The spice is right: 51 Wharf

In all the tawdry glory of an Old Port Saturday night in July, there are a couple hot spots on Wharf Street that are known for giving the carnival its pulse. A certain courage is needed to operate a business that practically invites risky business, but GM Tanner Herget hit every stop on the restaurant biz train, from dishwasher to bouncer to management.

He's developed an instinct for taking care of a night-life staple, drunken hooligans and all. In this moment of peace, when he's not teaching business at UNH or working on multiple other projects, he's hosting Salsa Night, laid back, in his element.

Speaking of salsa, it's not July at all, it's the coldest night of the year, you can hardly see the 4 elegant wreaths hanging outside for the human fog on glass doors. "You want another margarita?" he asks grinning. There is music pumping in the sound system with the kind of rhythm that conjures men biting roses and women in silken red, twirling dresses.

"Yeesh, of course." I say. They are, after all, a mere $3 and the crowd is growing for the dance-off to come. Despite some off-season renovations, the place looks great. The downstairs bar light show is rigged entirely to the sound, as Latin rhythms bounce off walls like pong balls the glass around the bottles in turns glows purple, turquoise and gold.

The place has this whole Mayan cavern motif, with a bright blue light stream flowing through the main bar itself. It's a versatile space. It lends itself to this dance class every Wednesday night, a loyal host to a long time Portland tradition, a lesson both for the local Latin population and beyond.

Looking around though, I could also see Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" fitting quite well in these strong speakers. "800 people come through here in the summer time on a weekend night. I want to provide a place where the ladies feel safe and comfortable, because where the ladies go, the men will follow," admits Herget, who follows through with an equipped security staff that talks over an FBI-like radio system. If Fiddy had written "In Da Club" about Portland, it just might have used 51 Wharf as its model.

Tonight though, the place is all charm. Lots of laughter, high fives, welcoming hollers. The bartender, Lindsay, has just returned from New Zealand where she was refining her palette with feijoa-infused vodkas. Her favorite drink to make is a nice slice of devil's pie called a "Grapecrusher," which specializes in masking alcohol with delicious fruit juices, and grape vodka. Crushing, but in a good way.

DJ Cuero, who teams with dance instructor Wendy Edwards on Wednesdays, spins a number of styles for Salsa Night ($5 cover), including "merengue, salsa, bachato, reggae-ton or any other Latin music people want to hear." The dancers in the class are "faithful" to this scene says Cuero. Who can blame them? As water bottles freeze into bricks in cars, why not soak in some faux-Havanan sunshine, have two but not three margaritas, and sweat the old troubles out a little bit on the shimmery dance floor? You've spent 12 bucks for a cathartic tropical experience and a great night's sleep.

For an innovative gift, take your love to a Latin dance lesson, and treat her like a lady. It has worked this well this long for 51 Wharf, maybe the spice is just right for brightening the long winter ahead.