The Eastern, New Wine Bar Coming to Eastern Market, Hopes to Open in May/June

As first reported extensively last month by WCP’s Laura Hayes, The Eastern, a new wine bar from the owners of Barrel, is coming to the new 700 Penn building in Eastern Market. It will be located along 7th St. SE across from Pitango. At last night’s ANC 6B ABC meeting, owners Mike Schuster and Matt Weiss laid out a few additional plans about the new concept:

  • Hopes to open this May/June
  • Despite not having a hood for much stovetop cooking/grilling, will serve enough food for folks to have dinner (small plates, charcuterie, possibly house-made pasta;
  • Plan on serving weekend brunch starting around 10:30a (tentative);
  • There will be around 50 seats interior, 30 seats outside;
  • Slightly larger than Truxton Inn (owned by Weiss);
  • 30-50 wines available by glass
  • Full bar available.

Weiss explained that Stanton-Eastbanc, the building developers wanted a wine bar for the space and they were able to make a deal.

During the meeting, the committee (partial disclosure: I’m a member) voted to support the application for a tavern license with full interior hours authorized and somewhat long patio hours considering fact there are no residents directly above or across street. Expect the full ANC to support application next week with liquor license approved shortly thereafter.

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Hill East Don’t-Call-It-A-Food-Hall Food Hall From NRG Appears to Have a Name: The Roost

The Don’t-Call-It-A-Mini-Union-Market-Or-Food-Hall multi-concept establishment coming to Hill East from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group later this year or in 2020 across from the Potomac Ave. Metro apparently has its name: The Roost. This name appeared on the website (see above, but who knows if it will be taken down after this post) for the building in which it will be located at 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Blackbird (DCist or PoPville commenters will have a field day with the quotes and imagery being used to advertise the 170-apartment mixed used development; these quotes also front the building during construction).

My earlier post (which demanded a retraction from NRG but was confirmed by big J journalists 2 months later), contains details on the possible concepts inside The Roost, including beer & wine/cocktail bars, tacos, pizzas, etc.

Thanks to a tipster neighbor (dunno if he wants to be identified) for alerting Barred in DC to the website.

Note: I did not ask NRG for confirmation if this is accurate because I’m not a real journalist and I wanted to put this out there.

Guest Post: Five Tips for the Perfect Gay Bar Party (from a fictional promoter for Flashy Sundays)

[Barred in DC Note: This post was submitted by Zachary Woodward  (@ZacharyAmbroseW) who doesn’t even follow me on Twitter now follows me on Twitter after this was posted, but I’ll give it a pass. For those of you don’t know “MAL” is “Mid Atlantic Leather” weekend, and on select Sundays there is a “Flashy Sundays” LGBTQ-friendly event at Flash, the Shaw dance club near 6th and Florida NW. This post hasn’t been edited and doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of Barred in DC. If you would like to submit a guest post, send it to barredindc@gmail.com]

UPDATE: A day after this guest post appeared, Flashy Sundays posted an apology to attendees of their MAL party. In response, Zachary wrote, “This sincere apology is what I was hoping for when I wrote my parody in ‘Barred in DC.’ Thank you, Flashy, for acknowledging your shortfalls and outlining concrete steps you’ll take to improve. I and everyone else are looking forward to seeing you follow through.”

As a fictional promoter for Flashy Sundays, I heard the same question over and over at our Sunday night MAL event: “How the hell did it get like this?” I’m flattered everyone had such a great time, and I’d be honored to share with you five secrets to Flash’s success:

1.     Promise the Moon. By putting a long, inefficient coat check at the front of the first floor, you can bottleneck the entrance, affording patrons the opportunity to line up outside and witness astrological phenomena like Sunday’s Super Blood Wolf Moon. While your guests wait (in sub-zero wind chill), they’ll ponder the same questions Galileo, Kepler, and countless other sky gazers across history have. “The shadow’s making progress, isn’t it?” “Do you think it’ll reach totality before we get in?” “Oh, is the eclipse over already?” And of course, “How much longer do you think the line will be?” BONUS: For added edutainment, hire the Capital Weather Gang to explain to queuers that the same low-overcast conditions that make for perfect eclipse viewing also make for frigid temperatures.

