Red Derby tonight, and an end to the blog

All,

Last minute change to Happy Hour tonight - it will be at Red Derby at 3718 14th Street starting around 6 or 6:30.

And, as an end to an era and a beginning of a new one, this will be the final blog posting. If you've been a frequent Wednesday happy hourer, you'll most likely be getting future emails about happy hours. If not, contact whoever you know on the happy hour group and you can get added back to the email list if you'd like to join us at happy hour!

Signing off,

JK

The Young and the Professional 07.01.09

Hey people,

I already wrote up this damn thing and then lost it so you're getting the abridged version.

There is a Professionals in the City event poolside at the Washington Plaza Hotel which sounds pretty sweet. Check out the third event at this link.

There is Bangkok One in the vicinity for cheap drinks and thai food.

There is Palette with what seems to be a degree of hipness unusually present at our gatherings. Seems cool.

Jump on the wagon, Rock the Vote, and professionalize yo'sef!

Cheers!

Center of the Universe HH 06.24.09

Hey people,

This week we're thinking about participating in some social life in what I fondly call the CENTER of the UNIVERSE. Here are our thoughts for the week:

Main show;
Buffalo Billiards
Charity special - $5 for a bracelet which extends happy hour by 2 hours until 9:00pm. Figure you get two drinks after 7 you've made your money back potentially plus (lush, yeah I'm talking to you!)

$2.75 Miller lite, bud lite bottle and draft, $3.50 rail drinks, $3 coronas, select half prices apps.
Bracelet proceeds go to NCSC (Newcomer Community Service Center) which is a minority-based non-profit organization that helps refugees and immigrants from all countries achieve self-sufficiency and become participating members of American Society.

After hours;
18th Street Lounge
Hopping place to go hear some sweet reggae on Wednesday nights. Dreads optional.

Hope to see you people there! I will take any and all challengers at billiards. I used to be good and now I suck so this is a really good opportunity to try to fleece me out of some serious cash.

Cheers!

p.s. This weekend is the 17th Annual Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle.
Check it out.

As If Ethiopia Really Needed to be Belittled

Well, Team, last week's Gang Out was a success in that we got a healthy bunch out to previously uncharted waters, and the HH followed by a show brought even a few more participants (and whether or not they actually "participated," I'll leave that up to history to decide).

This week we're sticking to the "there's a show worth seeing so let's try to be in the 'hood for it" theme. This week: Little Ethiopia.

6:30 or so (this part is democratic):
Queen Makeda - an appropriately Ethiopian establishment in Little Ethiopia.
El Sol - no web site so unsure about specials, but it's got a number of reviews, and PoP could use our rating...
Expo Lounge - probably not the cheapest or dive-i-est of all venues, but they've got hot cornbread & butter during HH...
1905 - 1/2 priced wine by the bottle utnil 7pm.

8:30pm (this is a bit oligarchical):
DC9 to watch "The Dig," or DC9 to rock it out downstairs. Thanks to a Gang Out contributor for this suggestion!

Vote, fools.

If You Like to Breathe...

You'll love Airness. If you like life (i.e. breathing regulary) , you'll probably love sex.

Come to Gang Out this week for a fun Happy Hour in advance of the most awesomest of awesome and wacky competitions, Air Sex.

!! Get your tickets, people: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/6521.aspx

Oh, and support our unique form of democracy, too:

The Pug: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pug-washington

Sticky Rice: http://www.stickyricedc.com/

H Street Country Club: http://www.nbcwashington.com/around_town/nightlife/H-Street-Country-Club-Rolls-Out-the-Astroturf.html

"Please Define Art" Happy Hour 6.3.9

Hey people,

This week we have an opportunity to spend our Happy Hour in a place of unbridled artistic and cultural richness, namely, the DC Artomatic.

Many of us have also contributed to a piece of "art" that was entered in the show. It is on the ninth floor of the building facing the Nationals' stadium. The show is in the same building as the Navy Yard Metro Stop.

There is music, dancing, photography, painting, sculpture and more.
Here is a calendar of events.

There is cheap beer from Flying Dog and more, as well as Red Bull galore. There's also a SmartFood cart out front.

Here are some photos of the incredible "art" to be found at the 10th Anniversary of the DC Artomatic!







Artomatic closes at 10:00pm so get there early and we'll hit some nearby bars afterwards on Barracks row or metro to somplace else. Let me know if you have any questions people. If you don't have my cell already and have questions email me. Yay.

Cheers and see you tomorrow!

My Life is a Weekend

So the weather may have been pristine, but Lucky Bar provided an old familiar look and feel for this Wednesday's Gang Out: an indoor, beer-scented environment with more access to liquor than windows or water. And while the 'Outers may have spoken about art, the Banda Sea sea, and the benefits of more formal dresswear in the classroom, one thing couldn't escape this group: the weekend.

Who really has time for much in a M-F kind of world? We're considered not to "have a life" if we don't do stuff outside of work, and yet we work and are often bums during the week because of it. I think all signs point north here folks, our life is a weekend. Let me explain.

