Category Archives: Night Life

Fun & Games, Night Life, We Love Food
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We Love Food: New Year’s Eve!

Photo courtesy of mattyp_
Closer – NYE 2005, courtesy of mattyp_

Yes, yes. A bit early? Maybe. But now’s the time to start thinking of NYE planning before the rest of the holiday season overwhelms you and suddenly find yourself lacking a place to enjoy and celebrate ringing in the New Year. So here’s a very non-comprehensive list of restaurants for you to consider. We’ll post more as we find out about them!

THE DISTRICT

Article One at Hyatt Regency Washington, on Capitol Hill. Call a reservationist at 202.719.8436
A la carte from 1:00 – 8:00pm.
Menu Highlights: Pan Seared Scallops with Baby Spinach ($12); Peppercorn Crusted Filet of Beef with Butter Poached Rock Lobster Tail ($42); Crème Brulee Sampler ($7).

Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, in the West End. For reservations call 202.974.4900
Prix-fixe menu: 6:00-6:30pm and 9:00-9:30pm seatings; $150 per person.
Menu Highlights: Terrine of Foie Gras, Cranberry Sauce, Duck Croquant and Dried White Figs; Shrimp & Grits; Bourbon & Maple Glazed Pork Loin, Collard Greens, Hoppin John and Pork Jus. Includes five-course menu, complimentary champagne toast at midnight and special party favor.
Menu by Chef de Cuisine Joe Palma.

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Night Life, We Love Arts, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks (& Arts! & Music!): “X in DC”

"X in DC" by irrezolut, on Flickr

"X in DC, November 2008" by irrezolut, on Flickr

Friends had been trying to get me to check out “X in DC” at BeBar for a while. “It has everything you like!” they raved, “Electronica! Arts! Bellydancing!” I finally got around to the last event on November 15th, and it was definitely a case of truth in advertising. Sometimes you need a little more from your night out than the usual bar experience. “X in DC” aims to blur the boundaries between different artistic disciplines by bringing them together to collaborate or compete, depending on the evening, and this synergy makes for a constant display of creativity. It’s also just plain fun.

It doesn’t hurt that “X in DC” takes place at BeBar, one of the sexiest lounges in DC. A long room lined with a bar on one side and pillow-tossed banquettes on the other, it’s all anchored by a small stage that morphs into a dance floor later on. BeBar survived a somewhat rough birth in Shaw when a local church tried to block its opening back in 2006, but I’m glad they toughed it out and two years later it remains a gorgeous space. The design is simple yet elegant, the lighting delicately flattering, and the drinks menu dangerous. Not to mention, no attitude from the door or the bar. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Tabard Inn

Tabard Inn Cocktail

"Tabard Inn Cocktail" with lemon zest and thyme leaves...

When the weather gets frigid, I begin my never-ending quest for a drinks spot with “hygge.” This is one of those totally untranslatable Danish words – encompassing a feeling of warmth, cosiness, and social cheer, hopefully accented by music and free of pretension – the feeling you get on a cold night, halfway through a mulled cider or a hot toddy, sinking into a soft divan before a fireplace, surrounded by jazz aficionados – wait a minute, here’s a much easier translation:

“Hygge” = Tabard Inn.

Tabard Inn is a classic small hotel, neither swank nor modern nor cold, with an antique-filled, lived-in look, like a grandmother with a twinkle in her eye. It’s hard to go wrong with drinks in the firelit front room, but you can also snuggle up in one of the many nooks upstairs or at the bar in the dining room.  It’s the sort of place my girlfriends and I go when we want “proper cocktails” in a quiet comfortable corner – reminding me of my favorite place for drinks in NYC, the Algonquin Hotel.

Last Sunday was one of those nights, with a brisk wind driving us to thoughts of mulled cider before the fireplace.

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Night Life, The Daily Feed
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It’s not too early: New Year’s Eve


Washington Monument fireworks
Originally uploaded by brianmka

My friends think I’m crazy for talking about New Year’s Eve already, but the Washington Post has proved me sane. They’ve compiled a list of NYE events far more extensive than what I would be able to do, while simultaneously proving me right. It’s not too early to be thinking about the way you’re going to be ringing in the New Year; in fact lots of places are taking early bird prices.

