hey, given the quality of the sets being spun at Tangerine, you
don't have anything to worry about. There's no dance floor here, and we'd
call it a "lounge plus," but that doesn't stop the beat from pounding.
The sound system is surprisingly good given that dancing isn't the focus,
and while you'll definately have no problem carrying on a conversation, the
volume is ample to help you get lost in the groove when you feel like being
alone with beat.
The people:
Beautiful. No, hip. No, wait...urban. Um. Good. Yeah, that's it, "good."
The crowd at Tangerine is definately well dressed, well groomed, and clearly
they all subscribe to whatever the magazine is for well groomed, well dressed
people. If a new style just came out, someone here will be wearing it. If
a new stylist just started working at Stella, someone just got their hair
done. Perhaps, then, "cutting edge" is the most appropriate term.
While edging toward the "urbanly beautiful," the crowd is not exclusively
of the GQ or Vanity Fair variety. You can expect to see ties and you can expect
to see jeans. Whether you're hip hop or GQ, the only connecting thread seems
to be that everyone is up to date with whatever is hot, fresh, and new in
their particular arena of style. One thing that the crowd *is* almost exclusively,
is "with someone." Quite often a group of "someones."
People come here with their friends, and we recommend that you do the same.
It's not hard to meet new people at Tangerine, but it will definately help
if you can introduce your new friends, and their whole crew, to your old friends.
Then you can be an even bigger group and eventually rule the world. Just remember
who gave you the 411 back in the day.
The atmosphere:
Classy and full of confidence, but not pretentious or intimidating. Tangerine
manages the best of the club scene with grace: allure and mystique without
snobbery. This place is hip more than swank and the details cater to that
feel--the cool pods on the lower level, the ultra svelt furnishings, even
the wall details and moldings. You can spend your time on the main level,
with it's two bars, or venture down to the more cush and relaxed lounge area
downstairs (complete with it's own bar). While you're down there be sure to
check out the cool "pod" concept towards the back, which is one
of the coolest design elements in the city. You'll probably run into a small
number of people who are trying their best to be chic--so much so that their
social skill set seems to consist mainly of either telling you all about why
they're so great, or just sniffing with disdain in your general direction.
That's ok. Don't worry about it. Walk two steps to the left and talk to the
people standing there, because chances are that they're going to be friendly.
As an added bonus, you'll most likely get to meet 50 of their closest friends,
too. On a totally random note, the landing on the staircase that leads to
the lower level has images projected onto it in true NYC club style. It's
really hypnotic if you've never experienced it. Be sure to stand right in
the middle of the stairs and focus on it for about 15 mintues. People love
that. Or at least they did when we tried it.
What to wear:
Dress to impress. But that doesn't mean you have to go all swank or Armani.
If hip hop is your style, cool. Just make sure the jeans are properly faded
and leave the hat at home. If you're more of the alternative, industrial set,
that's also very welcome. In general, just wear the best representation of
whatever your style is. No sneakers, no bling, no sweats.
When to go:
The best experiences we've had at Tangerine are late on Saturday nights. It's
crowed, the people are gorgeous, and the music is pumping. But, you might
find that you prefer Friday's, when it seems that the crowd is a little more
"transient," meaning that more people stop in, have a few drinks,
and then depart for one of the other hip dives in the area.