2.     Acknowledge past mistakes. Pledge to do better. (But, like, don’t feel obligated to actually do better.) Attendees of last year’s MAL Flash party will undoubtedly remember waiting a half hour for two overworked clerks to check their coat. We heard your complaints, and that’s why we decided to understaff our main coat check line (see tip number one) and post on Facebook “We’ll have extra space for coat check on hand.” Exert such minimal effort, and you too can have reviews like “In line at 10:30, still in the coat check line at Midnight. One individual working it? This is absurd.” Thanks for noticing, Courtney Bennett!

3.     Control the Crowd. Everyone’s favorite part of Flashy Sunday is hands-down the second floor: shirtless hotties, sweat beads, furtive HJs evolving into flagrant BJs. As we were planning our MAL party, I had a eureka moment. “Hey,” I said. “Why not make the third floor so cold and uninhabitable that all the gays will just pack into the second. Twice the bodies times half the space equals four times the fun, right? Right???” By midnight, the answer to that was clear. A never-before-imagined wait time to get to the second floor from the third. The effective halving of the number of viable restrooms as using anything but the second-floor ones meant a twenty-minute wait to get back to dancing. Panic as pushing and shoving in the middle of the dance floor recalled details of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Y’all, we weren’t kidding when we told you, “O did we mention we have a few surprises in store for tomorrow night?” Hope you were surprised!

4.     Take Advantage of the Trump Administration’s Labor Regs. If you worry it might be cruel to ask your bartenders to serve cold drinks on a sub-50 floor, just give them a coat and try not to notice their shivering. They’ll appreciate the sympathy tips.

5.     In the Face of the Truth-Tellers Haters, Deny. Deny. Deny. If you’re following my tips and someone tells you point-blank in the middle of the party, “This is all your fault,” simply laugh, ignore them, and cut every line that your decisions have helped create. (Remember, lines are for the normals.) As people are rummaging through mounds of trash bags to pick up their own checked items at 3 AM, make sure to post nothing but positive messages and ignore all the comments calling you out on your alleged BS. Everything is awesome. Flash has in no way degraded over the past two years. Club loyalty should keep us afloat through Presidents’ Day.

1200 Block of H Street NE is DC’s Favorite Block to Drink On

1200 Block of H St. NE

After a series of Twitter polls stretching over a week, the 1200 Block of H Street NE (between 12th and 13th) has been crowned DC’s favorite block to drink on. In a poll open for 3 days, the 1200 block avenged its first round loss to the 1300 block (which was previously undefeated in 3 poll rounds) to eek out a 53%-47% victory. This is despite fact that nearly half the block is occupied by an AutoZone and its parking lot. Bars/spots to drink include: Nomad Hookah, The Queen Vic, Dynamix Lounge, Sticky Rice (and the SingSing Karaoke Palace), Toki Underground (though hard to drop in and get a drink), The Pug, Granville Moore’s, On the Rocks (all on north side of street, west to east); and in southeast corner, Smith Commons and Sol (upstairs cantina to reopen in spring).

Other popular drinking blocks:

  • 1200 H (Sospeso, RedRocks, Impala, Biergarten Haus, Rock N Roll Hotel, Star and Shamrock, Hill Prince, Pie Shop, H Street Country Club)
  • 1200 9th/Blagden (favorite in Shaw) (Calico, Tiger Fork, Columbia Room, Lost & Found, Espita, The Dabney Cellar)
  • 3700 14th St NW (favorite in Columbia Heights/Petworth area) (Lyman’s Tavern, Red Derby, Mezcalero)
  • 900 U St NW (favorite on U Street) (The Brixton, Dirty Goose, El Rey, Velvet Lounge, Dodge City, Nellie’s, Service Bar)
  • 1800 14th St NW (favorite in Logan Circle) (Destination Wedding, Garden District, Black Cat, Masa 14, El Centro DF, Bar Pilar, St. Ex)
  • 2400 18th St. NW (favorite in Adam Morgan) (Songbyrd, Smoke & Barrel, Grand Central, Mellow Mushroom, Shenanigans)
  • 3600 Georgia Ave. NW (Reliable Tavern, DC Reynolds, The Looking Glass Lounge)

