New bars: Bootsy's

Merhrin Doolin of Park Hills enjoys drinks on the patio with Bob Beckstedt and Mike Thomas of Chicago at Bootsy's.

Every major city has its musical icons. Long before Nick Lachey made Cincinnati relevant to today's MTV generation, Bootsy Collins was putting the Queen City on the map with the likes of James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic.

In a similar fashion, Jeff Ruby has established himself as "the man" in local restaurant circles with an empire spanning three states and many awards.

Sure, Cincinnati sometimes gets accused of being stuck in the past. Step inside Bootsy's Produced by Jeff Ruby, the bar/restaurant/nightclub/downtown hot spot collaborative effort of its two namesakes, and that perception quickly becomes outdated.

The purple and gold entry leads into an even more colorful selection of paintings, musical instruments and magazine covers.

Upstairs, get ready for sensory overload - you're inside what might be described as a living, breathing kaleidoscope with a pulsating soundtrack. Turn one corner, you're in an area modeled after Morocco. Turn another and you may wind up in Egypt or the Far East - or at least the Egypt Room and sushi counter near the open kitchen. The decor fits the cuisine, which includes tapas such as duck tacos, a goat cheese plate and international fare.

The bar at Bootsy's is much like its namesake: colorful, larger than life and, of course, fun with purple and green stools and benches with oversized, spiral lollipop-style backs. Musically, there is a mix of techno, funk, R&B and pop tunes. And of course, there are plenty of fun drinks like the "P-Funk margarita" (Blanco tequila, blueberry, triple sec, mango, sour mix and soda) that fit the bill.

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