So even if Friday's party was one heck of a success, surely the team would've gotten over the weekend and on to talking about bigger, better, and more important things had it not been for Saturday morning's pole-dancing, followed by saturday afternoon's oxygen high, or the mid-afternoon #18-winning contest. But still, the weekend permeated all, even after reminiscing about the deliciousness of the triple-meatwich, and a winning ticket here and there after there were finally zero MTP for the Preakness, and yes, even after Round 5 of the day that included a stopover in downtown Baltimore followed by the craziest and most dangerous ride you've ever known.

And if not then, then surely conversation would have shifted after having recounted a weekend-long need for BBQ/foot massage, a bout with some home-grown karaoke, a derby-style game of boat races, and yes, you heard right, the baby-faced neighbors were severely shamed.

And so with little sleep and a whole lot to say, Team Gang Out moved on from one crazy weekend, skipping the mundane, and launching right into the next: next weekend! Jazz is back, Month of Bess is coming to a raucus close, Pierre is turning 30, Artomatic is in high gear, and Monday's a holiday, making it an extra-long weekend. And so without really even thinking about it, and in only a blink of an eye... we're at it all over again.

See you Wednesday...

Lucky Lar

Looks Like Lucky Lar Ls Lhe Linner. Lee Lou Lhere Lonight! Lay!!! L Lecommend Lupont Lircle Letro Lnd Lead Louth.

-Lehezlik (lith lelp lrom Larry)

Sun Worship Happy Hour 5/20/09

Hey people,

Here are the outdoor choices of the week. Apparently we had great weather last week but I missed it so I'm stoked for some outdoor drinking/eating.

The Reef
2446 18th St NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 518-3800
www.thereefdc.com
They've got a ton on tap and real good food.

Lucky Bar
1221 Connecticut Ave NW # 1
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 331-3733
www.luckybardc.com
Good food, great deals.

CommonWealth GastroPub
1400 Irving ST. NW
Washington, DC 20010
202.265.1400
www.commonwealthgastropub.com
Super cool, all local, fun experience, a little pricey.

The choice is yours...

The Caps Lost, Nelly's Won, and Adem Broke Even

Team Gang Out (TGO) ventured out to Nelly's to join their team on the final night of the Caps/Penguins Stanley Cup series. The beer was remarkably light, the weather was great, and if you like sweet tea and you like Vodka, and for some reason you like to mix both of them with water at the same time, then Firefly is the drink for you.

Nelly's outed some new gang outers, and did its darndest to starve a couple others. An hour and ten minute wait for food may sound like torture to some, but not to those who had experienced far greater an atrocity the night before. The odds were 196 to 1, and one wise soul was in the market for a damn good payout of four shiny quarters if the Caps pulled through. Too bad they got klobbered.

So distraught was TGO about the defeat of the home-town-team (not to mention the discontentment surrounding a not-quite-fit-for-Fashion-Avenue display of Caps pride with heather red on Granny Smith red) that the obvious next step was to quit this peculiar bar that sells beer to kids with high school library IDs and take over the back room of Ben's Chili Bowl - a must-eat DC icon for the recently-transplanted.

And though it may have taken a good four attempts and one Michael Jackson tune to get its order in order, TGO set its chess clock to zero to count the seconds for the much-anticipated arrival of chilidogs, chili fries, chili burgers and half-smoked chili wieners. Before the sand had completely left the hourglass (and well before any overdramatic displays of how to drink icewater and listen to a friend on your left hand side ever took place) in walked the Knights from New York, who spiced things up being as XXX rated, and well-dressed as they were.

And even after such a disappointment from the Caps and a general stomach-turning about paying for food that was over an hour late, Ben's provided so much so quickly, even the opportunity to discover that Adem (sp?) had gone above and beyond (or should we say down and inside) by providing even more, and at the near-zero cost of a taxi cab reciept.

See you next week. Wear a helmet. Get on Nelly's' mailing list. Dress Romanian. Pack mace.

Tonight - HH at Nellie's!

Hey all,

Nellie's is the winner for tonight! Again, they're at 900 U Street, NW - get off at the 10th Street exit to the U Street Metro.

Nellie's has a "Beat the Clock" happy hour: $1 Miller Lite, bottled beers and rail vodka drinks from 5 to 6, with prices increasing $1 per hour until 8. See you there, and Go Caps! (Gametime at 7)

Happy Hour - Sports Bar for Caps Game 7!!!

Hey all,

In celebration of the Caps Game 7 against the Penguins, we're going to check out a sports bar to watch the game at. The game starts at 7.

Here are the options, vote for your top choice:

Momo's Sports Bar
http://www.momosdc.com/
1334 U Street, NW
Metro: U Street (13th Street Exit)
3 floors, 25 TVs, and pretty good wings too! After 9 pm, to celebrate the Caps win, there will be $3 Coors Lights and $4 Rails.

Penn Quarter Sports Tavern
http://www.dcsportstavern.com/ordereze/default.aspx
639 Indiana Ave., NW
Metro: Archives or Gallery Place
This one might be on the crowded side before the game starts since it's near the Verizon Center. It has a nice outdoor patio, and they have happy hour specials until 7.

Nellie's Sports Bar
http://nelliessportsbar.com/index.php
900 U Street, NW
Metro: U Street (10th Street Exit)
The game will be on with sound upstairs, and the spacious roof deck will be open. Downstairs, there is trivia that will be going on at 8 and 9 pm.

