"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee is back for another round, brought to you by Great Northern Distilling: grain to glass spirits, handmade in Wisconsin. The whole month of March, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun articles on bars and clubs – including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars readers poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!

After months of blood, sweat and tears, new owner Nate Fried welcomed friends and family Sunday night to check out Angelo's Lounge, 1686 N. Van Buren St. Fried, who also owns Hybrid next door to Angelo's, leased the business from Angelo Martellano, Jr., the son of the original owner and namesake of the bar, Angelo Martellano, Sr. The elder Martellano passed away in January.  

Remodeling the legendary lounge was a tricky task. Structural issues as well as a general need for a facelift – considering the bar had not been remodeled in decades – left Fried walking the fine line between maintaining the classic-ness while welcoming the fresh and new.

"I didn't want it to feel like IKEA," Fried told OnMilwaukee.

Lucky for everyone, the new Angelo's does not feel anything like IKEA – or any chain for that matter. Although almost every inch of the space was resurfaced, the vibe remains lounge-y and mid-century modern. Fried made some smart moves like putting the piano / performance space in the center of the south wall and highlighting the original bar as the focal point of the space overall.

The walls are adorned with a few black-and-white gems of Martellano's along with meaningful pieces from Fried's life as well. The blank space on the vintage-inspired wallpapered walls remind patrons that Angelo's is not only an homage to the past, but wide open to what the future will bring.

Angelo's opens to the public on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and will be open every evening of the week.

1. Vintage

2. Requests?

3. Reflection

4. Memories

5. Thumbs up

6. Funs

7. Piano Man

8. Yes, thanks

9. Duet

10. Cheers!