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Red Square's Siberian Saturdays offer time-honored dance tunes and no cover

By Ray Schweibert

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Sep. 21, 2006

Inside the ice lockers, patrons are offered furs and trenchcoats to keep warm.

Probably the first thing to strike someone's attention while gazing over at Red Square -- or for that matter the first object anyone is likely to notice any time they enter The Quarter at Tropicana Casino & Resort -- is the massive, looming likeness of Vladimir Lenin, the first Premier of the Soviet Union.

Lenin's portrait also hangs prominently over the hostess station near the entrance of the restaurant/bar, and murals of people and places from bygone eras embellish the walls throughout the lavishly decorated establishment.

On a typical Saturday night, though, when the restaurant operation is gradually transformed into a nightlife setting dubbed "Siberian Saturdays," the faces one encounters are not likely to resemble those of deceased dictators. Instead, one is much more apt to come across the pleasing features of, say, Siberian-born tennis star Maria Sharapova or those like her.

"After dinner hours are over, we kind of go through a transitional period [from about 11pm-midnight] where we turn into an easy-going nightclub without a cover charge, and play dance music that's more of the recognizable music you might remember from the '80s," says Red Square manager Joe Olivieri. "We have a DJ who comes in and works for the people, not his own reputation, and plays the more traditional stuff rather than the techno and hip-hop music you hear a lot of today."

For that reason, says Olivieri, the crowd during Siberian Saturdays tends to be more of a mature, 30-and-over set, but certainly does not preclude the younger revelers who simply enjoy more time-tested tunes. On a recent Saturday night, several pockets of young women who were part of a bachelorette party scurried about while many of their older counterparts sipped beverages made with Red Square's signature spirit, vodka, of which there is a selection of nearly 150 brands.

Multitasking bartender Chris Theis takes care of business with one pour.

Siberian Saturdays began in November 2005, says Olivieri, just before Thanksgiving, and has been growing in popularity ever since.

"We just noticed the need in the market for a niche that caters more to the professional crowd, and it's really taken off and done well," says Olivieri. "We get a variety of different people and different age groups come in, but this is the kind of place where you won't find a lot of testosterone. It's mostly a very professional crowd that basically wants one thing -- to have a good time without any problems."

Along with its main dining room, which is cleared of tables during Siberian Saturdays to make room for dancing, there is also a spacious bar/lounge area with a frozen rail to keep bottles and glasses chilled, about a dozen VIP booths offering European bottle service, and five intimate dining alcoves isolated from the rest of the establishment and able to be fully enclosed by drapes.

"What happens in the intimate dining area stays in the intimate dining area," says Olivieri.

A large crystal chandelier in the main dining room is among Red Square's more attention-grabbing adornments. Tucked away is a walk-in storage room, kept at sub-freezing temperatures, which includes 32 private lockers for bottle service and available for rent at annual rates of $1,500 (for individual guests and smaller lockers) and $3,000 (for corporations and larger lockers). Currently only five lockers are not being rented. Prior to accessing their lockers, women are offered sable fur coats and men authentic Russian military trench coats to keep warm inside.

Red Square's lighting is lowered as the Siberian Nights' transformation takes place. Waitresses wearing knee-high black Russian boots with short black skirts and matching tops mingle with the crowd throughout the evening.

Red Square is located at The Quarter inside Tropicana Casino & Resort, 2801 Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City. It is open for dining 5-11pm weekdays and 5pm-midnight weekends, and for music and dancing every Saturdays from 11pm-4am during Siberian Nights. There is no cover charge. Red Square also accommodates banquet-style dinner parties up to 35, and hors d'ovueres-style parties up to 100. Call 344-9100.