75 Bars DC: Passenger

There comes a point in your daily schedule when you realize you've got some unfinished business. You could continue to charge forward and ignore the unfinished business. But it will stick there in the back of your head like that annoying beeping sound construction vehicles make when they back up. You have no choice, you need to address it. Such is the case of The Passenger, the newly opened bar at the northern tip of Chinatown/Penn Quarter.

I'm about 4 weeks behind on posting this 75 Bars review of The Passenger. I probably could have posted it a few weeks ago, but we got socked by Snowpocalypse 2009 and then the holidays. And even after I got back to DC from vacation, I tried to find ways to ignore the impending crush of an otherwise good bar. In other words, I really, really wish I could say good things about The Passenger, but I can't. I've avoided the unavoidable up until this point. But I'm now faced with the fact that I went to a bar I wanted to like and walked away pretty damn disappointed. And as Dan and I had promised, we'd report on what we found on our visit. Seriously, I thought about going back to give them a second chance. But this particular column isn't about second chances. It's about what we find on our one visit to a particular watering hole. That being said, here goes.

When I heard about the opening of The Passenger, I was hopefully optimistic. The 7th Street location just north of New York Ave. really turned me on because I used to live 3 blocks away. I used to walk by what was then the bar at the Warehouse Theater on a daily basis and always felt this particular block was ripe for development. And I liked the idea of pushing the Chinatown/Penn Quarter development north into Shaw where the neighborhoods seamlessly connect. It all made sense. Upon arrival to The Passenger, I was greeted by a warm exterior and a rush of patrons coming and going. It was nice seeing so much foot traffic in my former hood. The interior was simple but comfortable. Even slightly stoic if you wanna go there. Soft, well placed lighting with ivory archways trimmed with dark woods made for a soothing introduction to the new Mt. Vernon haunt. There is a room off the back that's supposed to resemble a re-created dining car, but I never made it that far. The smooth and warm interior was pretty much the only thing I can say was good. Okay, there are other things, but we'll get to that.

I met up with good friends Dan K., Eric D., Ryan H. and Robert F. We grabbed a table just past the bar near the rear of the front room. The actual bar in the venue was quite small. Trying to make your way past the happy hour crowd at the bar seemed almost as crazy as tackling rush hour on 495. I stood behind the throng of people for - oh - just about 5 minutes before I realized I'd never get a drink. Thankfully they had servers wandering around and Dan and Rob had flagged one down. Here is where things get tricky. The Passenger is owned by two of DC's top mixologists, Derek Brown and his older brother Tom. The two can make literally any cocktail you want. And so they designed the Passenger that way. There are no drinks on the menu. You tell them what you like and they make something creative. Sounds like a neat gimmick, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

First off, I'm not a bartender. I never have been. I know I like Crown and Cokes. I know I like gin. Otherwise, I'm at the mercy of the individual behind the bar making beverages. So it's nice having suggestions on drink ideas. Asking me to name a cocktail or tell them what I like is as bad as asking me to name my favorite Chemist. You tell me what's good. You're the bartender. The problem is, unless you have Derek standing in front of you making your drink personally, it leaves you a bit lost. Not to mention, there aren't any prices for drinks listed anywhere. I figured I'd go safe and order my usual Crown Royal and Coke. Dan ordered his usual Seven and Seven. 20 minutes later the waitress returns to tell me she doesn't have Crown. No Crown at a bar? Fair enough, I bite on the creative drink idea. I tell her I like gin and off she goes. I'm still unaware of how much I'll be paying for my beverage. I just know something will come back based on my enjoyment of gin. At least, I think a drink will return.

20 minutes after I corrected my drink order, the waitress returns to tell Dan they don't have Seven. Mind you, this is 40 minutes after Dan first ordered his drink. I take the opportunity while we have the waitress nearby and order one of their Slaw Dogs (hot dog). My cocktail creation arrives about 10 minutes later. "What is it?", I ask. "Dunno" says the waitress. Um, seriously? I bought into your crafty bastard drink idea, the least you can do is tell me what I'm drinking. "There's gin in it" she says. Well now, that makes me happy. At least I know there is gin in my drink... (rolling my eyes).

