#10: PS 7's

Chinatown's PS 7's reeled me in with its 4pm-close Monday happy hour and kept me around with its perfectly balanced atmosphere.  Matt and I stopped in after work and were offered a pair of comfy chairs separated by a table in the front of the lounge area.  It was so refreshing to be greeted by a hostess who didn't immediately interrogate us over how much we'd be eating/drinking/spending, but instead seated us in a no-fuss, laid-back way.  The other side of the restaurant had tables for dinner, but we wanted to soak up the happy hour vibe our first time through.

Yelp reviewers warned that it would get crowded, but the Monday crowd was exactly what I would want after work.  We were in an energetic room full of people standing around tall tables and sitting at the bar - no one was pushing past anyone else and we felt no pressure to give up our prime real estate by our waiter or other patrons.  In addition to a cool vibe, it was, simply put, pretty.  PS 7's didn't seem like it was trying too hard with decor, heavy music or barely-there lighting.  It was inviting, comfortable and spacious - a rarity in the DC happy hour world.

(Lifted from http://www.nightclub.com/bar-management/alcohol-free/hold-alcohol-not-flavor)

I always love when happy hours have food discounts that are desirable, as opposed to light, unsatisfying fare.  Monday was half-price burger night, so we dove into those and some spicy salami popcorn that our waiter recommended.  Both were delicious.  I drank one of their punches while Matt got something more complicated from the menu.  We loved all of the visuals behind the bar: huge jars of pickled vegetables and house-infused liquors.  PS 7's drink menu kept Matt interested for quite some time, so I knew it was a good pick.

Overall, PS 7's had a great vibe for a happy hour - soft lighting that wasn't so dim that we couldn't see each other, an energetic crowd that wasn't overwhelming, and music that didn't overpower the room.  Factor in a happy hour that actually discounts its prices?  Sold!

Location: 777 I Street, NW
Closest Metro Stop: Gallery Pl-Chinatown (green/red/yellow), though it's a quick jump to Metro Center (blue/orange/red) also
Cost: $4 burgers, $7 punch, $10 cocktails

#9: Butterfly Habitat Garden (NMNH)

Luckily for us, there haven't been too many failures in our adventures - that is, assuming we don't get lost and abandon the trip.  One of the biggest letdowns, unfortunately, was our visit to the Butterfly Habitat Garden outside of the Natural History Museum.

The garden is located on the eastern lawn of the National Museum of Natural History, in between the museum itself and the highway that runs next to the Sculpture Garden.  It's a shady passageway between the mall and Constitution Avenue, and now that we know it exists, we wander through with some frequency to duck out of the sun.  In all of our times passing through, though, we have yet to see a single butterfly.

The Butterfly Habitat Garden's website boasts a viewers' ability to see "the actual butterfly life cycle," but we must be strolling through during the hibernation phase.  The garden itself is beautiful - there are plenty of bright flowers and it's in an area with a rare balance of shade and sun - but without butterflies, it's a bit of a bummer. 

(Lifted from Smithsonian Gardens' website - http://www.gardens.si.edu/our-gardens/butterfly-habitat-garden.html)

On the upside, within the Natural History Museum there is a fantastic butterfly exhibit where guests are able to go inside of a "Butterfly Pavilion" and watch butterflies fly around from plant to plant.  I visited with my parents and my dad was a big hit - multiple butterflies landed on him and took a free ride as he walked around.  As of 6/12, tickets are $6 for adults but free on Tuesdays.

Location: The lawn adjacent to the National Museum of Natural History - 12th St. NW in between Constitution Ave. NW and Madison Dr. NW

Closest Metro Stop: Federal Triangle (orange/blue)

Cost: Free (pay your taxes!)

#8: Banana Cafe & Piano Bar

I spent a summer in the District when I was 20 and let me tell you, it was the pits.  I wasn't allowed in many restaurants after 8pm and there are very few things I could do on a Friday night that didn't involve watching credits at the end.  One of the highlights of this summer occurred when my best friend Krystin visited and we ventured to Banana Cafe in Eastern Market.  I haven't forgotten the favor that Banana Cafe paid me by actually letting me in and to pay them back, I brought Matt for an adventure when I had much more money than I did as an unpaid intern.

