“Lounge” should not be a haphazardly applied moniker. Rather, a lounge should be dark, the lines of its patrons’ faces barely visible from three stools away. More specifically, its darkness should have a reddish hue, and its decor should be neither flashy nor tacky. If a lounge’s walls could talk, they would tell great stories involving colorful patrons. By contrast, a lounge’s bartenders should substitute politeness and competence for flair. A lounge’s drink menu shouldn’t feature too-clever names—if it has a drink menu at all. Its music should tilt toward mellow jazz, all the better if it’s occasionally performed live. A lounge should be a cool escape from a hot collar. In Seattle, the lovingly restored Vito’s is this lounge. MIKE SEELY 927 Ninth Ave., 397-4053, vitosseattle.com