When David Yun commissioned a custom sign to hang on the wall of his Korean-Southern tapas restaurant, C as in Charlie, he chose LED lighting over neon so that he could change the sign’s color on a whim. Soon, though, the hazy red glow spilling out onto the street became a calling card for the dugout-size restaurant in downtown Manhattan. “Red is risky,” Mr. Yun said. It shows our identity.”With its bright red sign, C as in Charlie joined a herd of restaurants that have embraced a certain aesthetic: dim interiors lit primarily in red. Rouge Room’s crimson-hued ceiling and backlighting smooths the shift from daytime — when the restaurant opens up to the pool at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa — to dinnertime, when the drapes close and ruby light reigns supreme.

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Persons: David Yun, Mr, Yun, Charlie, Tammie Teclemariam Organizations: New York Locations: Southern, Charlie, Manhattan, Baru, Cincinnati, Rouge, Paris, Las Vegas, Rock