10 minutes later, my slaw dog arrives. One hour after placing his order, Dan is still standing there without a drink. He's trying to ask the waitress, but she seems to be space cadeting off somewhere other than The Passenger, or even DC for that matter. Lord knows where her head was at that point. Approximately one hour and 30 minutes after ordering his drink, Dan is finally presented with a cocktail. Don't ask what it was... the waitress didn't know. It didn't matter at that point. It had alcohol in it, so Dan was drinking it.

Clearly the drink issue, the waitress and the timeliness of the bar was a problem. I can accept certain things when a business is just opening. I realize this is a new bar and it's quite popular. But the waitstaff should know what they are serving their patrons. And any wait over 20 minutes for a drink is unacceptable. An hour and 30 minutes is cause to be panned, which is what I'm doing.

With all due respect to Derek and Tom, my drink was very good. And the slaw dog was one of the best hot dogs I've had in DC since moving here. Imagine a perfectly cooked dog with just the right amount of char and a slight hint of honey BBQ. Seriously, the quality of the food and drink could easily make this one of the better bars in the District. But the wacky name your own beverage idea, lack of prices anywhere and horrible service simply wasn't enough to overcome. I'd be willing to go back, but any bar that puts out such a poor first impression really needs to iron out these kinks before it's worth my time. As I've said before, there are just too many places in DC that offer me a valuable nightlife experience to accept anything less.

I'm hoping The Passenger can improve. I really, really want it to do well. Better yet, I want my old hood to do well. Fingers crossed DC!

Dan K. points to his watch after receiving his beverage one hour and 30 minutes after ordering.

1st Photo by Jim Webb
2nd and 3rd Photo by DVS

Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Clubs, DC, Drinking, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife, The District, Washington

posted by DVS @ 10:00 AM 2 comments links to this post

75 Bars DC: Galaxy Hut

We continue our 75 Bars adventure in the great Commonwealth of Virginia with a stop at the ultra hipster hideout, Galaxy Hut. I'll go ahead and admit here that I had not heard of Galaxy Hut prior to reading the Washingtonian 75 Bars issue. Even after reading, I couldn't get a sense of what to expect. All they said was "it's small." Okay, but that can mean anything. What's the crowd like? What's the decor like? Are the drinks good? Dan and I found out!

We hit up Galaxy Hut after our visit to the wonderful Liberty Tavern. We had already experienced a great bar in LT, so it would be hard to top what was presented to us there. And frankly, I kinda expected some disappointment based on what I already knew about the venue. After parking the car on a side street, Dan and I agreed, "this would be interesting."

Galaxy Hut is located almost dead-center between the Clarendon and Court House Metro stops along Wilson Blvd. It's an unassuming white building clustered in with a bunch of other unassuming white buildings. Your only sign to locate the bar is a flag hanging out front and some pretty funky colored lights and a crafty sign hanging in the window. This was a Thursday night, so street traffic was light and there was no band playing. But upon entry into this little hangout, I was overwhelmed with a sense of artistic expression. Galaxy Hut is basically what every coffee shop strives to be. It's quaint. It's unique. It's rustic but not dirty. It's small, but not a shoebox. And best of all, it truly is a hipster bar...not some prefabricated venue designed to look hip but is actually an Ikea showroom that serves beer. The art on the wall is all original and local. The patrons are all loyal customers and local. The music that is performed at Galaxy isn't necessarily local, but the support is truly grassroots.

The bar is dark and gets it's lighting from those funky lights in the window and from the video games that serve as tables. Near the back of the bar is a kitchen that serves up a nice assortment of vegan and vegetarian friendly fare. They don't sell hard alcohol, but have a very large assortment of draft and bottled beers. Yes, people were drinking Pabst, but you get the sense they drink it because they like it, not because Urban Outfitters says it's cool. In other words, this bar is straight up real.

Dan and I found a seat at one of the video game tables and ordered our beverages. I wish I could remember what Mr. Dan ordered, but I got so giddy about my own selection. Galaxy Hut was elevated in my eyes the moment I saw they had a Belgian lambic. It gets better kids! The Belgian lambic was priced at a very reasonable $7. I almost fell out of my seat when I saw that. Oh, but we're not done yet.