Irish Channel Pub!

Damn, you're gonna love this place... and yes, it's in the Red Roof Inn.

5/6 Gang Out

You choose, fools...

Gallery Place / Chinatown: Irish Channel Pub (was a runner-up several weeks back)
Barracks Row / Eastern Market: The Ugly Mug (another runner-up a few weeks back)
Union Station / Capitol Hill: Union Pub

Things that Were Touchy-Feely: My 16th Birthday

Despite looming inclement weather (yes, April has held true to dumping down more liquid than a bus full of school children after a stop at a Long Island Taco Bell) a healthy host of gang outers ganged up on the Red Derby to kick the crap out of their front bay window. While other attempts to destroy the bay windows of bars were more effective, this gathering clearly packed a good punch.

From Jenga sabotagery to tumbling beer can towers - from swine flu on one side to mad cow disease on the other - from gory scars from the Delaware wilderness to renditions of 90's punk rock that could shatter an old lady's bifocals... little was held back from the cluster of tables in the window - save decency and a little respect for the obsequious.

And should you have been so unlucky as to have chanced upon the bad ass biking crew that stormed out not long before the Witching Hour (and even the most righteous who may have - no joke - caught a newborn that popped from the womb that very day could not be spared, cuz aye, one of this ilk was among the pack) you would have been remiss not to mention that their bike locks were big, that their boxes were bigger, and that the Schlitz in their hand was damn near the bestest brew that ever spouted forth from a can.

Now was it Schlitz's or was it Dale's? Was it Natty Boh's or was it Baltica 5? Posing such a juvenile inquiry would have left you bloody on the sidewalk, because clearly such an query is like comparing apples to oranges. Obviously, the right answer was "Star Wars." Know your audience: a literate little literalist on the littered littoral - literally... like (Lumpy Bumpy) lickorish... sort of.

Red Derby

May*.

What a glorious month. Did you know that May is:

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
National Military Appreciation Month
New Zealand Music Month
Older Americans Month

And, just recently decreed, the Month of Bess.

The Official Gang Out Photographer and Videographer is retiring. She is leaving us pictureless and videoless to go to East Timor. Sad times. However, because it is the Month of Bess, we are going to kick it off in style. B Star recently told me that if she could have one wish come true, it would be a gang out at the Red Derby. And so, in honor of B Star, there will be no poll this week. Red Derby it is.

*Yeah, I know. Tomorrow is April 29. Not May. Whatever...

STANding in the Underworld.. with slugs

Back to reality - whup, there goes gravity! Yup, we fell straight into the trap... Stan's does not at all rhyme with Dan's - nor does it allow alarmingly large liquor drinks with mixers that make a thimble's worth look generous - nor does it exist in the underground (i.e. the netherworld). Actually, this is all a big lie. Stan's downtown basement provided a unique venue for springtime re-uniting, first-time gang-out-ers, and a some friggin' tall-ass glasses of gin.

Team Gang Out was a bit divided (due to awesomeness) between a few parts of the bar. Much of this dispersion had to do with aggressive waiters who were very intent on us ordering the special not-so specials. If you thought not-so specials were special, you should try slugging with a NoVA slugger who, much to her excitement, finds that her seemingly not-so special warming of the passenger seat (even if silent until called upon per slugging protocol) allows someone to abide by the law, get to work on time, and save some friggin' Carbon, too.

Word. None other than the Flaming Lips were tamed by none other than a greasy bag of fries from Five Guys. Join us next week for a whole new month of awesomeness that some have dubbed, "Month of Bess."

Tonight's Bar: STAN'S

And the winner is...Stan's Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge! Hope to see you there!

Stan's Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge
1029 Vermont Ave NW
From Yelp: "Stan's isn't a hole in the wall, it's a hole in the basement." It seems to have a similar concept as Dan's Cafe, where the drinks are mix-it-yourself and the alcohol is flowing!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/stans-restaurant-and-bar-washington#hrid:O_v-xklqDKlh-qJ6UnCnrw

This Week: Random Downtown Bars You've Never Been To Before

Ever walked around downtown and noticed an intriguing bar sign for some random dive? This week, we'll check one of those bars out!

Here are the options:

Black Rooster Pub
1919 L Street, NW
http://www.blackroosterpub.com/
Self-Proclaimed The "Cheers" of Washington, DC
On Wednesdays, they have half-priced wings and happy hours drinks till 8

Recessions
1823 L St NW
http://www.yelp.com/biz/recessions-washington
We went here about a year ago. Ginormous beers for really cheap! And you can buy a $25 gift certificate to Recessions for $10 at Restaurant.com here

Post Pub
1422 L St NW
This bar has made a few appearances on our voting list but has never been selected. A good downtown dive!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/post-pub-washington

Stan's Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge
1029 Vermont Ave NW
From Yelp: "Stan's isn't a hole in the wall, it's a hole in the basement." It seems to have a similar concept as Dan's Cafe, where the drinks are mix-it-yourself and the alcohol is flowing!
http://www.yelp.com/biz/stans-restaurant-and-bar-washington#hrid:O_v-xklqDKlh-qJ6UnCnrw

The Rain Did Not Pass us Over

The wonderfully gracious staff at Zorba's were once again marvelously hospitable to the various dietary needs at the table - and early on a Passover observer said to the group, "no one can drink beer." Indeed this was a sad day for mankind, and eating grout and bitter herbs did most certainly sound better than such a harsh reality.