We were originally going for the piano bar upstairs, but upon arrival, we realized we were a bit early.  So we went downstairs and had a filling, affordable meal.  Banana Cafe's website says it's "renowned for its Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican cuisine," and we were quick fans.  I went to town on some delicious chimichangas and while Matt's entree choice is fuzzy, he did have some pretty awesome plantains.  And then came the entertainment.

Matt's a good sport and can have a good time virtually anywhere.  So he was already pretty content with the concept of a piano bar.  He had no idea what he was in for.  Gordon Kent is a fantastically talented entertainer who would be worth watching for his talent alone.  What makes him even more impressive is what he does as one man.  The man interchangeably plays saxophone, trumpet, and of course, piano, while singing, yelling at the crowd to get louder and taking requests.  And if playing those instruments weren't impressive enough, it's worth noting that he's blind.  Feel inferior yet? 

From Banana Cafe's site:
http://www.bananacafedc.com/piano.htm

We hung out at the bar and listened to Gordon play a range of recent songs and oldies, from Outkast to Bob Seger.  The bride-to-be in a bachelorette party took to the "dance floor" (space in front of Gordon's piano) with an 85-year-old birthday boy, the crowd sang and clapped along, and it was the most open, laid-back environment I've been in on a Friday night in awhile.  The happy hour is good (4pm to 7:30pm), the food is good, the entertainment is fantastic - the only negative of the night was when he took a break!

Location: 500 8th Street, SE (8th & E SE) Map

Closest Metro Stop: Eastern Market (orange/blue)

Cost: Happy hour has $3 margaritas, beers and rail drinks; Dinner was about $30 for two





#7: Einstein Memorial

Good old Albert Einstein.  Despite the number of times I've been called "Einstein," I've never really harbored any negative feelings towards the ol' chap.  Until I tried to visit his monument.  When you Google the monument, you read about exact locations and see photographs.  It looks like a nice hidden gem a stone's throw from the mall and without all of the people.  To put it succinctly: it looks lovely for a "local."

Apparently after 2 years here, I wasn't local enough.  We tried to visit the monument and wound up passing it at least 3 times, despite having the coordinates and a visual in my head.  The problem with the plan was that I didn't get all the way down to street view (an error I would never make again).  Street view shows you that the monument is obstructed from the street by a nice array of trees and bushes.  What does the maps view show?  A monument on a corner.  To me, that's the easiest thing to find.  Alas, I was wrong.

A few wrong turns led us to the Vietnam Memorial (which was good, since Matt had never been) and then the Lincoln Memorial (which was good but less so, as we were getting impatient), before we broke down and asked for directions.  Many vague fingerpoints and another time asking later, we finally found our way to the monument.

It was lovely.


Photo from Wikipedia

Quiet, shady and imposing, the monument really was beautiful.  In fact, being hidden was part of its appeal.  Monuments in DC fall into two distinct categories: climbers and lookers.  This is certainly a climber.  Little kids swarmed the monument while others posed for pictures right in front.

But I can't say I'm happy about it.  I was tired and - dare I say - slightly bitter.  For a "ah, we'll see it and it'll be a quick, great adventure!" type of adventure, this one left me apologizing quite a bit.  But it's worth a visit, so go there already.  Just don't look like an idiot trying to find a genius.

Location: 2101 Constitution Ave., NW.  Directly on the corner of a nameless street and across from Henry Bacon Drive.  Map
Closest Metro Stop: Foggy Bottom (orange/blue) or Farragut North (orange/blue)
Cost: Free

#6: Crackle Bar

On the top floor of Georgetown's seafood eatery sits Crackle Bar, a quaint, New Englandy beach bar that offered us some of the best happy hour deals we've seen yet.  They were out of the $2 margaritas that we ventured there for, but we didn't mind replacing them with $1.50 beers and $3 calamari. 

The bar itself had wooden floors and walls with various nautical props decorating the room.  Flat screen TVs hung on the walls and the vibe was energetic, with a mixture of young professionals and college students.  We sat on barstools at a counter overlooking M Street and received quick service despite the room being packed.  While our experience didn't last too long, it was a nice stop for a quick and cheap happy hour - with a snack (calamari) to boot!