Remember the food menu I mentioned? Well I couldn't let the night go by without ordering their tater tots. Yes, you read that correctly. They have tater tots on the menu. I mean, is this a real-life DVS dream-come-true? Raspberry lambic and tater tots? My mouth waters right now thinking about it. And I wasn't the only one stoked about the tots. Dave from DC said it best when he confessed "I'm not going to eat dinner. I'm just going to stay here and eat tots!" I couldn't agree more.

You see, the thing about Galaxy Hut is you get a real sense of expression and uniqueness in this little bar. While sitting there enjoying my lambic, I really felt like I was enjoying someone's truly unique bar concept. As I said before, it might be a hipster magnet, but it's real. Galaxy Hut is a geek-chic bar with an artistic edge that knows exactly what it wants to be and will stay that way as long as the DC area echo boomers continue to visit.

I will most certainly go back to this bar. Because no matter how much I enjoy the fine dining establishments of the District, there is nothing better than a lambic and tater tots!



1st Photo by Flickr user JackiePants'
2nd Photo by Flickr user Tim Serge
3rd Photo by Flickr user Waleed123
4th Photo by Flickr user HoiPolloi

Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 4:30 PM 4 comments links to this post

75 Bars DC: Liberty Tavern

Since our 75 Bars DC adventure has kept us in the District the past few outings, Dan and I figured it was time to visit our friends to the west in Virginia. According to the Washingtonian list, there are 12 bars in the Commonwealth worthy of our attention. And while I don't get into Virginia that often for nightlife, I'm sure there are others not listed worth a visit. If you own a bar or know of one you really enjoy, let me know. It doesn't matter if it's in DC, Arlington, Vienna or Greenbelt. We're here to serve you with the most accurate and real-life accounts of these drinking establishments.

That being said, I have one thing I have to vent about today. I don't know about you, but I get really annoyed by the whole bridge and tunnel crowd that seems to be growing in numbers in our city. You know what I'm talking about. These are the people who live in DC but act like there is a vast wasteland of rednecks and strip malls just across the Potomac River. They talk in dramatic tones about how great DC is and sound exasperated at the thought of even thinking about Virginia. You almost get the impression that they fear they'll sprout a mullet, lose a tooth and start talking with a twang if they even look in that westerly direction. I didn't encounter these types on my 75 Bars night but overheard a young guy last night at Zaytinya trying to impress some lady-friends. The funny thing is, I think the guy who was acting like a DC-snob sounded more like a tourist than the people who live in the suburbs. I mean, he talked about his neighborhood and the bars he visits like he's going down a checklist pulled from Travel magazine. Dude, no one cares if you go to Marvin all the time. With all due respect, everyone has been to Marvin and it really isn't that cool. So you can understand why I was excited to trek into Virginia on this particular evening to experience some of what the Old Dominion has to offer and rub it in the noses of these District snobs that probably grew up in...Virginia.

Our first spot was Liberty Tavern in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington. Like DC, Arlington is a cluster of defined neighborhoods. Clarendon sits along a corridor of tightly compact neighborhoods all connected by Metro and Wilson Blvd. These neighborhoods are newer and seem to cater to a large young population looking for city-life but suburban amenities. Liberty Tavern sits at the corner of Wilson, N. Irving St. and Washington Blvd. It's housed in an historic Masonic Temple building and decked out with black awnings, a hard-to-miss neon sign and outdoor dining. The interior is nicely appointed with dark-warm woods, high ceilings and an imposing staircase to an upstairs dining room. The downstairs bar has a long communal table fit for sharing food or enjoying a cocktail after a long day of sitting at a desk.

The first thing you notice at Liberty is the buzz of energy throughout the bar. Most of the crowd is fairly young in the early-to-mid 30's range. The fashion - button down shirts, khaki pants and pleats (oh God, pleats!) - definitely agrees with the suburban work-life vibe most of the patrons exude. I'd bet half work in DC and half work in Virginia, but almost all of them come back to this neighborhood and visit Liberty because of it's friendly neighborhood pub appeal.