Last year we landed tickets for Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center and went to the after-party gala. Classy, not too high-key or too low-key, and a lot cheaper than the $100+ door prices most places are charging. I’d recommend it.

So will you be headed to one of the big bar events this new year? Is there one in particular that you’ve already scrambled to get tickets for?

Downtown, Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Equinox’s Cider Happy Hour

Equinox Cider Happy Hour by RSchley

Equinox Cider Happy Hour by RSchley

The Oct. 22nd edition of the Dining Out email from Washingtonian had a tip about a happy hour that sounded like a November dream – Fall Cider Happy Hour at Equinox. Yum! I do love me some cider. And my partner in crime for happy hour, Rebecca, loves herself some fall. Fall is well known as her favorite season.  So we decided this would be the perfect treat and headed over last Friday for “hard cider cocktails and complimentary snacks”.

Now, the first thing to note is that these Fall Cider Hours only happen on Fridays. And only between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., and only until December 19th. (Then, rumor has it, the theme changes to chocolate! YES! Jenn, wanna set a date?) So if you’re looking to get yourself some “fall in a glass” (as Rebecca says), then scoot on over!

So we arrived around 6 p.m.-ish and the place was packed. So packed that we almost turned around again and headed for the door. But we were stopped by a bartender who practically forced us to stay, and took our coats and bags and put them in the check room. Which was fabulous, really, for those of us who hate to tote around all our gear while we drink. He gave us a menu and promised us he’d be back. And then the free food started coming around – we were handed some sort of glorious crispy spring roll type thing. My apologies for not knowing exactly what it was. But it was seriously good food. I was hoping the drinks would live up. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, Night Life, Special Events, The District
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Friday Night’s Fixation @ Fight Club

This is it, folks.  FotoWeek DC is kicking off in style!  With so many events to choose from over the course of the week, I highly recommend you start things off by paying a visit to the underbelly of DC, aka “Fight Club”.  Brought to you by Ten Miles Square and The Pink Line Project, Fixation is sure to be a photography show (and night) to remember.

If you’ve never heard of Fight Club before, you’re definitely not alone.  If you have heard of Fight Club, you’re incredibly hip to the underground scene and are probably annoyed that a bunch of fancy artists are invading your space.  This exclusive skate park is home to DC’s local skater scene and is sure to be a place you’ll tell your grandkids about.

But enough about the venue, this show is about photography!  Nine amazing local DC photographers will be featuring their work (all of it for sale) Friday night, some familiar names you are sure to recognize.

“These nine photographers each create a narrative with a short series of images, building the viewer a bridge between the image of our Nation’s Capital and the people actually living inside it. Their photographs inspect our city’s subculture and the people who thrive in it, whether it is the pure ecstasy of a public baptism or the discovery of an elusive quiet moment as 18th Street rages nearby. Some create their own scenes, driven by the absurdity or crucial absences in our cityscapes. Others sneak in the backdoor of highly defined alternative lifestyles, finding characters dolled up for primetime, squeezed in the underbelly of the D.C. club scene. What they all have in common is a fixation on the individual in the hands of a much bigger picture.”

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Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Food
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We Love Food: 1905

Dining Room at 1905

The stretch of 9th from U Street to the Convention Center makes for an interesting walk. It’s a very exciting time to live close by, with development evolving in a truly organic way. From the Little Ethiopia of Etete, Chez Hareg, Habesha Market and Queen of Sheba, to glorious grimy dive DC9, past the beautiful boys at BeBar, vegetarian haven Vegetate, on down to the weirdness of the Convention Center’s cold empty glass. All along are pockets of blight, boarded up houses mostly owned by Shiloh Baptist Church.

On this fascinating street has dropped 1905, a small second floor bistro. The vibe is rather like visiting a quirky friend’s dinner party, whose decorating style is rustic opulence on a budget. On weekdays it’s a relaxing spot for a quiet candlelit meal or drinks at the cosy bar. On weekends the communal table ramps up and it’s far livelier, with live jazz on Thursdays at 10pm. Whichever you prefer, the staff is committed to making sure everyone has a good experience and keeps a friendly atmosphere.

