by Katherine Lynx
Places like Tonic are hard to come by these days. Oftentimes when you and your friends are ready to hit the nightlife scene, you stumble into a place that is either less than you expected or so pretentious that even the drinks themselves snub their noses at you. Upon entering Tonic, you immediately feel the energy. You see people your own age (not some random guy in his fifties trying to creep on unsuspecting victims). And you definitely feel welcomed.

“It’s a great, young, fun place where there are cheap drinks, free ’til 11 p.m. It’s a place you can come every week, not just every once in a while,” boasts Tiffany, who clearly loves her job (she’s been bartending at Tonic for four years!). Tiffany and co. (which includes Mark, a giant man who serves as a bodyguard for both the ladies and owner extraordinaire, Marty Coats) are a group who clearly love their jobs. As Tiffany noted, you can tell when people don’t enjoy their work environment, but at Tonic, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself.

Tonic has all the trimmings of a typical nightlife experience, highlighted with extremely friendly and prompt bar service and modestly priced drinks that are above tasty. Bartender Tiffany, a blonde-tressed, wide-eyed lass, served up a shot (a mighty big shot) she calls a Mother Fluffer. It contains Pinnacle marshmallow, Amaretto and Bailey’s and is a sweet serving that almost reads like a dessert. They also have chilled Patron on tap, which is amazing.

On Friday and Saturday, Tonic offers $2 drinks ’til 11 p.m. It’s a college night of sorts on Friday, with guests 18 and up able to boogie with the best of ‘em to DJ Chachi. Saturday is ladies night where femme fatales can dance to the sounds of DJ Xpress and receive free drinks ’til 11 p.m. Sunday brings Channel 955 and DJ Paul Martindale with $3 Long Islands and Absolut ’til 11 p.m. Tonic also has a separate seating with VIP accommodations (the VIP section actually looks like a sheer, veiled temple.

Thanksgiving Eve holds a big party, as does Thanksgiving night, where all three floors will be open. Get there before 10 p.m. on the biggest bar night of the year (Wednesday, the day before Turkey Day), and you’ll pay no cover. They’ll have DJ Chachi (from CK105.5) spinning the tunes all night.

The following night, after you’ve had just about all the family time you can handle, you get to unwind by checking out their Round of Applause event, hosted by Yung JL and MZ Toya. Ladies get in free before 10 p.m. (advance tickets for $15), and you’ll be entertained for the whole evening by DJs Los and Marc Polo. Sounds like a good ending to a fun couple of nights. But wait, you’ve still got Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the holiday weekend to party your ass off! | RDW