And the bartenders certainly contribute to the atmosphere with their welcoming demeanor. We were greeted within 20 seconds after settling in to our bar stools by a very friendly bartenders named Nick. In true Cheers fashion, Nick introduced himself, asked our names and shook our hands. It might seem simple, but this greeting always props up a venue in my regard. We ordered our standard drinks of choice and sat back to take in the atmosphere.

One thing I'll say for Liberty is everything about this bar is done well. I believe the proper word would be balanced. I had a standard Crown & Coke for drink #1 and a glass of Malbec for drink #2, both of which were very enjoyable. Dan enjoyed a Belgian wheat beer to start and the aptly named Masonic (Evan Williams Black Bourbon, Lemon Juice, Mint, Water, served in a mason jar) for his second beverage. All of which were made well and clearly show an attention to detail behind the bar.

We ran into our fair share of drunk ladies heading home after a successful happy hour and a young girl who almost lit her eyebrow on fire while trying to have a smoke out front. So thankfully there was some color in the evening. But overall Liberty Tavern is a solid neighborhood bar worthy of another visit. And a little side note about this tavern is they host a very nice Sunday brunch that comes complete with a candy table offering selections of Pez. Seriously!

I know I'll never convince some people to visit Virginia for a nocturnal experience. Clearly Mr. Happy at Zaytinya is proud of his cookie cutter nightlife selections that Zagat keep telling him are cool. But for those looking for a balanced night of great cocktails, warm and inviting atmosphere and friendly bartenders who will remember your name, Liberty is the spot.

Labels: 75 Bars, Arlington, Bars, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 12:41 PM 0 comments links to this post

75 Bars DC: The Gibson

It's going on 9 p.m. on a recent Thursday night. Myself, Dan, Rick and Rob are all enjoying libations at Bar Pilar, part of our 75 Bars DC experiment. I look at my watch and realize we need to get going. We have a reservation waiting and we can't be late. We slug our drinks down as quickly as possible, settle our tab and exit Bar Pilar to the vibrant 14th and U Street corridor. We don't go very far...just two blocks to our final destination of the evening. We stop in front of what looks like an abandoned building. No signage, no lights, not even a hint of activity. The windows and doors are closed and covered with steel garage security doors. The only sign of life comes from the DC socialites gathering out in front of Marvin directly next door.

We try the front door. It doesn't open. We ring the doorbell and after about a minute a young doorman steps out and brings us into a dark hallway. You get the feeling you've just walked into a crack house. He asks if we have a reservation. We do. A couple had walked in behind us and so he asks them if they have one. They do not. He takes their cell phone number and says he'll be calling. They leave. He then opens a black door and walks us in. Welcome to The Gibson.

The Gibson opened on 14th Street just about a year ago with little fanfare. That, of course, would go against its speakeasy concept, which comes from owner Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation, the Eighteenth Street Lounge and neighboring Marvin. I remember my first visit proved it's easier to just book a reservation days ahead than try your hand at the door, which that couple that followed us in quickly found out. The Gibson has a strict "no standing" policy and does not allow lines out the door. They simply take your cell phone number and call you when (if at all) a spot opens up.

On this evening, the four of us planned ahead and were walked straight in to our table. The bar is made of lush appointments with intricately embossed black leather and warm unfinished wood on the bar and cozy booths. There's a patio out back, and the back room sports an absinthe fountain. A chalkboard is updated with the list of drinks to give imbibers a quick view of the menu. The Gibson isn't a place to be seen. It's a bar dedicated to the drink and allows you to settle into your own little world and forget all of that narcissistic showboating that goes on at most nightlife establishments. If anything, the trendy side of The Gibson is simply being able to tell people you've been there.

On this night Rob and I both started out with the Blue Blood, which consisted of Laphroaig 10 Year Single Malt Scotch, Leopold Bros. Tart Cherry Liqueur, Grand Marnier and Dolin Dry Vermouth. The drink was decent but had an awfully strong peaty flavor coming from the scotch that overpowered the drink. I don't mind scotch, but I really don't want my beverage to taste like a campfire.

Rick enjoyed the Obituary Cocktail, which was Tanqueray 10 Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth and Kubler Absinthe. Rick described the drink as clear, neat and innocent but packs a strong little punch. "The cocktail hits the nose with the strong scent of black licorice but quickly fades into a classic gin flavor" says the Rick. "Almost as soon as it appears, the Tanqueray dissipates as a fleeting memory and settles back into the smooth flavor of licorice."

