Sorry-I was still recovering from a tremendous weekend in Portland, Oregon, one of the great eating & drinking destinations in the U.S. so missed on a weekly roundup last week. I’ll combine it this week. If I’ve missed anything, like always, you’re welcome to email me at barredindc@gmail.com for suggestions

• New Reviews: One of my favorite (yet polarizing) bars – The Big Hunt in Dupont Circle; and a chill, nice happy hour patio + basement wine bar – J&G Steakhouse Wine Bar & Patio near the White House/Downtown
• Awesomeness: Barred in DC has hit the big time – my review of Standard is now on its Press page (http://www.standarddc.com/press.html) next to USA Today, the Post, Food & Wine and other comparable publications
• Barred in DC Activity
  • Mostly in Portland: Vault Martini Bar – avoid; Teardrop Cocktail Lounge – awesome cocktails, pricey for PDX but cheaper than comparable DC spot; Hollywood Bowl & Arcade – somewhat shady old-school spot in neighborhood in NW Portland, diveish bar attached with great local crafts on draft; Clyde Common – great happy hour, like many in PDX 3-6pm with $3 drink minimum, some legit rock bands + groupies frequent this spot; Streetcar Bistro & Tap Room – more of a nice neighborhood spot restaurant but with great beer list, though closes at midnight on a Friday; Tremendous wine tour of Willamette Valley (concentrated near Dundee) of 5 wineries with Eco-Tours – highly recommended, only $65/person; Huber’s – PDX’s oldest restaurant, very old school spot famous for their Spanish coffees, a great show in making them; Portland City Grill – spectacular view from 30th floor, kind of the John Hancock Building of PDX, somewhat overpriced but good times; Bamboo – stopped by the bar before dinner, 23rd Street is very nice
    
  • DC: J&G Steakhouse Patio (Downtown), The Bullpen (Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront), the Red Loft in Nationals Park, also walked through (but did not drink at) the new Park Tavern (Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront), Standard & Local 16 (U Street/Logan Circle), & Jack Rose (AdMo)
• Bar News
  • Hill Country is Penn Quarter is teaming up with the National Building Museum to host cookouts/bbqs during the summer. Called Hill Country’s Backyard Barbecue, it will be open everyday except Monday & Tuesday, beginning at 4p on weekdays and noon on weekends (WaPo GoG)
  • Blue Banana in Petworth/Georgia Avenue closed. Apparently a weird sports bar + music venue hybrid that opened in Dec. 2010 but never gained a following. Never went, space will be retooled (PoPville)
  • Jackpot, a basement tavern from the owners of Rocket Bar and Iron Horse Taproom, will be opening nearby on 7th St. NW. Will be good addition to hood, always need new bars to detract from the suckitude of Bar Louie (Young & Hungry)
  • Carriage House, the successor to the infamous Tom Tom of Adams Morgan has finally opened. Seems more upscale and less trashy than Tom Tom, though owned by the same folks, who also own the also-infamous Spaghetti Garden/Roxanne/Brass Monkey/Peyote Cafe (Eater DC)
  • Stoney’s, the neighborhood spot in Logan Circle famous for their grilled cheese, is planning on opening a second location in the wasteland that is the West End at 21st and L (Wash Biz Journal)
  • Kabin, an Aspen ski-lodge-themed spot above the new Gryphon (and in the old Steve’s Bar Room space, a strange dancy dive bar) in Dupont is opening in late-May (count on late June); apparently the same folks (looks like a bunch of Indians and a Vietnamese dude, so expect this to be steered towards the VA douche crowd) will also be opening a speakeasy called The Shepherd next door in June or July (count on August). Always interested to see new bars in the hood, though call me skeptical on both these spots (Young & Hungry)
  • Science Club no longer open for lunch, will open at 3p on weekedays (Twitter-Science Club)
  • GBD, the new fried chicken and donuts emporium in Dupont from the people who brought you Churchkey, launches tremendous-sounding happy hour from 5-7p Tues-Fri. $3 punches & wines, $4 rotating beers. Along with the DGS Delicatessen happy hour I reviewed in March, this block on Conn. Ave. is turning into one of the better happy hour destinations in DC  (WaPo GoG/Fritz Hahn)
    
  • Pricey new hotel in Georgetown, the Graham, is opening the first true rooftop bar in Georgetown (Old Glory has a 2nd floor patio in the back without much of a view), called the Observatory. Looks like great views and pricey drinks with some bottle service reserved tables (WaPo GoG/Fritz Hahn)
  • La Frontera Cantina, popular with me simply because of the empty patio on 17th St. in Dupont with cheap extended happy hour specials, is being replaced by (same owners) by Ultimo Lounge, Tapas y Carnes. Grand opening in early May. Hopefully keep some of the cheap specials they had. (Borderstan, first reported by PoPVille)
  • Long-under-construction Guitar Bar above Shake Shack in Dupont runs into some legal issues (PoPville)