Byline: Barbara Vitello Daily Herald Staff Writer
For several years after Chicago's Le Colonial opened, the 10,000 square feet beneath it stood bare and unused.
That is until partners Rick Wahlstedt, Jean Goutal, Jonathan Segal and Joe King decided to transform the concrete cellar into a subterranean nightspot.
'There really wasn't anything like this on the Gold Coast when we opened in 2000,' King says.
Convinced they could supply what the neighborhood lacked, they spared no expense, hiring Paris designer Jacques Garcia. Drawing upon French Renaissance and Napoleon III style, Garcia created an interior that ranks among the best looking in the city.
King admits that opening the club was risky, especially when people had to walk down an alley (actually, a well-lit, brick-paved passageway) and descend into a basement to get there.
Le Passage's stylish interior, not to mention its first-rate sound system, makes up for its unfashionable entrance. Abstract murals by painter Gerard Coltat, done in gold and jewel tones and featuring ancient symbols, signs and Latin calligraphy, add a regal touch to the room.
Columns painted in gold leaf and low banquettes and chairs covered in crimson and royal blue velvet complete the stately decor.
Although mirrored walls and low seating reinforce Le Passage's 'see and be seen' philosophy, the velvet drapes suspended between the columns can be closed for a more private tete-a -tete.
'The atmosphere is really amazing,' says Elaine Gould, 33, 'it was worth every penny they spent.'
While Gold Coast veterans had reveled in the neighborhood's lively night life scene for years, the area held little appeal for younger clubgoers. But the partners were determined to tap into a youthful spirit as well, general manager Michael Di Palma says.
'Three years ago, it was martinis,' says Di Palma, describing that late '90s trend. 'We said, 'Let's dress it up. Let's do the classics and light them on fire.' '
People of all ages responded, and the Le Passage crowd ranges from hard-core clubgoers to newbies to tourists ranging from mid- 20s to 50 plus . The upscale club also attracts its share of celebrities, including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Destiny's Child and U2.
'They have a beautiful crowd,' says Lashaun Grefphenreed, a 25- year-old 'blue chip' (Le Passage's term for loyal, long-term patrons) from Chicago. 'I love it.'
But beautiful people alone won't keep a club afloat.
'The challenge is to keep things fresh and new,' Di Palma says. To that end, the folks at Le Passage initiated 'My Kind of Town' parties, hosted by New York City social maven Susanne Bartsch and scheduled for the first Friday of every month.
While Edmund Fernandez Jr. thinks Chicago may be too conservative for these NYC-style happenings, the 31-year-old Chicagoan likes the setting.
'It's definitely high class,' he says.
Twin gold-leaf bars, sleek-looking and minimal, with mirror backs and glass shelves, flank the exit.
Dark, modern wainscoting with circle cut-outs, covers the lower half of the walls, as well as the two bars and the DJ booth.
Lighting is discrete. The flickering candles and strategically placed light boxes covered with tinted orange and blue plexiglass may not provide much illumination, but they do make for attractive accents.
A hallway leads to the Yow Bar, named for famous Trader Vic's bartender Yow Low. Low, whose photograph hangs in a place of honor behind the bar, was known for his potent Polynesian cocktails like the mai tai, the scorpion bowl and the pina colada.
Velvet curtains separate this more intimate lounge from the rest of the club. Cozier than the main room and reserved for 'blue chips' and people who take their spirits seriously, it features the same plush seating, elaborate murals and mirrored walls as the rest of the club. A round divan, covered in velvet and bathed in red and purple courtesy of the theatrical lights overhead, occupies the middle of the room.
'I love it,' says Susan Fokker, 37, a first-timer from Oak Brook. 'It's got more attitude than most places in Chicago.'
'Check that out,' she says nodding toward Iggy, one of the performers Bartsch imported to add color to the inaugural 'My Kind of Town' party last week.
'I'm a performance artist and my vice is drag,' explains Iggy, who sports a red swirl of a dress and a plumed hat inspired by Stravinsky's ballet 'The Firebird.'
Besides Iggy, Bartsch's cast includes divas ranging from glamorous to garish; a disco roller skater; a Terence Trent d'Arby look-alike and a drag queen dressed in balloons.
Producing a theme party like this means filling the stage with characters: the more theatrical, the better.
'Whatever she does it's special,' Iggy says of Bartsch, who works her magic at Le Passage on the first Friday of every month. 'It's never ordinary.'
Regulars would agree that even an ordinary night here adds up to something special.
'It's a non-cheesy dance bar,' says Donna Davis, 34, who ranks Le Passage among the city's top nightspots. 'It makes me think of New York night life.'
'It's New York night life,' Gould agrees, 'but it's too young.'
Fortunately, the ambience makes up for it.
'Look at the surroundings,' says Thom Class, 35. 'It's worth it.'
Some club owners charge a $15 or $20 cover for a dump, Class says, who works at Minx, a recent addition to Chicago's nightclub scene. That's not the case here, he says. Not only that, the club attracts a diverse clientele and has an open, gay-friendly atmosphere.
'They got it right,' he says approvingly.
But that doesn't mean the owners won't continue to fine-tune things. Like King says, 'staying ahead of the curve and being creative' makes for success in the nightclub business.
So, if people don't always know what to expect at Le Passage, they know that at the very least, they will be intrigued by what they find there.
GRAPHIC: What You Need to Know
Name: Le Passage
Location: One Oak Place, Chicago (look for the passageway between Oak and Walton streets), (312) 255-0022
Parking: $9 valet; paid lots
Directions: Division Street, east to State Street, south on State to Rush Street; veer left, continue south on Rush to Oak Street
Hours: Dining: 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; casual dining: 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. Saturday. Nightclub: 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday to Friday; 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday
Cover: $10 after 10:30 p.m. and $15 after midnight on Thursday; $20 cover for men beginning at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; $20 cover for women after midnight Friday and Saturday; no cover Wednesday
The crowd: Nightclub veterans, industry types, tourists, models
When to go: Never before midnight; after dinner or the theater
What to wear: Anything black
