e got in a few words with the owner of Sausi’s when we arrived, and she welcomed us like royalty. “My husband cures his own proscutto,” she informed us. Then she stuffed us full of it. We had only come for a few drinks, but left having sampled damn-near all of their signature tapas, more than a few drinks, and a solid dose of Jagermeister, kept ice cold on tap to fix what ails you.

Sausi’s Lounge feels like the pimped-out living room of your eclectic sixty-year-old hippy aunt who your mother keeps telling you is bonkers. The building is a sprawling work of art. Our host also uses the basement as a studio to paint the art that appears on Sausi’s walls. It is sentimental, but clashes in a place not meant to clash.

The good food, and very affordable menu brings in a more contemporary crowd. You get the sense that the same people pop in regularly for the same thing. There is a routine feel about the room that stagnates the air. I thought I saw a high chair in the corner, but was too scared to double-check. Yeech.

The house does not charge what it should for its fare. The kitchen pumps out righteous grub (indulge in a rabbit gnocchi, Sweet Mary!), so if you’re looking to step up from beer and wings land to beer and carpachio sophistication, this is a solid spot. Your tab will be the same. Bring your homies and homiettes with you, however, for you’ll have to make your own fun.

With a cohesive design, a fresh coat of paint, and some new furniture, Sausi’s would look like a great number of more polished places in the area, and would likely be more popular. Every oversight, however, is a hint that there may be the occasional crooner lurking about to make things more interesting.