The 2018-2019 Federal Shutdown Specials


Specials for shutdown which started December 21st and affected 40% of government (many furloughed employees, many working with delayed pay). More specials can also be found at Washingtonian, DCist, Eater, plus guides on things to do at BYT and WCP ;the WBJ/Top Shelf exploration of the business reason for shutdown special is great. Follow @barredindc on Twitter for updates. [The one-off event Fri, Jan 25th at Players Club is great, Noon-4p with free Timber Pizza, Stella Artois and games. First 250 to enter with gov’t ID]

Federal Employee ID Required:

Every federal employee with an ID, even if not in an agency affected (if you’re a contractor I bet your badge will work) will get the benefits of these shutdown specials, since benefits have to federal government-wide (for my edification I’ve bolded the ones I’ve been to):

Take Advantage Daytime During Week (also night unless otherwise; some closed Mondays so check):

  • Jose Andres restaurants (all in PQ/Chinatown except stated) – free sandwich from 2-5p everyday (tip at least $2 on the sandwich and order at the very least a non-alcoholic drink, unless you’re actually working with paycheck indefinitely delayed and are thus pressed for time)
    • Oyamel – torta suadero (brisket)
    • Zaytina – chicken schwarma
    • China Chilcano – pan con pollo (chicken salad)
    • Jaleo – Flauta de Jamón Serrano (ham)
    • Beefsteak (Dupont/Foggy Bottom) – beefsteak burger
    • America Eats Tavern (Georgetown) – pulled pork
  • Carmine’s (PQ/Chinatown) – $6 bittersweet cocktail/ HH menu all day at bar + free sliders 2-4p at bar (open at 11:30a)
  • Capitol Lounge (Cap Hill) – $5 drink specials (open 4p M-W, 11a Thu-Fri)
  • The Brighton (The Wharf) – 10% off food (open 11a, 10a wknds)
  • Brookland’s Finest – HH pricing all day (open 11a M-F, 10a wknds)
  • The Big Stick (Navy Yard) – extended $4 all drafts/house wine/rails HH (11:30-7p instead of just 3-7p) + 18% off food (open 11:30a)
  • Catch 22 (Brightwood) – 15% off final bill (not applicable to HH) (open Noon Tue-Sat, 11a Sun, closed Mon; BOGO select 3-5p Tue-F)
  • District Doughnut (Barracks Row, Gtown, The Wharf) – free coffee with purchase (open 7a/8a depending on location)
  • Mr. Henry’s (Eastern Market) – HH all day/night (open 11:15a M-F, 10a wknds)
  • Commissary (Logan Circle) – $15 bottomless mimosas or bloodys, Mon-Fri 8a-4p
  • Espita (Shaw) – half-priced margarita or Mayahuel mezcal (so $6.50 instead of $13) (open 11a, closed 2-4p M-F; 10:30a wknds)
  • BKK Cookshop (Shaw) – all day HH (noon-10p, normally 4-7p): $5 wine, $5 draft Singha, $3 BeerLao, & complimentary wontons w/purchase (open at noon)
  • DC Reynolds (Park View) – 11a-2p – $6 sandwich + non-alcoholic beverage deal (reduced from $9) + during BOGO hours (5-9p M-F), feds can claim free drink from others who’ve left BOGO ticket (open at 11a)
  • Beau Thai (Shaw, Mt. Pleasant) – all day weekdays HH (open at 11a)
