Comfort Zone

It's Where We Drink

by Will Dean

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59th and Market streets, 215-472-2282

With its spacious mirrored lounge area, room-spanning, disco ball-adorned bar and wide selection of liquors, West Philly's Comfort Zone lives up to its name in both looks and atmosphere. That is, if you feel most comfortable at parties.

Some people frequent bars to drink and forget; others actually go to relax and have fun (though I have no idea why). Comfort Zone's penchant for event-hosting solidifies it as a destination for those in the latter category.

The bar's Valentine's Day party promises free chocolate, roses and champagne; there's also a pajama party planned for March 8, and a one-year anniversary bash — with raffles, dancing and prizes — on Feb. 23.

The parties are partly to show off how nice the Zone now looks (a previous tenant was rather dive-y). Walls are freshly painted; everything is buffed to a sheen. "Lots of people come in here who haven't been by in years, and they say the old place had one or two bottles on the shelf," says barmaid Tia Creary, motioning to the long row of booze behind the bar.

The drink selection caters to the Zone's Jamaican clientele. There's overproof rum (it's 126 proof, or 63 percent alcohol), ginger wine, Appleton rum and a special cocktail called the "Smooth Bitch," made from fruit juice and a guarded mixture of liquors.

Sure, the Zone's upbeat feel may not immediately appeal to the Bukowski crowd — those who derive the most enjoyment from wallowing in regret and/or whiskey. But regardless of your stripes, easing into an evening here is downright agreeable — whether you've got a "Smooth Bitch" by your side or not.