In the South Wedge, the Tango Cafe Dance Studio (389 Gregory St, 271-4930) opened in September 2008, offering several different types of dance classes and events, from salsa to sacred circle. This past September the venue added a cafe, a simple little place that offers customers various coffees and tasty treats when they're not dancing.

Laid out in weathered brick wall, classic fixtures, and hardwood floors, the cafe part (formerly The Mez) offers a casual seating area for patrons to enjoy a beverage, as well as a cozy dance floor for couples to learn a new step, or show off their skills a bit. Just passing through, most people might think the first floor is all Tango Cafe has to offer, but Director Kerri Vaughn (who co-owns Tango with Ruben Fuentes) was kind enough to show us the venue's hidden treasure: a majestic ballroom that takes up almost the entire third floor.

On Friday nights Tango holds a Salsa Party in the grand space 10 p.m.-1 a.m. The venue also offers lessons in other styles of dance, including swing and Argentine tango. The cafe and ballroom are also for other, non-dancing events; a spoken-word poetry slam and open-mic takes place each Tuesday night, and throughout the week you might find a jam session going on.

Tango Cafe is open daily 3 p.m.-midnight. For more information call 271-4930 or visit tangocafedance.com.

Look ah Hookah changes location

Smoking "has not just a social aspect, but a cultural one as well," says Theresa Dyer, owner of Look ah Hookah, which recently moved to its new location at 1635 E Henrietta Rd. in October. When you first walk into the hookah shop you get the feeling you've stumbled into an episode of "That 70's Show," transported back to a time when The Dead were still alive and love beads were something you wore around your neck, not little pellets filled with scented oils.

In the style of your parents' refinished basement, Look ah Hookah offers a relaxed, peace-loving atmosphere for fans of the communal smoke experience to kick back and enjoy themselves without fear of persecution from bitter-faced non-smokers. The front of the shop is well lit and offers a wide array of tobacco-based items for sale, ranging from cigars to flavored tobacco called "shisha," which can be used in one of the shop's many hookahs. The lounge in the back is dark (but not so dark that you're tripping over furniture), with community sitting pods sporting black leather couches where hookahs can be shared. Look ah Hookah offers other activities as well, including darts, a pool table, karaoke, and belly dancers.

Look ah Hookah is open Mondays-Tuesdays noon-midnight, Wednesdays-Thursdays noon-1 a.m., Fridays-Saturdays noon-3 a.m., and Sundays 4 p.m.-midnight. For more information call 292-5665 or visit lookahhookah.com.

Blue Room under new management

Thankfully few things have changed at Blue Room (293 Alexander St), but there have been some updates. For example, some of the interior is actually blue (complete with painted clouds as part of the décor) and the bathrooms are once again habitable.

Blue Room has long been considered one of the top places for the 20something college crowd, and the new owner Mike East is hoping to keep it that way. The upstairs bar seems to offer a more party-like atmosphere, with karaoke held every Thursday night. If you're not feeling all that lively, in the summertime the upstairs also leads to the large, furnished outdoor deck, or you could have a seat in the more casual downstairs bar room. "Blue Room is place you can do it all," says East. From Reggae Night on Sundays to 50 cent baked wings until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Blue Room does seem to have something for everyone.

Blue Room is open Wednesdays-Sundays 8 p.m.-2 a.m. For more information call 730-5985 or visit blueroomrochester.com.

Woody's re-opens

Woody's on Monroe (248 Monroe Ave) is also under new management and re-opened its doors earlier this month. It was nice to see the concept of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" applied to Woody's as well. Its neighborhood bar-type feel is still intact; this is a comfortable spot for a night out. When we were there for happy hour there was a good mix of people of various ages around the bar, along with an extremely friendly staff that was on the spot with our drinks.

The room itself is well lit (not too bright or too dark) with a decent-sized bar, which takes away the feeling of being cramped or crowded. Even with the digital jukebox playing (it has a fantastic selection, from ABBA to Coldplay) you can hold a conversation without screaming over the noise. Along with 20 plasma TVs around the bar to watch the games on Sundays, Woody's also has a fenced-in patio off to the side of the building for those sunny summer days that seem so far away. For entertainment, live music is staged every Saturday night, with a DJ spinning tunes on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Woody's on Monroe is open daily 11 a.m.-2 a.m. For more information call 730-8230 or visit woodysonmonroe.com.