  • Breadfurst (Van Ness) – staff discount, apparently 30% (open at 7a M-F, 8a wknds)
  • Casolare (Glover Park) – “Treason to Believe” (like a White Russian) – 1st one free to Feds (open all day)
  • The Riggsby (Dupont) – Mulling With You warm, mulled red wine – 1st one free to feds (open all day)
  • Cork Wine Bar (14th/Logan) – all day HH specials (open at 11a)
  • Across the Pond (Dupont) – 10% off check (not combine with normal specials) (open at 11a)
  • Taco Bamba (Chinatown location only) – one traditional taco (open 8:30a M-F, 10a wknds)
  • Sonoma (Capitol Hill) – 20% discount (excludes HH and other promos) any time open (open 11:30a M-F (closed 2:30-4:30p), 5 Sat, 11a Sundays)
  • Pizzeria Paradiso (Dupont, Gtown Spring Valley, other locations) – $30 meal for 2 includes 2 apps and 1 large pizza – available to Fed employees & contractors (bring business card)
  • Bar Deco (PQ/Chinatown) – $8 Manhattans + 20% off bill (excluding booze) (open 11:30a M-F, 11a wknds)
  • BBQ Bus Smokehouse (Brightwood) – 25% off (open at 11a, closed M)
  • Hank’s Oyster Bar (Dupont, Cap Hill, The Wharf) – all day HH + 1/2 off select items
  • Ted’s Bulletin (14th/U, Cap Hill) – all day HH for draft beer, wine, & cocktails M-F (open for drinks at 8a)
  • Supra (Shaw) – 1 free HH menu item with the purchase of any wine, beer, cocktail, or Georgian soft drink. HH also extended during the shutdown, from 2-6p (instead of 3-6p)
  • Charlie Palmer Steak (near Cap Hill) – 11:30a-2:30p free Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with citrus slaw, tomato, and cajun remoulade -add fries + a Blue Point Toasted Lager for $12
  • Rasa (Navy Yard) – 25% off bowls + all day HH (open at 11a)
  • Nando’s (possibly only Navy Yard) – 20% off food
  • Willie’s (Navy Yard) – all day HH
  • Gordon Biersch (Navy Yard) – 20% off
  • Toki Underground (H St) – $5 classic ramen bowl from 11:30a-2:30p Tues-Thurs
  • Good Stuff Eatery (Cap Hill location only) – free snack fry and fountain soda w/ purchase of burger
  • Santa Maria Taqueria (Cap Hill) – BOGO Sauza Tequila Margarita
  • LEON (Downtown) – 50% off
  • Equinox (Downtown) – 20% off
  • Via Umbria (Georgetown) – free Aperol spritz
  • Homestead (Petworth) – free shot
  • Penn Commons (PQ/Chinatown) – $3 Bud Light drafts
  • RiRa Georgetown – free shepherd’s pie
  • Emissary (Dupont) – all day HH
  • Radiator (Logan) – free “Furlough Fix” cocktail
  • Shop Made in DC (Dupont) – claim Pay it Furloughed Beer
  • Kramerbooks (Dupont) – free dessert or appetizer on weekdays
  • Tryst (Adams Morgan) – 10% off
  • Bestoli’s Pizza (Adams Morgan) – 50% off food
  • Luwich Cafe (Capitol Hill) – 25% off for feds and family
  • Mirabelle (Downtown) – free Tiger burger
  • Milk Bar (Chinatown/PQ) – free coffee or cereal milk soft serve)
  • District Winery (Navy Yard) – Half price bottles and entrees at restaurant, and half price flights at tasting bar

Mostly Only Available During Late Afternoon/Evening or Weekend Daytime Due to Biz Hours

