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NOTE: Below is an article about Fusion
Liquefaction Lounge published in the local weekly
paper...
www.toledocitypaper.com
New
martini bar classy, casual ... and literally cool!
by
Rieale Loveridge
published November 22nd 2006
Dirty,
wet and on the rocks – minds out of the gutter,
folks – we're talking martinis, and Fusion
Liquefaction Lounge is now open to fulfill the
imbibing desires of 'tini purists and the
adventurous alike.
In
Fusion's intimate lounge, muted blue lighting exudes
a mood for mingling. A twenty-something brunette
perching at the bar, dressed to the nines, closes
her baby blues momentarily as she nimbly sips her
appletini from a stemless glass. While, a
salt-and-pepper haired gent in jeans and shirt and
tie nudges past her to nibble a few imported bleu
cheese stuffed olives and order a Tanqueray and
tonic before settling down into a black leather club
chair. It's a Wednesday in Toledo's Warehouse
District, but it feels like Friday on Chicago's Gold
Coast.
Located in the former Cold Fusion Creamery, this
recently converted gem boasts a Rat Packesque lounge
aesthetic with modern twists. The three plasma TVs
provide a perfect view for all patrons during
Fusion's 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Desperate Housewives'
nights and the frozen granite topped bar keeps the
martini and cosmo specials frigid to the last sip.
The transformation took around two months, and the
subsequent soft opening has gone off without a
hitch. "I expected more things to go wrong," Cold
Fusion and Fusion Liquefaction Lounge owner Jamie
Young said. "But it fell together real well. It's
just clicked."
Signaling a new Toledo entry into the sophisticated
yet comfortable martini bar scene, this urban jazzy
joint has relied heavily on infusing ideas from
top-rated New York and Chicago spots and adapting
them to the area. "It's (Fusion) not patterned
directly after any one place. It's a mix of the
best," said Young. "Ultimately it's about figuring
out what works in Toledo."
Helping figure out the right mix, Toledo-native
Young has taken advice from long-time coworker Edd
Martinez and hired people who understand the art of
making martinis. "I'm in no way doing this alone,"
Young said. "I don't come from a bar background so
I've recruited people that know a lot about the
best."
More
than 100 top-shelf-only martini options have been
offered since the Nov. 3 opening. Eventually patrons
will narrow the list down to 50 unique favorites.
Currently 30 have earned coveted spots on the
yet-to-be-printed menus. Topping the list are
chocolate martinis, appletinis and French martinis –
most cost around $7.50 and all are shaken vodka
martinis unless a customer requests otherwise. 'We
take a lot of pride in presentation and are
garnishing them differently than people might be
used to," Young said.
Fusion
Liquefaction Lounge is located at 38 S. St. Clair in
the Warehouse District. 419-243-8224. Mon — Sun,
3:30-midnight. |
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