The menu features kicked-up bistro and comfort food with a French twist. Like the space, it’s small, and I wonder if it will change seasonally. The standout for me is the “Grilled Merquez with Polenta and Piquillo Peppers.” I’ve had it twice and it will be hard not to have every time. Having comforting polenta and spicy lamb sausage together – well, it’s like kissing a shy boy and finding out he is a bad boy. Seriously, that’s my metaphor and I’m sticking to it. Continue reading →

Downtown, Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Science Club

DSC_1679

This past Monday, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with fellow WeLoveDCers at the Science Club, discussing operational matters and enjoying the quiet, comfortable environment of the Dupont bar.

The front entrance is impressive, the glass and wood doors looked quite old-school; I half-expected to enter some 19th century Academy of Sciences after passing through their small patio. But alas, not the case. Despite it being a Monday, there was a smattering of people occupying the front “one on one” tables (as the Club calls them) and more further back in the dining area.

Of course, we weren’t here to eat. Just to meet and relax. And the Club certainly caters to that.

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Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, People, The Daily Feed, The District
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Photo Story: High Heel Race 2008

 avon cosmetics

Last week I warned everyonethat my favorite fall event was upcoming… the HIGH HEEL RACE! And last night, with a good dose of determination, and four layers of clothing, I staked out a front row spot at the race. I was able to get fantastic view of all the fabulosity, so I give you, dear reader: The High Heel Race 2008 in photos. Click on through to view them… Continue reading →

Entertainment, Night Life, The District, The Great Outdoors
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Tourism: Halloween in DC

Pumpkin Close Up
Pumpkin Close Up by RSchley

It’s the week before Halloween, and from the looks of the weather forecast, we might see a few creepy thunderstorms before the big day. So, get ready for some Haunted House action here in town as we come close to the big Trick or Treat day. Here are a few ideas for the next week or so to get your Halloweeen on.

Boo at the Zoo

October 23-26 at the National Zoo

Take your kids and trick or treat at the zoo! They’ll have special stations setup for pictures with the various exhibits, and 40 treat stations. Tickets are $15 for FONZ members and $25 otherwise. Saturday’s sold out, so get on tickets for tonight or Sunday or Monday before too much longer, or you might find yourself stuck outside.

Ghost Tour of Lafayette Park

October 27-31 in Lafayette Park

Who’d have thought that the middle of DC was haunted, especially just a block from the White House! There’s a great tour of Lafayette Park’s ghost stories being lead on weeknights through square. Who knew that Lafayette Park was such a neat place? Tickets are $10. Tonight’s tour is sold out, but there’s space left on each of the weekdays next week, including Halloween.

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Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Commissary

Very Berry Smoothie, Commissary

I had high hopes for Commissary, the new bar/coffeehouse/restaurant hybrid near Logan Circle. Positioned at the perfect midway point between my house and the Y, I had visions of stopping in beforehand for a cappuccino, or afterwards to unwind with a tall pint of pureed berries. And indeed, the smoothies at Commissary are delicious, especially the Very Berry – a purple garden in a glass. But as far as being able to call it my new third place, well, not so much.

Part of the EatWell empire responsible for Logan Tavern, Grillfish, and The Heights, Commissary replaces Merkado Kitchen – but apart from a paint job and the addition of a floating lounge in the center, retains the open design and high industrial ceilings of the former. The concept appears to be aiming along the lines of the popular Busboys and Poets. But there’s something lacking here. I can’t quite figure out why it leaves me cold, but after three visits, I’m not anxious to return.

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Entertainment, Fun & Games, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Ghost Tours @ National Building Museum

Courtesy National Building Museum

Courtesy National Building Museum

One of the creepiest places to be this fall will be the National Building Museum. And who doesn’t love creepy around Halloween time? The museum is hosting a lantern-lit ghost tour through through the NBM’s dark hallways, spooky basement, and up to the fourth floor balcony.

The hour-long Historic Hauntings Ghost Tours is led by the ghost of Mary Surratt, co-conspirator in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Along the way, Surratt reveals stories of the other ghosts who call the Museum home, including an irritable horseback rider and mysterious faces in the Corinthian columns. Think history meets creepy fun!