  • &pizza – free pizza 3-5p everyday ($5 pies available to contractor employees) [ENDED 1/20, now visit Broccoli Pizza location in Shaw from 11a-6p for free hot meals]
  • DC Brau – Special hours (Tues/Wed 3-8p, open at 4p Thu, and 3p Fri) + Discount on beers in tasting room based on day of shutdown (32% on 1/22, e.g.) + Free flagship beer via Pay It Furloughed 
  • Valor BrewPub (Barracks Row) – HH 4p-close + $7 food specials (only available on weekends)
  • City Winery (Ivy City) – $1 glass of City Winery wine on tap (open at 5p weekdays, 2p weekends)
  • Satellite Room (Shaw) – $2 pizza slice special + pizza/shot combo special (open at 5p, closed on Mondays)
  • Capitol Cider House (Petworth) – extended HH 4-8p (closed Mon-Wed, open 4p Th-Fri, 11a wknds)
  • Dacha (Shaw) – $10 Pilsner boots (winter hours: open 4p M-Th, 3p F, noon wknds)
  • Ten Tigers (Petworth) – $7 Sapparo + shot combo (open 5p Wed-Sun, closed Mon-Tues)
  • The Bird (Shaw) – HH extended all night at bar + $5 beer/shot Shot Down for What combo special (Narranganset can and something else) (open 5p M-Th, 4p F, 11a wknds)
  • Little Havana (Columbia Heights) – half-off drinks (open 3p M-F, 10a wkdys)
  • Dino’s Grotto (Shaw) (bar only) – HH all day (so extended from 7-10p & noon-5p on Saturdays, already all day Sunday/all night Monday) – includes $4 select drafts, $6 house wine/prosecco/bellini, $8 signature cocktails and $5 bar snacks [contractor employees on furlough can also get this] (open 5p M-Sat, noon Sun)
  • Nama Sushi (Mt. Vernon Square) – “Take Me to Japan” glass of sake – 1st one free to feds (open at 5p)
  • Tico (14th/Logan) – Rum With Us punch – 1st one free to feds (open at 3p M-F, 10a wknds)
  • Alta Strada (Mt. Vernon Square) – Overflowing Prosecco glass – 1 free to feds (open at 4p M-F, 10:30a wknds)
  • Reliable Tavern (Petworth) – $8 Old Fashioneds, $5 house beers, and discount on crystal clear ice to take home (open at 5p M-Sat, noon Sun)
  • The Queen Vic (H Street) – 18% off check (open at 5p M-F, 10a wknds, sometimes earlier for soccer)
  • Wisdom (Cap Hill East) – 15% off (open at 5:30 except Sun, when open at 5p)
  • Atlas Brew Works (Ivy City) – Free flagship beers via Pay It Furloughed. + possible 15% discount on others (open at 4p M-F, 11a wknds)
  • Rock and Roll Hotel (H Street) – HH all night after 6p on rooftop ($3 PBR, $4 Bud/Light/rails, 1/2 price wings, $1 off everythign else (usually just til 8p on show nights and all night long on non-show nights)
  • Sweetgreen (all over) – free signature salad 6-8p Fri-Sun 1/11-1/13
  • Tiki TNT (The Wharf) – all day HH ($4 daiquiris made with the house Thrasher’s Rum, $4 beers, $5 wine and $9 frozen drinks, plus $3 steamed buns and $7 wings or tots) (open 3p M-F, 11a wknds)
  • GCDC (Downtown) – starting Thu Jan 10 – $5 select cocktails after 4p
  • Rebellion (Dupont) – 2 oysters for $1
  • Hellbender (Ft Totten) – special HH Sat Noon-7p ($5 full pours) (already on Wed-Fri 5-9p and Sun Noon-8p)
  • Federalist Pig (Adams Morgan) – free beverage w/ any purchase M-F
  • Morris American Bar (Shaw) – $6 Old Fashioneds (open at 5p)
  • The Passenger (Shaw) – 20% off (excluding HH and specials) + special guest furloughed feds bartending Shutdown Saturdays (1/12, 1/19)
  • Lucky Buns (Adams Morgan) – free beer, side dish or dessert
  • El Centro (Georgetown & Logan Circle) – free guacamole or house margarita
  • 3 Stars (Fort Totten) – claim payitfurloughed beer
  • Local Sixteen (U Street) – free pizza + $3 Miller Lite/$4 DC Brau flagships/$4 rails
  • Slash Run (Petworth) – free draft beer
  • Cortez (Shaw) – HH pricing on beverages all night Wed/Thurs which includes all beers $5 (mostly normally $8), frozen drinks $8 ($10), normally just 5-7p
  • Ivy Room at Republic Restoratives (Ivy City) – 20% off (closed M-W, open 5-11p Th-F, Noon-11p Sat, Noon-5p Sun)
  • The Crown and the Crow (Logan Circle) – $2 Dogfish Head American Beauty beer starting Fri 1/25

