Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA’S STRONGBOX IS NOW OPEN DAILY AT 10PM & A Gerard Butler Update

March 23, 2009 by HughE Dillon 236 Comments

The new improved Strongbox is open and you can see it here: http://www.phillychitchat.com/2009/09/strongbox-back-and-better-than-ever.html

There’s a new kid in town, an upscale VIP site that speaks to a man’s inner soul and it’s name is Philadelphia Thrillist; Last week Philadelphia Thrillist did a great write up of the new super exclusive luxe lounge in town STRONGBOX, a new VIP Lounge catering to the upscale crowd of Philadelphia including a visit by Gerard Butler and friends on opening night (our venue will be hypersensitive when deciding who is good enough to pass through the door each night. ).

Here’s what Thrillist had to say:
Even in the direst times, there are certain things you can’t give up, like cable television, and visits to the dentist because of all the Swedish Fish consumed while watching cable television. If you stubbornly refuse to give up bottle service, hit up Strongbox.

With Strongbox, the Denim/Pearl guys have converted the former Monkey Bar into a plum-hued bottle-service lounge, luxing things up while maintaining the centuries-old space’s integrity: black leather banquettes, a granite-topped bar, and a back lit, metallic booze wall, paired off against refinished parquet floors (w/ antique heat registers) and high-gloss black paint to enhance the intricate ceiling designs and sharply contrast the cylindrical chandeliers.
While cocktails flow at the front bar, the joint’s centered around seven wood-based, steel-legged cubical tables with inset lighting glowing through plexiglass tops, where “personal attendants” provide ice/mixers/fresh fruit to complement top-shelf liquor and champagne (Perrier-Jouët, Moët White Star, Dom…) available by the 750ml, magnum, jeroboam, or Methuselah — who in Leviticus 3:12 credited his 969-year lifespan to six liters of bubbly daily.A semi-private, chandeliered back room’s available for reservation, perched slightly above the rest of the lounge, with a window-sized gap in the front wall that perfectly frames a view of the spot’s clientele — just like TV, except there’s no Swedish Fish service.
(End of their article – Thanks www.Thrillist.com)

Interior designer of STRONGBOX Moore College of Art and design student Autumn Oser. I think she did an amazing job; those tables, her creation.
Not since the days of Prohibition has a $200 bottle of gin been such a hot property. Bottle service has become de rigeuer for Philly’s hot clubs, which charge triple-digit prices for a bottle of liquor with mixers. Of course, no one’s dropping that kind of bank for the booze. You’re not paying for the bottle, You’re paying for the location, the atmosphere and the company you keep. Bottle service gets you a guarantee in at the hottest clubs in Philly, gets you a table, a seat and a view of the action. In the past couple weeks I’ve stopped by the G Lounge where someone dropped $1000 to get a table next to Jamie Foxx (who last night I heard stopped by Denin w/sister, Charlie Mack & friends); a few weeks before that I was at Pearl where it cost $500 to sit in the high back banquette, but it’s worth it as the club was so pack from all the S&M non-bottle buyers you really need your own space, and now there’s the intimate (100 person capacity) Strongbox who’s bottle service begins at an economic $400 (now remember that $400 a table divided by 4 – 5 of your closest friends)But there’s plenty of room to hang out at the bar too, let Mike or Stephanie get you a drink
Mike Bruner, Lysee Axelrod, Samantha Blackburn and Hal Greenblatt
Jamie Wolf, Chuck Peruto, Jr. Marissa Frommer, co-owner Brett Perloff and Alise Kuhl
Audrey Lehr, Samantha Rash, Erica Capten and Chelsea Moshey
The Main Room features a spacious communal area, a thunderous sound system, and plasma video on the wall that lights up the room with awe-inspiring visuals. With nearly 30 foot long bar, you will rarely have to wait long for a drinks.
Danielle Poe, Erin Elmore and Tal Jacobson get into the grove
Priscilla and Frank Bardanaro, sexy Sabrina Strickland and magic fingers Aly GreenDiony and Dana enjoy the night
Jared and Dara Lazaroff, Tal Jacobsen, Jill Braunstein and Sabrina Strickland.
Marni Synder, Sharief, Leigh Anne Burke and Alison Otterbein

Publish Post

Man about town (NYC & PHILLY) ArthurKade spent the night fending off the women who either wanted to congratulate him, be mentioned on the Arthur Kade blog or help end his drought. This girl wanted a photograph of herself on his blog, but I guess she will have to settle for mine at the moment. Arthur had to dash off as he had an early call on the movie set of SALT, starring Angelina Jolie.
STRONGBOX Message: The single most important factor is, without a doubt……….the people. With that in mind, our venue will be hypersensitive when deciding who will pass through the door each night. While the standards may be higher on a Saturday than a Wednesday, know this: There will always be standards. We understand and champion the notion that our product is very much about who you are standing next to and who you can see from across the room.

Lauren A. Beloff with the best seat in the houseOops!…I did it again
I played with your heart, got lost in the game
Oh baby, baby
Oops!…You think I’m in love
That I’m sent from above
I’m not that innocent

Erin snuck away to call her VIP man away on business, Dr. Shareef Jandali
Jared Poe met his VIP for the night Samantha Rizzo. I caught them as they were trying to sneak out the door and continue the party elsewhere. I peered out the window just in time to see the next VIP’s arrive. With them came a few of the actors and crew from Air Bender. I guess they didn’t all fly to Iceland.
Aly Green greets her new friend Tim Connolly, stunt double for Gerard Butler. Tim tells me that neither Gerry nor he has had a famous Philly’s Cheese steak as they are on a strict diet, one for the nude scene that Gerry had just filmed that evening in New Hope, 2) for an upcoming movie where he needs to be buff. If you’ve seen Gerry lately, I have a feeling that Tim will be standing in for him for a lot more scene’s as Tim is BUFF, in fact the body you see in Daredevil is not Ben Affleck but Tim. Tim also played Gerry’s dad in 300. Overheard that night was a few girls telling Tim that he was better looking than Gerry, at which point Tim said I don’t want to hear any of that. He knows where his bread is buttered.Gerard Butler in the VIP Room
STRONGBOX – Reservations STRONGLY recommended. For priority consideration, email Info@StrongboxLounge.com (click on this to see the larger version)
(I will be putting larger photos on FB in the coming days for your use)