Thankfully, this was simply a misunderstanding. So the relatively small (and damp) group of Gang Outers moved on to wheatier pastures (most certainly avoiding all things that may have been leavened or overly yeasty) and found themselves in Costa Rica, East Timor, Malaysia, Jordan, and French Guiana (or was it Guinea? - same f'ing thing...)

Rib cages were broken (or fractured) - but we couldn't tell if it was the laughter, the vinaigre, or the mistreatment of an absent Au Pair. Epiphanies were most certainly had, and surely they were artistic - but we weren't able to discern whether they were sculpture-like, semi-poetic song-like (and kind of like super-famous for the over-forty crowd), or whether it was the performance art of Elijah drinking his Manischevitz and leaving without actually drinking it at all or ever stopping by in a very Da Da kind of way.

Coffee was a popular topic of conversation - or should we say rap... what's your grind? Heightening the experience and the aromas, Greek coffee (shhh! it's actually Jordanian and Anderson Cooper loves it (shhh! it's actually Cyprian and you've wasted half your saturday (shhh! it's actually Turkish and it has nothing to do with coconut shavings, but a lot to do with steeped sugar (too soon?)))) was sipped by a few relatively damp souls that may have been passed over by God him- (or her-) self, but most certainly not by the God of Rain...

For some, we say "Dayenu!!" For others, we say, "à Boby!!"

No goats were harmed in the writing of this message.

Seder City

Hey people,

In case there are some people in our Jew-rich group of socializing Papilionoidea, this week begins Pesach, (Passover) Festival of the Pascal Lamb. Many of us will be celebrating our first seder of the year and we will be unable to join the usual festivities associated with that most timely of hump days, Wednesday. However, that being said, there may be some options for HH this week. Stay tuned!

Also, there is a second night seder brewing at Chez Rosenberg's. If you didn't get the evite, sorry. You're welcome to come, just let me know as soon as possible and if you might entertain the idea of bringing something edible, preferable for Jews as well.

Lastly, I have a suggestion for the week following; Zorba's Cafe. Here is the old HH email for that week, as I recall it was a lot of fun (don't remember getting home).
The Event: Happy Hour Extravaganza Passover Style

Where: Zorba's Café, 1612 20th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20009, about 30 yards north of the Q street exit at Dupont on the West side.
202-387-8555 http://www.zorbascafe.com/
Super duper convenient!

What: Depending on your religion, and from whence it comes (Sephardic, Ashkenazi) you can consume; everything, rice and corn, nothing at all. The food here is excellent and incredibly cheap. Any and all food can be had. Boxes of matzohs will be provided by yours truly, as will several bottles of kosher wine (Manishevitz(I might only have Malaga which can kill a horse, anyone will Concord grape is welcome to bring theirs) and otherwise). There is a corkage fee of $9 per bottle/negotiable. All alcoholic beverages must be drunk. No open bottles can leave the premises. That means…fun! There are wonderful tzatikis, hummus platters, great fries, olives, skordalia (potato dip) among other great food that is Pesach friendly. If you eat rice, well, you're set for life, aren't you? Also excellent pizza, but we won't talk about that.
For those of us who are not culinarily inhibited this week, there are also $2.75 mugs of Rolling Rock, $3.50 mugs of Sam Adams, $3.75 for Heineken, Becks, Corona, Guinness, and Amstel Light, $2.95 for Coors, Bud, and Miller! Can you believe it? No?

Why: Rebellion. Who needs to eat cold turkey leftovers for 8 days. Not you that's who! You can go out, eat great food, for a ridiculously low price, and get plastered on horrifically sweet wine! Fly in the face of the dreary tradition of splashing some room temperature butter on that card board. Ich! Kick it out the window. Break out of that horrible rut and get some!

We'll see you at Zorba's Café tomorrow evening. Get there early or you might miss out on all the provided goodies.
If there was a day to leave work on time, IT'S TOMORROW! SEE YOU THERE!

It's Mother F*ing April, Fools (but the Gods just don't care)

April showers didn't keep tonight's cumulative group of close to 15 from turning out. And despite what some might have viewed as inclement weather, Gang Out took advantage of one of the season's rare opportunities to be outdoors with relatively muted pollen pollution - thank you Zeus for using Poseidon to aggress Maia... a good beginning to the evening, Janus - good form!

Gang Outers gathered for heavenly conversation under the relative shelter of a fortuitously-placed outdoor tent that was not entirely shielded from the elements (even stuffed cats that looked like owls). Wings, a deep variety of beers, and even a forearm-building gyroscope kept the crew alive until one fateful moment when such a rabble-rousing statement - surely an invocation of Libitina - was made: "Guys are much worse off when microbes get up their [thing] because there are two [tubes] that get messed up."

Believe you me, Vesta nearly fainted, Priapus was disappointed and Diana salivated for what was to come - surely this could only be madness. Thank goodness that Lucina was being spared in this most fellatious of dinner table conversations (and that goes without saying for dear Faunus).