Non-food/drinks

  • Free museums:
    • National Building Museum
    • Woodrow Wilson House
    • Phillips Collection
    • Lincoln’s Cottage (call ahead to reserve tickets, and bring your federal ID. 202-829-0436, ext. 0, note guided tour not available rest of Jan.)
    • Newseum
    • Madame Toussad’s
    • U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center, Library of Congress, Holocaust Museum, U.S. Botanic Gardens also free like usual
  • Artechouse – use DCISOPEN code for 20% off
  • Capitol Hill Books – 15% off
  • Kreeger Museum – free poster
  • Woolly Mammoth Theatre – use code SHUTDOWN for 15% off BLKS show (Feb 4-March 3). Show fed ID
  • Shakespeare Theatre – use code SHUTDOWN18 for 50% off trio of plays written by David Ives (Jan 3-Jan 6)
  • Studio Theater – use code DCisOPEN and show ID for 20% for KINGS or ADMISSIONS, expires Jan 23rd
  • Arena Stage – 40% discount using code GVT40 for show Kleptocracy
  • Miracle Theater – $5 tickets
  • Fitness [More found here]
    • Balance Gym – 1-4p M-F – free access (locations on Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Glover Park, Thomas Circle)
    • Vida Fitness – redeem at vidafitness.com/furlough for a free workout or class of choice
    • Elevate Fitness – 2 free off-peak classes/week
    • Biker Barre: $15/class rate or $150/10-class pack
    • Bar Method – 2 weeks of unlimited classes for new/lapsed with code “shutdown” for $39

Specials for everyone during shutdown:

  • City Tap House Penn Quarter – 4-10p extended HH inc. $5 select drafts/$6 house wines/$7 beer & shot combo
  • Pennsylvania 6 (Downtown) – extended HH 3-9p includes $5 mixed drinks/drafts/house wine + food specials (normally 4-7p)
  • Dock FC (Ivy City) – all beer buckets are $25 + Dock Pilsner pitchers $20 (this is a special??)
  • Ari’s Diner (Ivy City) – all Adult Milkshakes are half-priced
  • Acqua Al 2 (Eastern Market) – wine bottles half off at bar (who gets a wine bottle at the bar?)
  • Casolare (Glover Park) – “Treason to Believe” (like a White Russian) – $5
  • Nama Sushi (Mt Vernon Square) – “Take Me to Japan” glass of sake – $5
  • Tico (14th/Logan) – Rum With Us punch – $5
  • The Riggsby (Dupont) – Mulling With You warm, mulled red wine – $5
  • Solid State Books (H Street) – select wine/beer $5
  • The Midlands (Park View) – open at Noon + $5 Irish Coffees & BOGO Local drafts til 7p + free wifi
  • Due South (Navy Yard) – HH starts at 2p instead of 3:30p (includes $5 select beer/$6 house wine & rails/$8 Kentucky Mule or Whiskey of Day)
  • Quill at the Jefferson (Downtown) – $2 fries
  • Meridian Pint (Columbia Heights) – Beat the Clock deals on Genessee: 50 cents 5-5:30p, $1 5:30-6p, $1.50 6-6:30p, $2 6:30-7, $2.50 7-7:30p, $3 7:30-8p, $3.50 8-8:30p
  • Meatball Shop (14th/Logan) half-off draft beer/Meatball Shop-branded wine/well drinks + 50 cent mini buffalo chicken balls
  • Kaliwa (The Wharf) – all day HH (open at 11:30a)
  • Right Proper Shaw – M-Th 5-7 $4 select beers and $3-5 shared bites

Good specials to take advantage of year-round

  • Duke’s Grocery – HH 12-7p M-F
  • Duke’s Counter – HH 12-7p M-F
  • The Royal – HH 12-7p Monday, 3-7p T-F
  • Hamilton’s Bar and Grill – $1 PBR and High Life Fridays (open at 11a)
  • EatBar – $4 beers, cocktails, wine and bites M-F 4-7p

Deals don’t include one-off/time-limited specials appreciated like those by District Winery, Union Pub, Madam’s Organ, DC Harvest, Penn Social, We The Pizza etc.

