Date: Fri July 23
Place: Mona's, 6421 Latona Ave NE
Time: 11:24 pm

Slapping scarlet paint on the walls seems to be every bar and restaurant owner's shortcut to creating sexy ambience. Mona's is no exception, but the notable difference at this Green Lake bistro and lounge is that they're smart enough to not stop there. The lighting is pretty much perfect—not in that Cha-Cha "gee, under these red lights you seem worth taking home" way, but in a "damn, you're pretty AND smart and we should vacation in Capri this year" way. Ceiling fans spin lazily on this sweltering Friday night, cocktail waitresses gracefully swish by balancing cool glasses of rosé, and the DJ spins appropriately down-tempo beats at an ideal volume. Unfortunately, this enchanting environment proves so distracting that I promptly set my purse down on top of a candle, an act that only comes to my attention when the smell of burning leather breaks the spell. With my purse safely stashed away from open flame, I turn my attention to the couple next to me. He's having a beer and a shot, she's sipping from a mini-bottle of champagne, and their conversation has the telling cadence of a romance's early stages. HANNAH LEVIN