Bacchus continued to toy with Terminus as comfortable, PC boundaries were crossed with greater and greater frequency. And when the Jasons had long gone and talk of garden-building, tee-shirt-making and "just taking it easy" had gone, even Appollo and Pomona could not keep this Gang Out crew from wallowing in wingspeeds of African and European swallows, in exploits with science teachers underneath the Gateway Arch, in machete talk, and in chest hair - and deep in chesthair, at that.

And while Juno may never protect the utterer of said question, but at least Priapus understands the need for such inquiry, check back next time to help answer this timeless question: "Do women have grundles?" Only Voluptas can say!

april fools?

well i think we made fools of ourselves last week. so no tomfoolery this week. let's just all get fooled by the beer. and perhaps some will fool around with one another. it would be foolish not to, eh? i wonder if any of these choices serve gooseberry fool....

(ok, i'll stop acting the fool)

1. duffy's. plain. simple. awesome.

2. asylum. always a good time.

3. rfd. finished a strong second last week in the polls.

4. vegetate. vegans are fun..

later fools.

Jeremy's spoken

 Low Self Esteem

 One week by BNL

  Starting the evening off right

Kan't Kwite Kope? Kome Kavort w/ Kris Kross @ Kostume Karaoke!

Solly's may have thought they'd been ravaged before when a taxicab plowed thru the bay window back in January, but further plowed they there stood as creative forces (and a few PBRs) let loose a Gang Out gone wild.

I know you wanna leave me; But I refuse to let you go; If I have to beg, plead for your sympathy; I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me... Upon arriving at said democratically elected Gang Out location, the group found a fellow once-gang-outed ("Outed" for short) individual lounging at what was, in their book, the perfect American bar experience - prospective lawyers out there, take note. Only a couple of hours later, yet another Outed individual just so happened to be at this all-too-perfect of American bars. So without any clear intention on their part, the Gang Out refused to let these two go. You should really join us next time - after all, we ain't too proud to beg.

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line; Engines pumping and thumping in time; The green light flashes, the flags go up; Churning and burning, they yern for the cup... The night started out calm and collected, and on the ground floor, one might add. As the forces combined and the elixir elixed, 8:00 rolled around and we descended upon the upstairs. (is it absurd to descend upon the UPstairs? we hope so.) Unclear as to if it was the caress of the PBRs or the melodic rhythm of "Larry" - something got that party started... in costume. From lump to hump, and life to strife, we were going the distance.

Some days I pray for silence, and somedays I pray for soul; Some days I just pray to the God of Sex and Drums and Rock 'N Roll... And while costumes varied from Marge Simpson and Harriet the Untamed Shrubbery to Pocahontas and the Confederate Ladies Man, even the surprise of Kostume Karaoke and the mad beatz that were rocked didn't beat the surprise appearance of a Gang Out regular late in the evening and on cue. She may sport Xena garb, but everyone knows she won't do that.

Missed out? Lame. We met a professional karaoker with a hot kicking kick, a Howard University camera crew, and a somewhat irritated hostess who happily accepted tips in exchange for "queue readjustment..." Redeem yourself next week by rhyming with Vaseline, magazine, and tangerine... go!

Solly's Is It

Remember to turn off the lights in your home or office when you leave tonight.

Solly's, 11th and U.

Happy Hour 3 2 5

Hola peoples.

A great man once said, "Vote or die." Personally, I don't want to die. So here are the options:

Solly's. U Street. Solly's and Charlie Jones share one thing in common: we were both hit by a car.

Big Hunt. Dupont. They have Big Game Hunter. Charlie Jones has never held a gun before, but saw one on the floor of a bowling alley in St Louis after the guy holding the place up dropped it. Awesome.

Dan's Cafe. Adams Morgan. The name would make you think it's some sort of sandwich shop. Haha. Let's just say, if you vote for Dan's, you vote for extreme drunkedness and Charlie Jones singing along with this.

RFD. Downtown somewhere. Apparently it has an excellent beer selection. Charlie Jones says beer selection=awesome.

Vote.

Dictatorship Takes Over

Enough of this democracy crap! The Great and Wise Charlie Jones is taking over the Gang Out (I will peacefully transfer powers back to the people next week). This emergency dictatorships is due to unseasonably warm weather on Wednesday. It is imperative that we, the Gang Outers, take advantage of this opportunity to drink outside. Wonderland, with its outdoor seating, is located 5 minutes from the Columbia Heights Metro stop (11th and Kenyon). Be there and be square.

CJ

Tonight at Nanny O'Briens!

Looks like Nanny O’Briens is the winner for tonight! Great turnout - we had 17 votes, and Nanny O’Briens beat out Irish Channel and Kelly’s by a vote of 9-6-2. Hope to see everyone tonight! It’s located in Cleveland Park at 3319 Connecticut Ave NW.

HH Options for 3/11 - Pre St. Paddy's Day!!!

Hey all,

We're going to do a 2-part St. Paddy's Day celebration at Happy Hour! Part 1 is this week, and part 2 will be next week. Here are the options for this week, and all are Metro-accessible. Vote to the right -->

Irish Channel Pub (Gallery Place Metro, 500 H St., NW)
$1 off drafts until 7 pm, $2.75 Coors Light Bottles starting at 7:30, and Shepherd's Pie or Chicken Pot Pie for $8.95...They have live music also. They claim to have "the best Guinness in town" - is it really any different than at other bars???