2018 DC BAR ROUND UP – BY BARRED IN DC

I wasn’t asked by BYT to respond to their 2018 Food Round-Up (and they shouldn’t have, as you’ll see below), but given the format is actually pretty great, amazing source of info and Laura Hayes shouted out my Twitter account/polls, I spent 15 minutes replicating (fancy word for “stealing”) below:

Sum up 2018 in bars in a word (or, fine, a sentence)?

Something for everyone, probably.

The best bar trend on 2018/The worst?

Best: More bars giving card back to customer when starting a tab. Worst: People thinking that the person(s) who run the admittedly incredible Dan’s Cafe Twitter account are actually affiliated with Dan’s Cafe.

The most anticipated or best DC bar opening in 2018/The one that didn’t quite live up?

Most anticipated-TikiTNT of course. Probably the most hyped bar in DC since Churchkey opened in 2009. Though, I’ll probably see myself at the Crown and Crow and the Pie Shop (above Dangerously Delicious) more. Didn’t quite live up: Wish 1905 was still there, Cortez probably makes more sense though.

Most underrated bar in DC right now? Why?

Most great bars are properly rated, though people probably haven’t checked out The Crown and the Crow and Pie Shop, which both feature live music, and I think they’ll be pleased when they do.

The best drink you had in 2018?/ The one you wish you hadn’t?

Best: No clue, I went to a lot of bars in many countries. Worst: Definitely this sweet cherry drink I had at Moxy last week since I still remember it.

Favorite cocktail of 2018?

$7 Daiquiri at Colada Shop, primarily because it was $7 and I love a good Hemingway daiquiri. For people who say DC is overpriced, they’re right, but there are spots like Colada Shop you can eat/drink for not much and feel like you’re not slumming it.

Best drinks event of 2018?

I don’t goto many events unless a PR company comps me so nothing really. The 5th Annual All Souls party at All Souls is ridiculous ($1 Tecate, $2 Sparking Wine $3 Makers)

What do you think was THE bar story of the year in 2018? Why?

Duh, the rise and fall of Initiative 77. Amazing to see the mobilization of bartenders politically and the Save Our Tips signs everyone, but also hopefully the public has learned that barbacks get screwed a bit.

What opening are you most looking forward to in 2019?

Little Grand, from Dave and the awesome folks behind All Souls coming to H Street near the Whole Foods. Hopefully it opens by early fall.

What you wish for DC in 2019 food trend wise?/ What you hope stays away?

Bars uniformly agreeing to include tax with price of drinks. NY transplants trying to do some shit here

Favorite Chef? Favorite Restaurant? Favorite Bar?

Chef: I’ve met Michael Rafidi a few times, and he’s cool, so let’s go with that. Restaurant: I rarely have sit down dinners because I spend so much money on bars and traveling. I haven’t been to Little Serow in several years but it’s awesome.  In 2019, dinners at Maydan and Chloe were memorable. Bar: All Souls

What is the place you ended up at the most in your own spare time? Why?

Barwise-I hit Eatbar’s incredible $4 HH nearly every week on way home from work. My FOMOness means I don’t goto same bar that often though I probably make it to Hill Prince monthly. In total, probably my buddy’s Darin’s spot who has been referring to Barred in DC as just “barred” for years. He lives in a condo building that is a glorified dorm off H Street with great deck and floor parties.

Favorite food/drinks story of the year someone else wrote and why?

I learned a ton from Laura Hayes stories in 2018, one standout was this piece about chargebacks at bars (not just saying due to my shoutout) Between her and Jessica Sidman, the Young & Hungry space for the Washington City Paper since May 2012 has been INFINITELY more important than whatever Tom Sietsma writes about DC’s fanciest restaurants every week

Favorite thing YOU covered in 2018 and why?