Photo from "Crackle Bar Debuts Happy Hour" on Metrocurean

I can remember this goodbye being surprisingly hard for me - it's so rare that we hang out for just a short amount of time and then commute our own separate ways.  But I'm hooked (+1 for a Crackle Bar pun?) so it makes sense.

Happy hour runs weeknights from 5-7pm and has $1 oyster shooters, $3 calamari, $0.50 chicken wings, $5 steamed shrimp, $1.50 bottles of Bud and Bud Light and $2 frozen margaritas.  Not a bad deal!

Location: 3245 M Street, NW (Upstairs)
Closest Metro Stop: Rosslyn (orange/blue) or Foggy Bottom (orange/blue) - the Circulator stops right nearby
Cost: $6 for two beers and calamari for two

#5: Tryst

I'm not one of those people that falls neatly into either generally skeptical or generally optimistic when it comes to places with a lot of hype.  So with Matt living in Adams Morgan, we left a good amount of stones unturned ("Best Jumbo Slice in DC" down the street from "#1 Jumbo Slice in the City"?  Hard to believe) while experimenting with the variety of places to eat, drink and be merry in the neighborhood.  Tryst was one of those places with a lot of hype.  So we approached it cautiously but eagerly after our trip to the Spanish Steps and we pleased with our snacktime adventure.   

Upon entering, I saw a scene out of any WB drama from the early 2000s: tons of couches, laptops and a saucy wait staff littering a HUGE space.  We found a cute table for two in the back between an iPod-budded student and a wine-fueled gossipfest and settled in.  To start, I ordered a banana smoothie that was enormous and especially satisfying on such a hot day.  To snack, I ordered Lebneh.  It's described on their site as "A Lebanese tangy yogurt served with za'atar - a blend of oregano and thyme-olives & lavash."  It was refreshing and a very generous portion.  Matt grabbed a variety of turkey sandwich (I believe "Grace": "sliced turkey, creamy brie, granny smith apple and cranberry sauce" but I could be wrong) and was happy as well.  It was definitely a "don't rush, take it easy" sort of vibe and those around us were certainly not budging.  Worth braving the scene.

Location: 2459 18th Street, NW (between Columbia and Mintwood)

Closest Metro Stop: Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan (Red) - 12 minute walk, or take the Circulator to the top of the hill

Cost: Around $25.72 for two (sandwich, dip, smoothie)

#4: The Spanish Steps

On a summer day in DC, spending any amount of time outside requires a worthwhile destination and a good supply of water. So when I asked Matt to go on an adventure in the beginning of the summer, it was a slight push to get us out of the air conditioning. But knowing that the shady, peaceful Spanish Steps were our destination, I pushed a bit and we were on our way.

The Spanish Steps are tucked away near Dupont Circle and after revisiting them several times, I can confirm seeing someone else near them just once. This is part of the appeal: knowing how close you are to the hustle and bustle of Dupont but actually getting to be alone and relax nearby.  Getting to the steps requires just a brief walk down S Street, past a few embassies and beautiful townhouses. Fortunately for us, the walk is almost entirely in the shade. The landmark kind of creeps up on you; look the other way for too long and you'll miss it.  But if you keep an eye out for it, you'll encounter old stone steps that wrap around a small fountain and come together in the middle. The steps are surrounded by some well-maintained vines and flowers and made me feel like I had stepped into The Secret Garden.  Looking down the steps gives you a nice view down 22nd Street and a different perspective of the city.  While the steps aren't very large, they are charming and a nice detour from busy Connecticut Ave.

(Lifted from My DC: Spanish Steps)

Once we walked from the top of the steps down to Decatur, we saw an old fire callbox and Matt taught me what they were. I claimed to have never seen one before but lo and behold, I walk past several every day. We then took a nice walk down Decatur in the shade and checked out the beautiful details of the houses on that street. These walks are one of my favorite things that Matt and I do - somehow, regardless of how many times we've traveled through an area - we always find something new to check out. And those moments are some of the few that I manage to stop talking for a little bit. The Steps ended up being just a starting point for a nice escape for us, though I could see it being a good spot to read a book or relax.

Location: S Street NW between 23rd and Phelps (or, coming from the bottom of the steps: Decatur between Florida Ave. and 22nd.)

Closest Metro Stop: Dupont Circle (Red)

Cost: Free