# Hey D.C. Dopers! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2001, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835 "2001-01-19T07:41:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/1 "2001-01-19T07:41:56Z")
I’m going to be a Newbie in more ways than one in a few weeks. I’ll be moving to D.C. for four months at the beginning of February. It looks like my roommates and I have landed a nice place in NW D.C. not too far from the White House and the Capitol (good cause my job is politics-related). I’m wondering if there’s any all-purpose advice some of the D.C.-area Dopers think would be useful to someone moving into the city: Places to hang out, institutions/customs I should become familiar with, really good cheap restaurants, etc. If you’ve got any wisdom to impart, and I know a lot of you do, please let me know. Also, is there a D.C. Dopefest coming up soon? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/2 "2001-01-19T10:03:18Z")
Welcome to DC! I’m a life-long DC area resident, so I’d be glad to help you out. What kind of places are you interested in? Cultural attractions? Bars? Clubs? Raves? Areas of town to avoid? What else? Either post to this thread or e-mail me, and I’ll try to add what I can. Tip #1 for cheap eats: If you’re in Georgetown, stop by **Moby Dick** for the best kebobs in town (31st and M Street) ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/3 "2001-01-19T11:19:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SNenc \* > \*\*I’m going to be a Newbie in more ways than one in a few weeks. > > I’ll be moving to D.C. for four months at the beginning of February. \ > > If you’ve got any wisdom to impart, and I know a lot of you do, please let me know. Also, is there a D.C. Dopefest coming up soon? \*\* **Peta’s Preliminary Tips** 1. Avoid driving whenever possible. Metro is our friend. 2. Snow is bad, um-kay. 3. Inside the Beltway is better (safer, more convenient) than outside. 4. Stand to the right, walk to the left (escalators). 5. Did I mention the great Metro system? 6. Xando (coffeehouse), good. Old Town and Georgetown, good (shopping and eats). Springfield, traffic hell. 7. Libraries are small, but bookstores are huge. And from the looks of it, there’s is ALWAYS a dopefest just about to happen in the DC/NoVA/MD area. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/4 "2001-01-19T14:00:28Z")
Metro=Good Driving into G’town on Friday or Saturday nights=bad. Read City Paper for the local poop on things important to those of us who detest politics (OK, I know, why do you live there. etc.-don’t start. At least I don’t soapbox.)Also useful as a umbrella on days like today. Has good articles on bars, shows, and fun stuff. Do NOT, under any circumstances, say to cow-okers ‘Looks like snow!’ These people will domino like you’ve never seen, spiraling into panic and bread-buying and (Prof. Frink)OH GOD, the driving and the hurting\ Museums, the Capitol, White House, etc., are free tours. Go to it. Cool tour at the FBI, which used to end with a firearms demonstration. Metro goes anywhere you’d want to go in the city, or as close as dammit. Learn the lines and move to the center of a crowded car. Buy booze in Virginia-it’s cheaper at the state stores. Movies at the Uptown, Ethiopian at Meskerem or Faisika’s (Adams-Morgan), cheap beers across from the Zoo at the Zoo Bar. Go to the Zoo-it’s free, too. Ethnic suburbs. Chinatown’s a joke, but go out into VA or MD, and you have these amazing communities of Koreans (Lotte Plaza in Annandale), Vietnamese (Bailey’s), and Chinese and Filipinos. Some of the best, and weirdest, grocery stores, restaurants, anywhere. Fireworks on the Fourth of July. Baltimore weekend trips. That’s about all for now, but I’ll think up more later. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/5 "2001-01-19T14:10:09Z")
Check out RTFirefly’s sig line for the latest news on upcoming doperfests, and take a look at [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=43601) to find out when the next DC Lunch Bunch gets together, since it sounds like you’ll be right there. (You say you’re going to be “close” to the White House/Capitol, but as anybody knows who lives in a state-like district that is not larger than 10 miles along its longest border, those two buildings aren’t very close to each other at all. Oh sure, maybe if you come from Nebraska and your nearest neighbor is reachable only via smoke signals then you might _think_ that two buildings 250 meters apart are actually “close” to each other, but just wait 'till you get here.) I’ve never been to a Lunch Bunch lunch, but several others have been to a bunch of Lunch Bunch lunches. I forgot to bring my lunch today, and the boss isn’t here, and it very slow… hmmmmm. Anywho, you’ll have to spill your guts a little more for us to tell you where the “action” is. Do you want the seedy underbelly night life action or the bright & sunny daytime museum action? On preview, I see **False\_God** has mentioned [The Washington City Paper](http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/), so I thought I’d provide a link. And just stay away from Georgetown unless you have helicopter access. The ethnic regions **FG** mentioned are only minutes away by car and the food is half the cost and much more authentic. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/6 "2001-01-19T14:10:35Z")
Welcome, SNenc - see sig for upcoming Dopefests! ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/7 "2001-01-19T15:09:41Z")
Oh, and the Brickskeller in Dupont for imported beers. Go to the Big Hunt if you want to hook up-as one of my friends said, “If you don’t come out of there with five phone numbers, well, you just haven’t been there ten minutes.” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/8 "2001-01-19T16:26:05Z")