My favorite polls/stories/tweets were about chain restaurants. People have strong opinions about them and are really interested

Go to cookbook – released this year, and evergreen?

Ha, wut. I actually do cook, but whatever takes 3 ingredients and the least amount of time I find by googling. I make these idiot savant cocktails where I just wing like whatever ingredients in my house. 75% of time it’s awesome, 25% tastes worse than puke.

Instagram vs twitter for staying in the bar loop and why?

Definitely Twitter. Every food/bar writer in DC has their stories tweeted out and bars announce events/specials. Instagram isn’t that great for this. Facebook is actually frustratingly more useful than Instagram in finding info on bars who don’t their info on any other social media site/website, but I can’t follow all the bars in DC on Facebook like I do on Twitter.

Favorite instagram accounts and why?

@rsantra – cool dude

@popville – blantantly doesn’t even bother to post his own photos, but people give him some great ones and it has a good scene of DC. I know he has a lot of haters (including from many of my active followers) but he’s a great guy.

Truxton Inn, McClellan’s Retreat, Union Pub, Barrel – My man Sam does a great job with varying posts/stories and is a great bar manager.

Favorite twitter accounts and why?

@thepug – Tony has some great opinions and thoughts about DC and bars, and sometimes his own bar, the 14th worst in DC

@ivyandconey – Just hilarious and sometimes confusing.

@dcreynolds – always good for mixing it up

@morelandstavern – ditto

@maustermuhle – I refuse to listen to NPR/public radio but he’s great at fact-checking and clarifying local news

@lolomcg – Both fun and real insights from the beverage director/bartender at DC9

A question you wish we asked here (and your answer)

Are blogs dead? Yes but not everyone is on Twitter so you need to put info out somehow and newsletters seem like a ton of work.

Adams Morgan Liquor License Moratorium Extended 3 More Years; Columbia Road Added

In late November, the DC ABC Board unanimously voted to approve a three-year extension (until around end of 2021/early 2022) of the Adams Morgan liquor license moratorium, which has been in effect since 2000. This follows a 3 year extension approved in 2014, and effectuated in 2015, which removed the previous restrictions on restaurant, hotel, and off-premises liquor licenses which many thought stifled development. Barred in DC has obtained a copy of the rulemaking, though there may be a few editing fixes before it’s published in the DC Register later this month.

Under the moratorium, which received mostly support for an extension, no new nightclub licenses can be added in Adams Morgan  and the number of tavern licenses cannot exceed 10 (there are currently more than 10, which means if they close, they cannot be replaced until the number hits 10). ABRA also granted the local ANC’s and neighbors request to expand the moratorium zone  an additional 400 feet on all sides, and shifted the center a bit. The moratorium now extends 1800 feet (one-third a mile) in all directions from Tryst Coffeehouse. Most new areas are residential but the biggest deal is that the moratorium now extends northeast on Columbia Road to the intersection with Mozart Place (half block past Federalist Pig). The ABRA explained why it expanded (basically the spectre of Chief Ike’s reincarnated scared everyone):

The Board recognizes that when it amended the moratorium in 2014, it had not considered a moratorium covering Columbia Rd., N.W.  At that time, fewer residential properties were being built in that area.  Since then,several residential communities have opened on or near Columbia Rd., N.W. and future development projects are planned. … Presently, these residents on or near Columbia Rd., N.W. are not protected by the moratorium.  There has been a substantial amount of testimony of how this lack of protection left those residents vulnerable to a new nightclub opening in the location vacated by Chief Ike’s.  Although the community was successful in preventing the nightclub from opening there, it required a significant amount of time and effort.  Had the moratorium covered this section of Adams Morgan, the community would not have been subjected to this burden.

However, because it expanded the zone, it extended the moratorium 3 years instead of the 5 years sought by the ANC and neighbors, due to the progress made during the previous 3-year moratorium, and a shorter period to review impact of geographic expansion of moratorium would allow amendments to made sooner. Information on the current moratorium (with a map that will need to be expanded slightly) can be found on the ABRA website.