Kelly's Irish Times (Union Station Metro, at 14 F St., NW)
$1 off mixed drinks and imports until 7 pm
Fun Irish dive bar with cheap drinks. The bar seems out of place in the middle of all the federal office buildings.

Nanny O'Briens (Cleveland Park, at 3319 Connecticut Ave NW)
Always seem to end up without a table at Four Fields when you go out in Cleveland Park??? Nanny O'Briens is another Irish dive bar that's a neighborhood CP spot.

And the winner for tonight is...The Bottom Line!

Hello people,

This week’s happy hour appears to be at The Bottom Line by a 86% landslide. It would be more impressive if more people voted, but I guess 15 votes is pretty damn good actually. Here’s the skinny;

The Bottom Line : (@ Farragut West metro)
Wednesday, 4 pm - close:
$3 margaritas, $3 Corona and Corona Lites, 25% off Mexican food

Praying for the End of Winter - HH Bars within 1 Block of a Metro Stop

Well winter hasn't totally left us yet, and although Wednesday should be in the 40s and sans precipitation, no one really wants to be cold anymore... in March...

This week's options:
Bullfeathers (@ Capitol South metro)
Coors Light Drafts $3, House Wines $3.25, Stoli Drinks $3.50

Cleveland Park Bar & Grill: (umm... @ Cleveland Park metro)
Monday through Friday, 5-7 pm:
$3 Miller Lite, Yuengling, House Amber; $3 rail drinks; $4 house wine.
Wednesday, all night: Half-priced bottles of wine.

The Bottom Line: (@ Farragut West metro)
Wednesday, 4 pm - close:
$3 margaritas, $3 Corona and Corona Lites, 25% off Mexican food

Make sure to place your vote on the right -->

Tonight's Theme Word: "Dyscoordinatedness"

If any word describes tonight's endeavors, it was the one above. Not one person made it to every stop on the road show, and there were casualties along the way...

Stop #1: Rails to Trails and WABA at Busboys where 2 HH'ers represented the Wednesday Gang Outers amongst the bike trails and ferrous parallel lines of DC. Factoid from Stop #1: a fascinating new traffic pattern announced for 15th street...

Stop #2: Counterculture Coffee, where 4 HH'ers came in late to an intimitate coffee community event and were banished to the front row to watch a presentation by Colombian coffee growers (mostly in Spanish, but beautifully translated). Their story was about how they learned that good coffee, done right, can fetch a better market price and improve their own quality of life (as well as the quality of the coffee). Organic, to them, was a positive side effect of doing it right. Factoid from Stop #2: this was the first time that anyone from the well-connected-to-the-coffee-industry crowd had had growers, distributers, vendors and consumers in the same room. Cool beans - pun intended.

Stop #3: Las Canteras Peruvian, which was scheduled to begin long before anyone could respectably "sneak out" of the front row of an intimate (and interesting) presentation. 2 non-coffee-counterculturalist HH'ers met here for a drink, and, given the empty state of the bar and the ill-fated time spill-over of the coffee event (pun intended), they decided to jump over to Bedrock Billiards. Team Canteras thence became Team Bedrock, but casualties ensued as we later learned that another two later arrived to reconstitute Team Canteras alone - there was no memo or cookie crumb trail. Factoid from Stop #3: Always leave cookie crumbs.

Stop #4: Bedrock Billiards, where Team Bedrock stayed for yet another beer and then, given the persistent absence of Team Counterculturalist Caffeinators, they headed to Amsterdam Falafel, hence renaming their Team, Team Falaferdam.

Stop #5: Amsterdam Falafel, where Team Counterculturalist Caffeinators merged with Team Falaferdam, creating Team Caffeinated Tzatziki, but only for a brief moment of time, and man was it needed:

Stop #6: Pharmacy Bar, where most of Team Gang Out was once again renamed, this time to Team Give Me a Drink and Some Pills Already... while Team Canteras, spared from such utter madness, played the cowbell to salsa music over a plate of lima beans. Tune in next time - because few earthly things will ever again reach this level of dyscoordinatedness...

Tonight - HH at Las Canteras and Other Events

Hey all,

For tonight the plan is to go to Las Canteras for Happy Hour. They're at 2307 18th Street, NW in Adams Morgan. If you can get there before 7, they have $5 cocktails, $4 wine, and a 3-course $24 dinner.

Beforehand, come join at Busboys and Poets at 14th and V for the active transportation town hall meeting starting at 5, or Counter Culture Coffee at 1836 Columbia for the sustainable coffee presentation at 6:30.

Hope to see you tonight!

Progressive GREEN Happy Hour on Wednesday! (Don't forget to vote - options are at the bottom)

Hey all,

We're going to do something a little different this week, and get in touch with our green sides before (and while!) downing our beer. Be sure to read to the end of the post for the bar voting options!

The fun starts at 5:00 at Busboys and Poets at 14th and V Streets, in the Langston Room, where the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is hosting a Town Hall meeting to discuss the future of "active transportation" (bicycling and walking) in Washington, D.C. RTC and local partners—the Washington Area Bicyclists Association and the D.C. Department of Transportation—are working together to help Washington become a world class city in which to bicycle and walk.

