The 40-and-under set speak out on the best of Washington.
See the full story and more in the March 2013 issue of Washington Life Magazine.
SALUD! Bars and Restaurants
Tabard Inn (1739 N St. NW, 202-785-1277) “I love D.C. during the holidays, especially during Christmas when the city clears out. On a cold Sunday evening, nothing beats getting a seat in the main lounge when they play jazz and serve warm drinks by the fireplace.” — Daniella Foster, U.S. State Department
Boundary Stone (116 Rhode Island Ave. NW, 202-621-6635) The bar at this Bloomingdale is a favorite watering hole for Hugh & Crye duo Pranav Vora and Philip Soriano.
The Columbia Room (1021 7th St. NW, 202-393-0336) “It’s not under-rated, but it is my favorite spot.” — Samantha Dezur, Education Finance Council
La Lomita Dos (308 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 202-544-0616) “I haven’t been in far too long, but they have great salsa, which is typically the sign of really good Tex-Mex. And while I do not get to go nearly enough, the 9:30 Club is still a favorite.” — Lindsey Mask, Ladies America
Toki Underground (1234 H St. NE, 202-388-3086) You might find photographer and 8112 Studios co-founder Nicholas Cambata slurping noodles at this popular and often-crowded H Street ramen house.
Napoleon Bistro and Lounge (1847 Columbia Rd. NW, 202-299-9630) You just might catch Crossfire Strategies’ Nicholas Cafritz grooving to stellar tunes in the basement of this Adams Morgan hangout, from the owners of Georgetown’s Café Bonaparte.
Local 16 (1602 U St. NW, 202-265-2828) Georgetown University’s Mark Vlasic can’t get enough of the roof deck of this farm-to-table restaurant, especially for brunch. We like its commitment to local farms like Virginia’s Whipple Farms.
Notable Newbies
Barmini (1021 7th St. NW, 202-393-0336)
We all knew that one of molecular chef extraordinaire Jose Andres’ favorite drinks is gin and tonic (“uh, hello!” as he once told us), but at his latest experimental kitchen, the legendary Spanish chef takes his MiniBar experimentation to the cocktail shaker. And duh, “Jose’s G&T” is featured on the menu.
Heist (1802 Jefferson Pl. NW, 202-716-2055)
D.C.’s latest nightclub has us in a “gangsta” mood with its subterranean locale and bullet-ridden bar. Belly up and plan your next caper with specialty cocktails and tunes from some of the city’s best deejays.
LIVE IT UP – Culture & Fitness
Sweetlife Festival Self-proclaimed spin “addict” J Street’s Rachel Lerner is looking forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival, “but the Sweetlife Festival is on my birthday this year so I’m excited about that, too.”
Great Falls & Rock Creek Park National Geographic photographer Trevor Frost keeps active in the great outdoors, kayaking in Great Falls and bike riding through Rock Creek Park. “I love Great Falls because it’s just 30 minutes outside the city and yet, when I’m there, I feel like I’m a million miles away.”
Capital Bikeshare Photographer Nicholas Cambata adds a creative twist to tooling around on wheels: “rent one of those bikes from the shared stations and ride around, stop along the way and take photos.”
Hirshhorn Museum Sunday nights find Mark Vlasic taking advantage of any “at night” event at the Phillips Collection, Freer Sackler and Hirshhorn museums. “What better way to spend a Washington evening than taking in culture? Beats anything on TV.”
Silverdocs World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council’s Erica Williams gets her art fix at Art Under Pressure on Georgia Avenue NW. “I love street art and local art. AUP gives me access to colorful, soulful work from up-and-coming artists, visual and musical.” She and her filmmaker husband also make it a point to check out Silverdocs. “Every year we clear the week and fill our days with popcorn and movies from all over the world.”
National Gallery of Art Hill staffer Carolyn Amirpashaie King plays on three soccer teams during the week to keep fit. Down time often finds her at the museum. “I’m really into the Middle Eastern exhibits since I am Persian and I always make an effort to check them out when they are featured.”
Mt. Vernon Weekends find C&M International’s Patty Wu and her husband riding their bikes to this landmark. “When I’m on a bike and close to the ground like that it’s fun to envision George Washington as a real person, who commuted along the same road and was working through many of the issues that now define us as a country.”