Dan went with the Tennessee Rose, a drink he enjoyed at Off the Record and I assume was just as good at this drinking establishment. I didn't see it on the menu, so I'm going to assume it's prepared in a similar fashion.

My second drink was a Planters Punch, which was Appleton Estate Light Rum, Myer's Dark Jamaican Rum, Orange, Lemon and Grenadine. I wish I could give you details on this drink, but my palate was pretty much ruined after finishing off my strong peaty Blue Blood and trying Rick's second drink. As a friend recently said on Twitter, ZOMG!!! Rick's second beverage was known as The Upstate. His description pretty much says it all... "Pure gas! Don't smoke next to this puppy or it'll blow. The rye overpowers the drink but does end with a hint of citrus. Not for the faint at heart." He wasn't kidding. If your taste buds aren't numb after a few drinks of The Upstate, I'm impressed.

The drinks weren't the only thing that left us a little ruined. If there was one thing I seriously didn't like about The Gibson, it was the sudden time limit put on our table. I'm not kidding. After about 30 minutes of enjoying great cocktails and appetizers, the doorman comes over and says we have "30 more minutes before we have to give up our table." WTF? When's the last time you had a bartender tell you you've got 30 minutes before you have to give up your stool for another hearty drinker? We asked the waitress and she informed us he was wrong, we have about an hour left. But still... you're timing us? The Gibson had started out so perfectly but was quickly and quietly crashing our 75 Bars party. I understand the nature of the bar in their reservation policy. But I think once you're in, you should be able to stay. I know The Gibson would be the type of place I could spend 2 or 3 hours drinking and enjoying conversation. It's not the typical bar in DC where you're asses to elbows and have to yell just to say "What's up dude!" The Gibson is about savoring your drink and so it came as a surprise that we were being hurried along to finish these types of drinks.

I won't completely rip the place because of this policy, but I will let them know it kinda sucks. But in fairness to The Gibson, it's an awesome little bar and worth some of the bumps and bruises that go with trying to maintain a different type of nightlife establishment. And I suppose it's good they impose a time limit or else most of the patrons wouldn't be able to walk much after drinking more than 1 or 2 of the supremely strong beverages.

The Gibson is hot folks. But make sure you book a reservation and don't plan to stay all evening.

Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Entertainment, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 3:47 PM 1 comments links to this post

75 Bars DC: Bar Pilar

75 Bars DC made a triumphant return to the streets of the District last week with 14th Street as our target. The neighborhood is known simply as U Street, but it could be argued that it's also the northern borders of Logan Circle. Whatever you call it, the 14th and U area of DC has become one of the hottest neighborhoods in our city. It's chocked full of trendy restaurants, galleries, theaters, Whole Foods and of course, bars.

We kicked off our evening with a stop at the well known and local favorite, Bar Pilar. This little tavern is a small Ernest Hemingway-inspired bar that sits near the corner of 14th and T Streets NW and is owned by the same people who own the popular Cafe Saint Ex. "El Pilar" was, as devoted Hemingway aficionados know, the name of Hemingway's fishing boat that he kept at his home in Cuba. So it should be no surprise that Bar Pilar has several fishing and nautical items posted along the walls.

I'll admit that I haven't had the best of experiences in this bar prior to this night. Mainly, I've always found it to be incredibly crowded and rather hard getting your hands on one of their crafty beverages. It always seemed like one of these popular yuppie/hipster joints that serve hard to find brew and alcoholic concoctions that leave you scratching your head. But I'll go ahead and say, Bar Pilar impressed me on this night.

The place was crowded as usual and as Rob said in his follow-up report to me, it's vibe was "a little on the emo/counterculture side." I got the impression the crowd was a combination of neighborhood residents and local activists. Simply stated, it was a diverse group of grazers who don't want to spend a fortune but want some variety with their cocktails. Either way, we settled into a spot at the bar, took off our coats and began exploring the drink menu. Pilar serves a whole assortment of beverages and hard-to-find beers, but their specialty cocktail list is what they're known for. I order a Bee's Knees which is an excellent blend of Plymouth Gin, lemon juice and honey syrup. It's like a slightly sweet and sour version of a gin and tonic, taking a rather bitter drink and giving it a full-body of life. In a city where specialty cocktails are pushing towards the $20 range, paying $10 for this drink is a steal.

