Forget losing weight and all that baloney -- the next thing on your New Year's resolution list should be hitting some of the Twin Cities' freshest nightspots. Chatterbox Pub It's still a couple of months away, but a third Chatterbox will open at 44th St. and France Av. S. in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis (on the border with Edina).

Yep, the only place where you can get a game of "Battleship" with your beer is expanding west. This latest version of the Chatterbox will add to the mini-empire of '80s-themed basement bars that includes the original in south Minneapolis and a two-year-old spinoff in St. Paul's Highland Park.

The third was supposed to open in November, but the renovation in the old Cafe Bicko space is taking longer than expected, owner Steve Miller said.

As they finish construction -- the place should be open in two or three months -- they've also been amassing retro video games and board games for the new spot.

"We've got a bajillion of them," Miller said. "My house and garage are full. I can't wait until the restaurant opens so I can get my garage back."

Like the others, this location will stick with just beer and wine, and is comparable in size to the original's intimate layout.

Chatterbox fans can expect one update to the usual video games. The original Chatterbox started with just Atari, then added Nintendo and later on Sega Genesis -- marking the lineage of '80s gaming systems. Now Miller's crew is bringing another system into the fray: the Nintendo 64, which made its debut in 1996.

"We've decided that the time is right," Miller said.

The N64 will be added to the Chatterbox's two locations this month, and will be at the new one when it opens.

What's next, GameCube?

r.Norman's/Seven Sushi David Koch is back. Well, he didn't actually leave -- he still owns Bellanotte. But the latest venture by the restaurateur and nightlife wiz finally opened this week across from Block E in downtown Minneapolis.

It's a two-level enterprise, with r.Norman's -- an upscale steakhouse -- on the street level and the beautiful ultra lounge Seven Sushi on top. Downstairs will function much as Bellanotte does: restaurant by day, party spot by night. Seven Sushi is all about the nightlife, with big windows that overlook Hennepin Avenue.

When the weather warms, Koch will unveil a rooftop spot that will be one of downtown's biggest.

700 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. www.rnormans.com

Red Stag Supper Club Kim Bartmann, who runs her own little empire of restaurant/bars (Bryant-Lake Bowl, Barbette), opened this latest endeavor in late November, and it's a beauty -- at least as far as supper clubs go, and this one looks like it's straight outta northern Minnesota.

I stopped in recently to check out the drinks. Very nice. It has more than a dozen taps, plus a very healthy bottle selection. And music, too.

509 1st Av. NE., Mpls. 612-767-7766. www.redstagsupperclub.com

Otho While not as highly anticipated as r.Norman's or the Red Stag, this Asian-fusion restaurant/bar is worth a look, especially if you're looking for a drink after work in downtown Minneapolis. Located at 10th Street and Portland Avenue S., it's described as a "street lounge," whatever that means. One thing's for sure, these are some nice digs, especially a comfy corner lounge area that provides a nice semi-private hangout.

949 Portland Av. S., Mpls. 612-455-1516. www.othorestaurant.com

thorgen@startribune.com • 612-673-7909