Firstlook: Tragos

by A.D. Amorosi

The unit block of South 19th Street is full of new life -- Matyson, the under-construction Tony’s Milan. But the most colorful addition, with the most complex personality, is Tragos. Though its name (Spanish for "drinks") and specialty (a reverie of tequilas) connote all things Latin, co-owner Felicia Menna insists Tragos simply stands for something "spicy." That vibe is immediately evident in Tragos’ interior.

"I got tired of drinking martinis in hospitals," jokes Menna, alluding to the antiseptic nature of some Rittenhouse Row hot spots. Menna and partners Justin Zeigler and Benito Rosendo hired Imagine Design Co. to devise Tragos' concept. Menna says she wanted a warm feeling for Tragos, despite the usually-cool vibe of luxe lounges. A dark-red mahogany with washes of amber complements Tragos' laid-back attitude, running across the first floor from its French-door entrance to its back lounge and pool-table area that resembles a designer rec center.

The downstairs is, at first, off-putting. The long narrow room is lined by a mirrored bar that is eerily luminous, like something from The Shining. The banquettes are in a variety of fabrics -- striped tweeds, silk brocade, French Provencal. Up a few steps is a DJ booth and a wide dancefloor. The mahogany bar is backed with illuminated martini glasses and has (literally) olive-stuffed barstools. The room's display of tropical flowers, olive ottomans and retro, multicolored banquettes lets off a soft glow behind sets of VIP liquor lockers. Further back is the sparse VIP lounge (which has its own entrance) and a flaming tequila room. The tequila lounge is bathed in amber lights with white-and-black shark-fin-shaped banquettes. Its mirrors and reddish bar suck up the room's colors in a violent haze, tipped on each side by handblown, teardrop-shaped tequila bottles. They're bottles of Chinaco Anejo, a 4-year-old tequila aged in cognac-lined barrels, and Menna, a former molecular biologist, highly recommends it.

Tragos, 38 S. 19th St., 215-636-9901.

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