Dan tried the Golden Bulleit, which was Bulleit Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey with an orange-clove syrup and Rob enjoyed a Dark N' Stormy, which was Gosling Black Seal Rum and Fentiman's ginger beer. Our good friend Rick joined us a few minutes later and ordered one of my favorites, a tasty Lindemans Framboise Belgian Raspberry Lambic. As far as I could tell, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their fancy pants cocktails, which added to a pretty spirited vibe throughout the bar. I specially like the attention to detail our bartender paid to our drinks and she even took the time to explain why certain drinks were her favorites. The last time 75 Bars hit the streets, we seemed to run into cerebral bartenders who gave us funny looks for even asking for recommendations. When you have a talented craftsman behind the bar like they did on this evening at Bar Pilar, it's no wonder they enjoy explaining and showing off their goods.

I closed out my stop at Bar Pilar with an aptly named Hemingway, which was Plymouth Gin, green coconut water, Angostura bitters and fresh lime juice. It sounds freaking amazing but it pretty much fell short of anything exciting. Wasn't bad, but the Bee's Knees is where it's at! Overall Bar Pilar serves as a well thought out and well run tavern in a neighborhood where excellence and competition is to be expected.

Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Clubs, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 2:40 PM 6 comments links to this post

75 Bars DC: Off the Record

The next stop on our tour of the top 75 bars in DC took us to a little hotel bar inside of the historic Hay-Adams Hotel. Now I'll admit, when Dan mentioned to me we'd visit Off the Record in the venerable hotel next to the White House, I was somewhat confused. Of course I had heard of the Hay-Adams. Every Washingtonian who spends more than five minutes in this city has heard of the amazing Hay-Adams. But there was a bar inside? And it's one of the top 75?

Ah, how could I be so unlettered about the existence of this place. How could I, a true resident of this great capital not know of this revered watering hole right next to our most famous residency. Such is the case of my night wandering into Off the Record.

As we walked toward the majestic hotel along 16th, one can't help but feel like you're about to step foot inside one of the great hotels of our nation. The Italian Renaissance-style facade commands attention as do the large flags flying high above the grand entrance. The dark wood and marbled floors are oozing with distinctive luxury.

Dan asks the bellman at the door if he could direct us to the bar. Rather than just verbalize directions, the obviously French bellman walks us into the hotel and down a set of stairs. He points to a set of doors where a buzz of activity gives way to a small and yet opulent hotel bar. Apparently Off the Record isn't such a secret after all. This place was hopping!

Dan and I grab two seats at the octagon-shaped bar and browse their drink selections. At first glance, Off the Record is exactly the type of bar I would expect this close to the White House. It's the type of bar I figured I'd find more of in this city of lawyers, lobbyists and politicians. It's dressed in dark woods, red-velvet covered couches, high-back leather chairs and ornate trim. Most of the clientele were wearing suits and business attire and to be honest, most looked like they were brokering back-room policy deals. I could have been sitting next to one or two (or maybe 12) members of Congress.

I order my usual Crown and Coke and Dan orders a what's called the Tennessee Rose. I'll let him give you the juicy details on his drink over at 75barsDC.com. He drank about 6 of them, so I'm guessing it was pretty darn good. As for my stand-by Canadian whiskey drink, I absolutely loved it! As I've said before, it's not a hard drink to make, but clearly the Off the Record bartender still cares to put his heart into even the simplest of adult beverages.

That's where the night started to get fun. Dan and I struck up a conversation with a couple from San Francisco. Actually, they asked what my tattoo meant and somehow we started talking about nightlife, bottle service and cocaine. Why do I always find the tourists who want a quick fix??? Maybe I just give off the impression that I know "where they can find some." Whatever the case or their vices, they were a neat couple who said they visit DC about 4 times a year and absolutely adore our city. They said they read about the Hay-Adams once in a magazine and have been staying there the past 4 years. At some point in the conversation, a young lady comes over to Dan and asks if he's Doug Van Sant. Dan laughs and points in my direction as the man she was looking for.

