Like it or not, spring is upon us. The equinox has come and gone, and now, lurking in wait behind the next pleasant Friday afternoon is a new horror: dining al fresca. Step cautiously through the sliding cage-like door at 411 Troutman St because Lot 45 is about to reintroduce you to an old friend in a big way.
Revelers at Lot 45’s party last Friday.
Well, okay, Lot 45 doesn’t have food just yet. But they are selling beer and liquor, which I’m told one can safely subsist on for up to twelve hours. And in the coming weeks, you’ll find a food truck parked on their patio. The menu is still up in the air, but it promises to be interesting and extremely affordable (~4 – 5$ for snack-y items). In the meantime, drink al fresca in the patio area and watch Troutman St blossom.
Cool cats lookin’ fly at Lot 45.
Despite previous claims to the contrary, Lot 45 is not a club. It’s a bar/lounge. And despite the distinctly festive atmosphere of the space, there is something clearly quite relaxed at Lot 45, something that encourages you to sit, and to linger, and to be momentarily intimate with friends you don’t get to see that often. And that something is: couches. The interior is littered with gorgeous reclaimed couches, all boasting different patterns and auras.
Some of them are for perching upon, chastely. Some are for draping over, indifferently. Some are clearly for French kissing on, beside, beneath. Some are for arguing near, vehmently. And a few are for simply espying, from across the room, and making lingering eye contact with.
Men looking stoic-ly into the distance.
Much of the furniture and the entire bartop of Lot 45 is reclaimed, but the most striking find is surely the chandeliers that drip from the ceiling. Ramon Moralejo, one of the owners, personally restored each and every one, hunting for the appropriate parts and pieces and assembling them to their former glory, giving the space a feeling of tattered decadence. “It was a labor of love, every part,” said Ramon. “And I think we created something beautiful here.” There can be no doubt that he means it. Lot 45 shines: with love, with possibility, with spring.
Lot 45 is located at 411 Troutman St. They serve bottled and canned beers, liquor, and wine. Beer and shot specials are available to the tune of ~$7. Their food truck will debut in the near future. They are open Wednesday through Saturday, from 5 PM to 2 AM.