Courtesy National Building Museum

Courtesy National Building Museum

The Tours will be offered from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 17, 19, 24, 28, and November 3, 16, and 23. The tours are $12 for Museum members and $14 for non- members; prepaid registration is required. Register by visiting www.nbm.org or calling 202.272.2448

BOO!

Food and Drink, Night Life, People, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: The Saloon

The Saloon, U Street

I freely admit that I know next to nothing about beer. Oh, except that 12 ounces of Guinness is actually less calories than 12 ounces of Budweiser or Heineken (a fun fact to casually toss out when someone says, “I can’t drink stout, it’s too fattening!” Watch their world shatter). So for me, if I’m going to a bar that primarily serves beer, I want to be able to put myself in someone else’s capable hands. In my ‘hood, those hands belong to The Saloon at 12th & U.

Long before the Belgian beer craze hit DC (noticing a trend about trends in this town?), before lines at Marvin, Granville Moore’s, or bibles of beer at Brasserie Beck, there was The Saloon. Billed as having the “most unique selection of beer on tap”, it’s a completely unpretentious spot that will never get ruined, because there’s nothing the least bit trendy about it – it’s a true neighborhood tavern, dependable, honest, with comfortable bare bones and even a social conscience.

For years I’ve only gone to The Saloon for dinner, sitting at one of the plain wooden tables, always getting the classic bacon cheeseburger and fries. I’m convinced that The Saloon has the best fries in town, but that’s another story. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Sticky Rice

"Sticky Balls" at Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice is a lot like its brazenly named signature dish, “Sticky Balls” – a chaotic gooey crunchy glorious mess.

This isn’t some temple of sushi where a plate of trembling tempura is placed in front of you with a reverential hush like it’s the freaking Holy Grail. You want that, go to Sushi Ko. You want pristine sashimi prepared by traditional chefs, go to Sushi Taro. You want beautiful experiments and the occasional fugu dinner, go to Kaz.

What you will get at Sticky Rice is irreverent cuisine, a florid interior reminiscent of a tattoo parlor’s secret bordello, and a crazy atmosphere like some art students’ late night party. And resign yourself to waiting on a busy weekend… this isn’t the place to hit with a hard time deadline.

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Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Bar Pilar

at bar pilar, by gingher on Flickr
at bar pilar, by gingher on Flickr

Most everyone has a “go-to” bar, that reliable spot to meet up when you’re just at a loss for new suggestions. It’s convivial, relaxing, and if you’re really lucky, within tripping distance of your abode. Bar Pilar fits this description for me.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that it boasts a truly beautiful old-fashioned bar, retro murals and decor in a sort of New Orleans-on-the-Med vibe, with candles giving off a golden glow, making almost everyone look good. It’s slowly but steadily become one of my favorite bars to hang out in DC.

Usually a low-key spot, Pilar mostly avoids the excess popularity that can plague nearby hotspots like Saint Ex, Marvin or Cork. Perhaps that’s because of its intimate size, attracting people in twos and threes as opposed to packs. There’s a varied selection of wine, beer, and cocktails, not to mention a kicking food menu, encouraging a chill/graze mentality as opposed to a frontloading meat market. But as this is our drinks feature, I’ll just focus on two of their cocktails off the “classics” menu, and leave the food for a later date.

Though I’ve never been much of a gin drinker, I just had to order the Bee’s Knees – considering my goofy tendency to use archaic expressions like “the cat’s pajamas” and “johnny-on-the-spot”. Made with plymouth gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup served straight up with lemon zest, it was like drinking the last of summerlight in a glass. Or maybe I was just high off the gin fumes. Continue reading →

Alexandria, History, Night Life
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Lights Going Out

Photo courtesy of wharman
Old Town Gazebo, courtesy of wharman

Ever done a nighttime walk through Old Town over in Alexandria?

If you’ve ever been over across the Potomac for dinner some weekend evening, you’re aware of the “period people” who meander along King Street, sharing the city’s history with passersby and giving the place a quaint atmosphere. (At least, a much better one than that of creepy Williamsburg.)

One of the key places along the King Street corridor is Gadsby’s Tavern, the center of social and political life in Alexandria during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, Media, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Lifestyle Article About DC: Out of Touch, Dismissible

photo from W Magazine

Thanks to our blog-friends at YESORNO, I read about this silly article that appears in the current issue of W Magazine.

One of the worst pieces of writing about D.C. ever to be drafted on napkins in the Condé Nast cafeteria, it claims that nightlife in Washington is cleaved in twain, with young republican prepsters at Smith Point on one side and “hipster” (by which, oddly, they seem to mean “ethnically diverse,” but that interesting use of poetic license may be among the least of the factual errors in the piece) progressives at Local 16 on the other.
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Food and Drink, Night Life, Penn Quarter
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We Love Food: Co Co. Sala

 Co Co. Sala by sinksanctity, on Flickr

With the wine bar trend in full escalation (Proof, Veritas, Vinoteca, Cork, Enology, etc.), it appears we may now be heading into a dessert bar phase. While artisan chocolate cafes like ACKC and bakery empires like Cakelove provide the basics, Co Co. Sala pushes the sweet stuff into high art. If only it weren’t so high octave… it’s an intimate, sexy space but it isn’t exactly conducive to whispering sweet nothings. Upon entering, I spied a white feather boa draped behind a gaggle of celebrating women at the bar. As their decibel level threatened my mellow mood, I wondered, “does chocolate bar = screeching estrogen?”

But restaurants can’t completely control their clientele. If you worship at the altar of cacao, Co Co. Sala deserves a taste. Just be prepared for a bit of a scene. And after knocking back a “Disia” – their lychee rose cocktail that tastes like Aphrodite’s elixir – I was mellow again and ready to give an entire chocolate dinner a try.

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Downtown, Food and Drink, Night Life, Penn Quarter
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We Love Food: Proof Positive

proof.glass

A couple weeks back, myself and a few of the authors you see sneaking around this site had a casual dinner over at Proof in Penn Quarter. It’s a newer restaurant – actually, more like a very upscale “wine bar” – and it was suggested as an alternative to the usual pub meetings we normally have.

Their website proclaims the restaurant is “a Penn Quarter dining destination that exudes both contemporary chic and rustic warmth.” I’ll say this – they completely lived up to that billing.

While there’s some seriously good (and expensive) food on the menu, by far the most popular choices of patrons is their various charcuterie and cheese boards. Oh, and the bazillion bottles of wine scattered around. Just in case you weren’t sure what exactly they excelled in.

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Entertainment, Music, Night Life, We Love Arts
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Great Noise Ensemble at Capital Fringe

GNE@Hirshhorn
great noise ensemble uploaded by hirshhorn

I want to like the Great Noise Ensemble. I really do. They are a plucky bunch of kids, fighting the good fight of aesthetic diversity, they play that post-minimalist, rock/chamber fusion that’s all the rage with the kids, they’ve won WAMMIES two years in a row, and they have a creation story that a Marvel hero could envy. Even more so, this town needs some new blood in its New (Concert) Music Scene, and an outfit that tries to play varied, forward-looking repertoire would be a great addition to the community.

GNE performed Wednesday evening at the Harmon Center for the arts, the ensemble’s second performance in as many years at the Capital Fringe festival, another young, forward-looking organization that is growing in leaps and bounds. The concert, entitled ‘Carnal Node: Sex Noise and Lies in the Internet Age’ showed off the good and the bad about this group: Rhetoric surpassing event, ambition surpassing execution, but all with a promise of better things to come.

The program title sets up a rather specific theme for the show, but only one of the pieces seems to bear much relation to it— rather than telling us anything new about relationships, or technology, or lying, the program as was rather more interested in placing GNE firmly in the rock-derived, post-minimal camp exemplified by the many-tentacled corporate entity known as Bang on a Can; indeed one work had been commissioned and first performed by BOAC through the ‘People’s Commissioning Fund.’ The instrumentation varied from electric bass, guitar, drums and brass to soprano and an ‘extended pierrot,‘ but all the work played with rhythm and phrasing in a manner more akin to Talking Heads than to Mozart, searching for that sweet spot between ‘concert music’ and ‘popular music.’
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