Turns out, the young lady was Ardina Kievits, assistant restaurant manager for the hotel and was directed by the hotel manager to come down, find us and offer to buy us a drink. I know... crazy right? The hotel manager had noticed my tweet about 75 Bars DC and us being at Off the Record, and wanted to thank us for stopping by. My first reaction is, how the hell did he find my Twitter account? Then it dawns on me that you can search keywords that display when someone tweets about a particular venue. I've gotten personalized responses before from places like Wolfgang Puck's bistro in LA and the Tabard Inn here in DC.

So we tell the bar manager about the project and I proceed to order a raspberry rickey. The drink was quite tasty and designed perfectly for those seeking a lighter, more refreshing cocktail. That's when I began to talk to bartender John Boswell about 75 Bars DC and the history of drinking establishments in the District. Remember I mentioned the bartender who made my simple Crown and Coke with heart...well there is a reason for his attention to detail. Bartender John Boswell is regarded in many circles as the best bartender in Washington, DC and has been bestowed that award 4 times by Washingtonian Magazine. John told stories of hotel bars and local watering holes that hold more history than the Smithsonian. He gave me a list of places we need to visit and the long-time bartenders we should talk to. Clearly John has seen his share of celebrities and politicians come through the Off the Record doors, but it's his affable personality that makes even the average patron feel famous.

To sum up my experience at Off the Record, I'd have to say I walked away feeling connected. I felt connected to the city I call home and to the people who share our great structures, monuments and grand thoroughfares. I left Off the Record feeling like I spent the previous two-hours engaged in an activity so many DC residents had prior to that evening. I felt like I was truly...home.

Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Clubs, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 4:25 PM 3 comments links to this post

75 Bars DC: Old Ebbitt Grill

Every city has a staple. Whether it's a monument, an iconic sign or building or general tourist attraction, they exist in most of our major cities. And like these staples of tourism lure, most cities have an iconic restaurant or bar that lives through the decades. Greensboro had the famous Rhino club. Tampa had the historic Tiny Tap Tavern. Heinhold's First and Last Chance has been serving as a local watering hole on the Oakland waterfront prior to the great quake of 1906. These bars and restaurants are no longer destinations in their respective cities, they are institutions.

DC is not without it's share of iconic buildings and historic bars. One could argue it's "the" city of iconic structures. But there is one restaurant and bar that's been serving residents and tourists of our nations capital longer than any other...Old Ebbitt Grill.

This historic institution was founded in 1856 by William E. Ebbitt and has lived in various forms throughout the downtown DC area. When I moved to DC three years ago, I was told by locals this was "the spot to go to see old school DC." Like previous places I've lived, I embraced the history of DC and wanted to embrace her local institutions of imbibery. I had been several times for dinner, but never did I go to Old Ebbitt just for drinks. So Dan brings forth the 75 Bars idea and off we went. Our first bar in this adventure would be the oldest in DC.

First impressions of Old Ebbitt as someone walking in off the street is chaos. This place is incredibly popular. I'm not sure how many of the people crowding by the door waiting for tables were from DC or visiting tourists, but you can't deny Old Ebbitt is certainly not hurting for business. My gut would immediately tell me to leave by walking into a dining room that crowded and loud. But as DC residents, Dan and I both knew there was another bar to the left of the entrance, so we excused ourselves through the crowds to this less inhabited part of the restaurant. Let me point out, less inhabited doesn't imply no crowds. Anytime between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Old Ebbitt is pretty chaotic because you get the happy hour crowd. The back bar was more inviting to us to order a drink, but it was by no means quiet.

I noted to Dan that every one of the people gathering for drinks had yet to go home. Clearly we were surrounded by DC enjoying their happiest of what had become many hours. This is important to know because the main dining room bar is next to impossible to get a drink at and you'll more than likely be sharing bar space with a plumber from Iowa. (not that there's anything wrong with that)

According to our rules, I ordered two drinks. My first was my drink of choice, a Crown and Coke. My second was based on the house speciality, a Crown and Coke. Why the same drink you ask? I'll tell ya...

