Bringing Sexy Back

I had a chance to check out the newly revamped Sidebar in San Diego. For those of you who don't know, Sidebar upped the ante in the downtown area when local nightlife impressarios EnDev opened it roughly six years ago, as it was the first chic upscale nightspot to offer VIP service. And now, thanks to new management (local businessman David Laurent and managing partners RMD Group) and a $1 million sexy, edgy overhaul by designer Davis Krumins it sets a new standard once again. What I love is that there's something for the eye at every turn. From 30 red birdcages hanging at different levels from the lofted ceiling and black painted brick walls covered with provocative nude paintings in the lounge, to the red leather booths complete with storage units for purses and removable cushions for dancing and chandeliers made of backlit acrylic images of an Asian woman in the club. But my favorite highlights: the needed-to-be-touched raised velvet damask wallcovering and the DJ booth which is really an oversized birdcage. Who said San Diego is a sleepy beach town? --Stacy Shoemaker Rauen