With Apple Lounge, Allison Melnick brings a touch of New York to West Hollywood

On Thursday night local night-life fixture Allison Melnick was scheduled to debut her first bar, Apple Lounge; a celeb-heavy crowd was expected at the location, which used to be Pearl on Robertson Boulevard. Melnick hired her friend Samantha Ronson to DJ, and a red carpet was set up outside what owners (including silent partners) hope will be a nightlife mecca come fall (665 N. Robertson has been split into three separate destinations, chef Bryan Ogden's Apple restaurant, Melnick's Apple lounge and a forthcoming Pussycat Dolls venue).

New York native Melnick, who's known for being the life of the party, naturally had to debut her slice of "apple" first -- despite the fact the club won't officially open until after Labor Day.

Apple Lounge is tiny (around 150 capacity) and the dark basement lounge with low ceilings and glowing red hues may not match Melnick's dreamy visions of an expansive club that is "very New York." But if anyone has a chance of re-creating an early 1990s downtown Manhattan vibe in the middle of West Hollywood in 2008, it's Melnick.

The Queens-born, Long Island-raised promoter (and self-promoter) certainly has a knack for being at the right place at the right time. "I started out as a door girl in 1988 at a club around the corner from the Limelight," the 37-year-old says. "Then came the Palladium and the Ritz." Melnick eventually ended up working Monday nights at Lot 61, the hottest scene in NYC circa 2000.

Melnick has had a slightly spottier record since moving west in 2002. As a promoter, she worked for several Hollywood clubs, most notably at Nacional and Mood.

Her feisty reputation landed her a part in a short-lived 2004 Spike TV reality show about a Vegas nightspot (Ice, now closed) called "The Club." "I had no idea what their plans were," she says of the show, which she claims portrayed her poorly. "That was the worst experience of my life."

It certainly didn't hurt her career. She continued working for SBE's Brent Bolthouse back in L.A., most recently doing S Bar's Wednesday nights.

Her ultimate goal, however, was to open up her own venue. "This has been my dream for 20 years," she said. "This is what I do best." And she certainly has at least some star-drawing power. Just ask friends like Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan.