The Ten Cat Tavern used to be a vintage clothing store, and that recycled sensibility survives today in its '50s Formica tables, conflicted chairs and random thrift store lamps. Not even the ashtrays match. A massive pastoral mosaic stretches across one wall and down around the bar kick, adding an eccentric Old-World touch. Mix in a rotating array of local art and a blues-heavy jukebox tinged with jazz and you get a hip, low-key lounge with a schizophrenic bohemian vibe.

Twelve beers flow from Ten Cat's taps and taste even better in the cushy confines of the bar's high-backed, red vinyl stools. An impressive selection of microbrews run $4.50 apiece, domestic and import bottles for $3.25-$3.75 and mixed calls for $4.50. While the weekend crowd can be unpredictable, most of Ten Cat's regulars come strictly to shoot stick. Hustlers converge nightly on the eight- and nine-foot regulation Brunswick tables (vintage as well), which owner Richard Vonachen re-felts on a regular basis when he isn't making custom cues. Pool is free until 8 p.m. and all day on Sunday, an added incentive that keeps sharks circling the slate. And as you might have guessed from the tavern's name, pets are always welcome.

Centerstage Reviewer: Michael Foreman