Then, at 6:30, we'll head to Counter Culture Coffee at 1836 Columbia Road, Suite 202, in Adams Morgan for a chance to meet farmers from an organic coffee farm who will be presenting about their farm, sustainable coffee production, and the La Golondrina project. Learn more at www.counterculturecoffee.com

Afterwards, the happy hour drinking festivities shall begin, with a GREEN theme in Adams Morgan!!!

Options are:

Las Canteras - A Peruvian restaurant and bar, you can get one of 4 different green colored drinks (of varying shades): Margarita, Cadillac Caipirinha, Macchu Pisco, and Magic Mojito. It's located at 2307 18th Street. http://www.lascanterasdc.com/index.html

Tryst - In the spirit of the counter culture coffee event and the eco friendliness of local businesses, Wednesday is a perfect opportunity to go to Tryst - they are a local, non-corporate coffee house, and they're also 100% powered by wind energy. They also sell good food, beer, liquor and mixed drinks. Located at 2459 18th St., NW http://www.trystdc.com/

The Blaguard - Although we still have a few weeks until they serve Green beer, The Blaguard must be included on this "green" list as it's the only Irish bar in Adams Morgan. They also have bar shuffleboard, food, and lots of TVs to watch sports. Located at 2003 18th Street, http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-blaguard-washington

Voting will close at midnight on Tuesday night, and winners will be announced sometime on Wednesday. Happy voting!

A "Box Office" Hit!

I'm not sure how evident it was at the moment, but Happy Hour this week at the Helix sure did keep with the "things that spin" theme. The thermometer was spinning in counter-February directions, allowing us to sit outside; the lights were slowly rotating from hot "rouge" to "mellow amarillo;" special drinks named "pajama party" were doled out with a strawberry twist; helicopters twirled overhead; we transitioned from standing around a small circular table reclining around a table in kind of an ovular formation; clocks spun backwards when a certain someone negotiated an extra hour of happy for happy hour; and we each rolled out of our seats after hearing a (potentially worn-out and tired, but totally new to us) pilot joke.

This crowd may have equated intern selection to short-term dating. Résumés welcome... see you next week - and keep it kinky, please - for mom & dad, of course. Come next week for a good pilot joke.

Helix Lounge!

Helix it is, folks. It's an early happy hour, so see you there on the earlier side:

Half Price Burgers & Beers
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Where will we HH this week?

Well, folks, if you've been paying attention at all, it's an appropriate time to pay homage to a beloved DC spot: Solly's bay window - smashed on Friday night by some sort of wacky cab accident. But instead of just saying, "Let's go to Solly's," there's a theme: things that spin (like the tires of the cab that were still spinning after the cab had stopped because the guy's foot was still on the accelerator). Lucky no one was hurt too critically.

Axis Bar & Grill: (we've already been there, so this isn't an option this week, but you like the theme connection, don't you?)

Post Pub: (got votes last time)
Theme connection: right next door to Olley's Trolley or some sort of caboose-style diner. Cabooses/trolleys, they spin (next door).

Solly's:
Theme connection: the aforementioned tires in the bay window (and kostume karaoke is like making my head spin).

Helix Lounge:
Theme connection: helixes spin - at least double ones do... when shown in movies.

Smudge, Smear or Shmere? Unsolved Mysteries and Beer at a Breakfast Café

Mr. Body may not have been a tight spot this time around and Mrs. Peacock may not have used her all-too-infamous pipe, but Lawson's Café - a Dupont breakfast joint - may have never suffered such a debaucherous sight, nor heard such potty mouths.

This week (and we wonder why anyone would have missed it) a group of just over 10 of us stormed what has until now been a fairly quiet spot on Dupont Circle for the after-work hours crowd (or any time after 3pm, really). The $1.99 beers were just the beginning... then there came slightly above-average sushi, a yummy roast beef sammich, Rachaels that were Reubens (that were Rachaels), a huge and wacky sushi yacht and - lest we forget - black bean soup on the house! (But oh the conundrum! Do we tip for beers/food purchased at a breakfast bar??)

Though the atmosphere took some getting used to with the relative emptiness of a breakfast place on a Wednesday evening (um, that doesn't serve breakfast after 11am), and with street music played on plastic tubs competing with Billy Joel and other great 80's/90's hits, and as the lights were'nt toned down to "evening mode" until well into happy hour, the cheap brews, good eats, and good peeps got the crew going strong.

The undeniable highlight of the evening was the "mystery smear" and all the theories and sherade-style reinactments that took us closer to... the Truth. While this was no Looking Glass Lounge, neither Alice nor her Mad Hatter friend could have ever taught us with such beer-glass-breakingly-hilarious detail the oh-so-critical difference between a smudge, a smear and a shmere (think Einstein's).

For more on Svenska, Danske, or other Scandinavian (but ultimately Germanic) tongues, tune in next week for: "Ankle Splatter Part Deux: How the Vikings Became Druish thanks to a Hillel P.R. Firm."

Lawson's Café!

Thanks for everyone's votes. This week I pulled together the options and they ranged from "comfortable" to "somewhat uncharted," to "the Hill."

