Pinch yourself. You're not dreaming. The crowd is just that hot and the drinks are just that cheap ($7 average) at Dream, the restaurant/nightclub (from the folks behind the shuttered Stardust in Downers Grove) in the bowels of the Lincoln Park Equinox health club, formerly occupied by Krem. Leftovers from its predecessors include sunken lounges and a polar-blue back-dropped bar. New displays consist of a roomier dance floor and an outdoor patio glazed in lava red.

While the patio and VIP room intensify with color, the remainder of the space marinates in white – candles, tropical trees, sheer curtains and the majority of the guests' attire – making you question whether you've died and gone to heaven. Now maybe that part's a dream.

A nightmare elsewhere, the sexy gatekeepers here prefer sitting on lower horses, remembering repeats and ushering them in with words like "hun" and statements like "Don't get too wasted this time, sweetie. I don't want to see you get carried out again this week." They welcome beach bums wholeheartedly at no cover, but our advice centers on meshing in wearing designer jeans accented with accessories.

Celebratory occasions round up groups of all shades, from the blonde pop tart to the Puerto Rican pretty boy, and almost every time, someone busts out with an "I have a dream" speech before downing shots and snapping pics.

The menu works for all. Gym rats peruse the restaurant's "For the Healthy" menu with options like the Dream salad: fresh mixed greens, feta, tomatoes, hearts of palm, garbanzo beans, olives and pine nuts in a vinaigrette dressing served with wheat bread ($8-$12). Those living life on the edge embark upon the Dream burgers and pizzas. Breakfast in the p.m. anyone? The salmon scramble works: three eggs scrambled with natural smoked salmon, tomatoes and chives served with a mixed green salad or hash browns ($11).

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: David-Anthony Gonzalez