Dan figured he'd go for the house speciality with his first drink. He asked our first bartender to recommend something. The bartender looks at Dan with a confused look and says, give me somewhere to start. Clearly the question "what do you recommend?" doesn't get asked very often. So I ask the second bartender about their menu of drinks and which does he suggest. This time I get a more clear picture of what Old Ebbitt specializes in as he tells me to avoid that drink list. According to the bartender, the drink list changes for each season, so right now these drinks are full of creme and designed to appeal to a cold tourist looking for a warm and comforting beverage. What does Old Ebbitt do well though? Whiskey, Bourbon and Vodka.

Like most of DC, fancy schmancy cocktails are saved for the ultra lounges and trendy house music bars of K Street and Chinatown. This venue is a drinkers bar with an emphasis on the quality of the liquor and less on the number of different alcoholic shots you can throw into a glass. Old Ebbitt is designed and built as a bar for the hard-working lawyer, lobbyist and politician of old-school DC.

On top of our drinks, Dan and I both had an appetizer. I enjoyed a cup of the creamy clam chowder, which hit the spot on a cool rainy evening. And about those Crown and Cokes, they were pretty darn good. I can usually tell a big difference in the venue based on how much ice and how flat the coke is. Old Ebbitt hit the mark on delivering me my favorite drink with a well poured hand.

My only complaint with this bar is the mixture of tourism and local flavor. Any time you take a bar or restaurant that's become a fixture in a scene and infuse it with hundreds of tourists each day, you lose some of the local connection and flavor. Old Ebbitt is beautiful and makes good drinks, but I can't see myself going there on a random night because I don't get the sense I would be remembered. A good bar that's billed as a local institution should bring you a sense of home and welcome you in like you've just sat down for a drink in your own living room. With thousands of tourists coming and going each night, I doubt Old Ebbitt will ever exude that type of charm.

Labels: 75 Bars, Clubs, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 2:23 PM 2 comments links to this post

75barsdc.com

The title of the blog pretty much says it all. Two weeks ago Mr. Dan Kelly calls me up with an idea. He had been out the night before at the Pour House on Capitol Hill and got into a conversation with a young lady about the Washingtonian Magazine top 100 area restaurants. The young lady tells Dan it's her goal to try each and every restaurant on the list.

So Mr. Dan, being the adventurous individual he is, thinks...hmmmm, Washingtonian Magazine did a top 75 bars list as well...

The following is an excerpt from his blog:
So the idea hit me. Why don't I check out all of these "Best Bars" and tell people about the experience. I can visit 75 bars and have drinks, not a problem, but how to make this more interesting? That's easy I have to complete this before March 1st 2010 when the next Best Bars issue comes out. Now this is getting interesting. So 15 bars a month... 30 days in a month... 1 bar every 2 days. PHEW! My liver is going to get a workout on this one.

Dan then enlisted my help with this project because as he says, you need a partner in crime on something like this. Besides, Dan and I have been moving and shaking up the nightlife scenes from DC to NC to all-over the state of Florida. When it comes to bars and clubs, we've built up some credibility with our various newspaper columns and marketing concepts.

So we developed the "rules" for 75 Bars DC. (I can hear some of you laughing right now as we talk about rules and drinking.)

1. We both must be at the bar.
2. We must have at least 2 drinks at each bar.
3. One of the drinks must be a "specialty" of the bar. Wine at a wine bar, Martini at a martini bar... you get the picture.

As Dan says, we have to have some guidelines that make this project somewhat official. And our goal is to provide you with an "off the street" perspective of these bars. In other words, we don't want to act like or write like we're a long time restaurant critic who goes through a cerebral review process. We simply want to give you an idea of what to expect at these places if you were to wander in off the street yourself.

And so the next step was for Mr. Dan to register the domain 75barsdc.com. This was important because we need something to help with our marketing of this little project. I'll continue to post here on my blog, but we needed a domain to direct our friends and bar patrons that we meet along the way to. And so there you have it. 75barsdc.com is now official. The project has begun.

Labels: 75 Bars, Clubs, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife

posted by DVS @ 12:41 PM 3 comments links to this post