I had to see what all...

I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I scheduled a plane stop through DTW that left a day for me to check the place out (as well as Fight Club, reviewed separately). As good fortune would have it, Bogart's was only 10 minutes from the airport, so I checked into my hotel, refreshed, jumped in my rental car and headed over.

I was expecting an industrialized area, but was pleasantly surprised to discover Bogart's sat all by itself on a relatively clean and sparsely populated stretch of Michigan Ave. It appeared nicer than my expectations on the outside, with ample safe parking. When I walked in however, I could see where the grunge perceptions of other reviewers came in.

First, the place was smaller inside than it appeared outside. The huge, multi-sectioned stage didn't help, and made the remaining floor area feel cramped. I staked out a stool at the bar and scoped the scene. The girls weren't as bad as I'd feared, based on the reviews. Most were 6-7, naturally-breasted, slender, with little to moderate tattooing. I got a couple walk-by smiles, and a couple others stopped to ask if I'd like company or a dance. When I respectfully declined, they were cool - no attitude.