If you're the kind of bowler that carries your own ball, 10pin Bowling Lounge isn't the place for you; the lanes don't have the arrows necessary for real bowling and the lame day-glo ball selection is a marker of the fact that no self-respecting league would set up shop here. If you can manage to wrap your head around the idea that 10pin is a lounge that just happens to have bowling available—not the other way around—you'll get a whole lot more out of your time here.

Twenty-four bowling lanes line up beneath an enormous wall of flat-panel video screens. A club-caliber sound system spits out audio as the screens rotate through music videos (a consequence of the video jukebox here). Open-play rates are affordable at $4.95 before 5 p.m., $6.95 after. Reserving a lane will set you back $70 per hour—an option that includes shoe rental and a two-hour minimum, and that's only available on Friday and Saturday. You can upgrade to "cool" shoes for a nominal fee.

You won't find any stale pizza or soggy nachos at 10pin; the bar menu takes bowling bar classics to new heights. Chicken wings spiked with plum BBQ sauce, mini-cheeseburger plates and gourmet pizzas are perfect for sharing. Chocolate cookies with milk shots are available for dessert--a necessary comfort after a dozen gutter-balls. As for the booze, forget the beer and go straight for the obnoxiously long martini list. Try a Swank (a dirty Grey Goose martini garnished with bleu cheese olives), a Root Beer Float (Stoli Vanil, root beer schnapps, amaretto, cream and a splash of coke) or a Bloody Marytini (Absolut Pepper, tomato juice, fresh basil and spices—with a parmesan rim). If you're feeling sluggish, order up a Red Bull-enhanced Powertini for an extra edge on that perfect 300.

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Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: K. Tighe