Since we're sending this out late and a tie-breaking vote had to be cast, Lawson's Cafe (one of the two in the lead) is the spot for this week. It's right behind the Krispy Kreme and next to the Dupont South metro.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there. the HH is from 4-8pm, so there's really no reason not to come early for $1.99 Coronas...

Bars in Contention for 2/4/08

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay in this post, but here are the options for this week's happy hour. Place your vote today (Monday) anytime before midnight. The winner will be announced Tuesday morning.

Post Pub, at 1442 L Street, NW
http://www.yelp.com/biz/post-pub-washington
Seems to be a divish bar in the heart of downtown DC

Lawson's Cafe, right at the Dupont South Metro exit next to Krispy Kreme
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lawsons-gourmet-provisions-washington-2
Great, casual deli / sushi bar / actual bar
They have $2 bottles of beer for happy hour!

The Ugly Mug, at 723 8th Street in Barracks Row (Eastern Market Metro)
http://www.uglymugdc.com/
Good mini burgers and steak nachos. Happy hour specials on Wednesday include 6 mini burgers for $6, Ugly Mug Amber beer for $4, and Stoli drinks for $6

Irish Channel Pub, at 500 H Street, NW (Gallery Place / Chinatown)
http://www.irishchannelpub.com/dc/specials.php
Specials on Wednesday include $2.75 bottles of Coors Light and $8.95 Sheperd's Pie or Chicken Pot Pie

where was alice?

fun times last night at the looking glass (the name is a reference to alice in wonderland. there were no references in the bar...)

in case you were wondering what you missed:

• spirited discussions about the SW waterfront (including jazz in a church), accordions (and how awesome they are), el paso (the desert jewel), and if the chipotle employee gave the guy in front of you more rice
• delicious beer, including 60 minute ipa, brooklyn brown ale, and a milk stout that may or may not have tasted "like leftovers from a blacksmith's shop" (in a good way).
• some sort of steak wrapped in bacon and deep fried pickles
• general awesomeness

vote for next weeks bar in a few days.

And the winner is...Looking Glass!

By a close vote of 5-4-1-0, Looking Glass Lounge is the winner! Hope to see everyone there tomorrow. It's by the Georgia Ave / Petworth Green Line Station, at 3634 Georgia Ave. Great turnout for the first round of voting! Check back again later this week for the options for next week's happy hour.

No Happy Hour Today

Since it feels like a Monday, and exhaustion from the weekend's inauguration festivities has set in, this week's happy hour is being postponed. Next week, we'll be going to one of the 4 bars that were on the poll for this week (RFD, Madam's Organ, Looking Glass Lounge, Polly's). I extended the poll until Monday, 1/26, so you can vote if you have not done so already. Right now Looking Glass and Madam's Organ are tied for the lead, 2-2.

About this Week's Competition

Before you cast your vote (see the right side of the page), take a moment to read about the competition. Each bar is from a different neighborhood.

Polly's
http://www.pollysdc.com
1342 U Street, NW (U Street)
This cozy U Street veteran restaurant and bar is a sure bet for Happy Hour. Polly's tagline is "Friendly Food Delicious People Since 1992". They have $2 Bud, Miller Light, and PBR.

Looking Glass Lounge
http://lookingglasslounge.webs.com/
3634 Georgia Ave NW (Petworth)
The owners of Wonderland Ballroom opened up a second Alice in Wonderland inspired joint in Petworth. It's about time that our Happy Hour group venture out to the land of Petworth! Happy hour lasts until 8 pm, with $2 off all drafts, cocktails and bottles of Chimay. I think they have board games there too. Supposedly their garlic fries are pretty yummy.

Madam's Organ
http://www.madamsorgan.com/
2461 18th Street, NW (Adams Morgan)
"Where the beautiful people go to get ugly." 2 for 1 beer, wine, and rail drinks until 8 pm. They have live music every night - on Wednesdays there is a bluegrass band that plays there. Madam's Organ also has a free pool table on the second level.

RFD
http://www.lovethebeer.com/rfd.html
810 7th St., NW (Chinatown)
RFD boasts about their "largest selection of world class beers and brewing styles you'll find in DC". RFD is owned by the same group that owns the Brickskellar, which not only has a large selection of beers, but also has the largest selection of beers on the menu that are not in stock! From 4 - 7 pm, their happy hour offers $3 Sam Adams, Miller light drafts; $3.50 beer of the day; $5 appetizers

Today marks the start of the official Wednesday Happy Hour Blog!!!

Hello all Happy Hour revelers! For just over a year, a group of us have been meeting up every Wednesday after work to discover new bars in different neighborhoods of DC. We've been to over 50 different bars. We've tried all sorts of food ranging from the best grilled cheese in DC, to duck sliders, to a corned beef has burrito. We've drank plenty of beer. We've played board games. And, most importantly, we've met some great new friends along the way!

Today marks the start of the official Happy Hour blog. We can now choose our weekly Happy Hour venue democratically, by online vote, without any pesky mass emails.

So, each Wednesday night, we will figure out our top 4 choices for Happy Hour, and the blog will have a poll for people to vote on. The polls will close on Monday night, and the winner will be announced on Tuesday mornings. So cast your vote, post a comment, and get ready for the next Happy Hour!