The Cicada Club

Ties and cufflinks are perfect. Hair and lipstick are exquisite. For dinner dating, the Cicada Club kicks it up a notch by transporting couples back in time to the swinging Big Band era. The detail-oriented, period-themed restaurant captures the art-deco look and swinging feel of America's Golden Age of Swing, from the roaring 20's to the shorty 40's. Guys and dolls can cut a rug to the Club's live Big Band music, or they can simply take in the authentic, jazzy ambiance over the extensive menu.

Cicada Club offers a swell venue for hip cats and history buffs alike, but this is one ring-a-dingding where the glad rags are required: Big Band era suits and ties (or period-specific uniforms) are mandatory for gents, while broads can be togged to the bricks in anything from flapper dresses to swing skirts to pant suits.

Bands like last week's Chester Whitmore Band rotate out weekly, and seats fill quickly for this once-a-week extravaganza, so Cicada Club highly recommends making reservations in advance. The doors open at 6 p.m. every Sunday night, and admission without a meal costs $10 while there is no cover charge for patrons who order the $50 dinner.

Cicada Club is aces from its landmark Oviatt Building setting to its dillinger dance floor, but it's not all dress-up and make-believe: the friendliness is absolutely genuine, and so are the roaring good times.