Local businessman Mike Eitel, owner of Trocadero, the Nomad World Pub, the Hi Hat Lounge and The Garage, will add an artsy member to his lively band of merriment when he flips the switch on Redlight at Trocadero. The grand opening is scheduled for November 26.

A converted loft above Trocadero (1758 N. Water St.), Redlight encapsulates the metaphors engrained in Eitel's memory of his world travels.

Eitel, who studied abroad, has an acute appreciation for European history -- apparent by Trocadero's zest for Parisian cafés and marketplaces. Even its name, which is Portuguese for "place of trade," was given to a section of Paris following the famous Battle of Trocadero in 1823. An invited French army entered Cadiz, ending a Liberal uprising and restoring Ferdinand VII to the throne of Spain.

Now, Eitel's new bar adopts another sample of history. As the name implies, Redlight recreates the Bohemian lifestyles of Europe's dark side. Not directly portraying brothels - the focal point of these seedy districts -- rather, the areas where artistes, dancers and musicians called the center of entertainment. French artists like Toulouse-Lautrec built their reputations around these urban settings. Lautrec's paintings of Moulin Rouge and the low life of Pigalle epitomized the times.

"I fell in love with the underground," Eitel says of his lasting impression. "The musicians and artists are there. It's unbelievable. You emerge from the metro stops (the French subway system) and there are bars, restaurants, cafés, artists and musicians everywhere. These open markets are alive. That's what I tried to create here."

Eitel says Redlight will have a different ambiance than Trocadero.

"It's going to be a darker, louder and smokier," he explains. "Again, we're going for a very European environment. It'll be the complete opposite of what our restaurant, wine bar and coffee bar conveys."

The décor is themed, too. "We are not glorifying sex exploitation," Eitel stresses. "We're going for an urban landscape of red-light districts. Historically, these areas were the heart of many European cities."

The structure's exposed cream city brick and Redlight's deliberate design features add to a European bond.

"I don't know if its serendipity," Eitel begins, "but this building was built in 1890 and I understand that it had been a rooming house and a brothel. When I first saw it, my memory rushed immediately back to my travels and that urban European-Bohemian setting. So, it already had this weird connection. I'm just taking it and breathing new life into it."

Redlight will also introduce a tasteful photo gallery illustrating the many facets of these more well-known international districts.

"In 1990, on a flight to Egypt, I met Tonya McCahon, who has since become a good friend," Eitel says. "She's a professional photographer from Australia and now based in Los Angeles.

"I recently sent Tonya and her boyfriend Tyler Demogenes, who is also a photographer, to Amsterdam, Hamburg and Paris to take shots of the red-light districts. They took 2,400 images in seven days and we selected 25 of the best shots to dress out the wall space."

Eitel plans to have a showing prior to the opening, inviting McCahon and Demogenes back to Milwaukee to share in the moment.

"We're calling it Redlights of Europe," he says of the exhibit. "It'll run for a year. If it goes over well, we'll do Redlights of Asia next year. Hopefully, I'll be able to take some photos, too."

Redlight will be a full-service bar, with two separate seating areas -- one with bar-high tables and chairs, and the other, a cozier setting for more intimate conversation. The bar itself, made of concrete and designed to look like a city sidewalk, is the signature piece of this upper level establishment.

"Obviously, we won't have 120 different French wines as we have in the restaurant, but we will feature micro-cocktails," Eitel says. "We'll also have a choice complement of beers and wines."

Staying true to character, a single red light will mark the main entrance on Pearson Street.

"When I saw this building two and a half years ago," he concludes. "I envisioned this."

Some say Eitel has the Midas touch based on his previous ventures. Undeniably, he is visionary. And if history repeats itself, Redlight will be lights out.

Redlight opens at happy hour and will have regular bar times -- 2 a.m. on weekends and 2:30 a.m. on Saturdays. It's available for private parties. Call (414) 272-0205 for more information.