I can second **Peta** on the Metro system (which now stops right next to where I work - _YEAH!_), and **False\_God** on a whole bunch of stuff - particularly Asian ethnic neighborhoods in N.Va., Ethiopian food at Meskerem, the National Zoo and the Zoo Bar, the Brickskeller, fireworks on the Fourth, and the inadvisability of driving into G’town on weekend evenings. Speaking of which, **peepthis** and **False\_God** , don’t forget the Dopefest welcome mat is out for y’all, too! (And I hope to see **Sofa King** at one of our gatherings, one of these days.) If you think you can get to Alexandria for this Sunday’s get-together, post to the thread or email me - I’m going to call California Pizza Kitchen with a head-count. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/9 "2001-01-19T17:03:44Z")
Wow, thanks for all the great stuff so far! Some of you have requested to know a little more about me, so here goes: I’m a 22-year-old guy. I don’t really go for pounding dance clubs unless I’m with a large group, but I do enjoy small bars with great hamburgers that the 20-something crowd likes to go to. I do love politics, but I love other stuff too. If there’s any parts of town that thrive with artists and musicians, I’m apt to like the people and businesses in that area. I have no intention of bringing my car and have already decided to embrace the Metro fully. Oh, and **peepthis** , I do have some interest in raves, so anything you know on that would be really cool. Thanks for all the great stuff so far! Keep it coming! ---
**Author:** ![Peta\_Tzunami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@Peta\_Tzunami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peta_Tzunami)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/10 "2001-01-19T17:40:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by False\_God \* > **Buy booze in Virginia-it’s cheaper at the state stores.** OH! They call these ABC Stores down here. They seem hidden until you find one, then they seem to be everywhere. The Birchmere (musical show venue) is GREAT! Good music, good seating, good food, reasonable pricing–no smoking in the music hall, a big plus for me (if you ARE a smoker, you can go to the bar in a completely separate area of the venue to do so without bothering us non-smokers). \*Ask SqrlCub or DCNewsman about inside DC, they know it pretty well…including the most unique Italian restaurants. \* ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/11 "2001-01-19T17:41:32Z")
Hey, I can try to meet up with y’all, but I’m coming off of a riduculously annoying viral/bacterial adventure that has left me completely mute. That’s not keeping me from going out on the piss tonight–I’ve got cabin fever. Hey, **SNenc** , wanna hear my tentative itinerary for tonight? I’m in a slightly different neighborhood than you’ll be in, but it might help you out a little. I work just down the hill from Dupont Circle. So I’m gonna bail early and do some hangin’ there. First, I’m going to walk up Connecticut Ave to **Julia’s Empanadas** and get some good eats. Then, I’ll probably snag a happy-hour beer at the **Lucky Bar**. Hopefully, I’ll run into my former Army Ranger pal and see how his sex change preparations are going. Then, up about half a block to the aforementioned **Big Hunt** , where I will enjoy at least one **Tupper’s Hop Pocket** (and try to snag some digits). Tupper is the guy who makes the hundreds of beer selections for the **Brickskeller** , at the other end of the Circle, and also trains the bartenders there. His recipe for a super-hoppy beer was picked up by the Dominion Brewery, and is in my opinion one of the finer brews in Washington–but not the finest. I’ll get to that. Unless I get lucky at the Hunt, what I’m doing is cooling my heels until about eight or nine, when the **Eighteenth Street Lounge** opens up. It’s one of those pretentious no-sign-on-the-door, no-jeans kind of martini joints, right where 18th and Connecticut converge. Look for Candy’s Hardware and then look for the building with the big windows and fire escapes. That’s the Lounge. I’m wearing jeans today, so I have to get there early before the bouncer gets out front to neg me, usually by about 9:30. The second floor (or the first serving floor) has the coldest ice in DC, which makes for the best martinis in town. One or two of those, and I’ve got my drink on. At that point, I’ll probably start wandering back toward Virginia, but not before I drop by **Borders** at 18th and L to grab some weekend reading. Then it’s on to the metro to the Orange line, where I’ll hop off at **Clarendon.** By now I’ll have had about a half-hour to see how those martinis did me. First stop is **Mexicali Blues**. If I didn’t hit Julia’s before, I’ll grab some pretty schweet fare there, as well as a margarita if I’m not wasted. Someone I know is _always_ doing tequila shots there at about ten; I might find them tempting. Next, I’ll wander down Wilson Boulevard to **Whitlows** to see what’s going on there. There’s a Thelonious Monk tribute band making the rounds this week–I’ll see if they’ve already played or not. Whitlows has the market cornered on kick-ass blues, with an occasional nod to jazz, surf, and bluegrass. If the tunes are kickin’ and the college students havent mobbed the joint, I might hang for awhile and shoot some pool with my bros, whom I havent seen in two weeks. If, on the other hand, Whitlows sucks, it’s only a few doors down to **Iota**. I might get lucky and be able to catch one of the great local bands, such as **Luka Brazzi** , **Lamont** , or **The Lost Fromattas**. Iota also has one of the finest Scotch collections in the area. I may be tempted to enjoy one of those if I choose to go in. If I don’t, I’ll check out the punk scene down the street at **Galaxy Hut**. In my dreams, I’ll have a good buzz and a random lady on my arm, and I’ll be headed back to the Den of Iniquity to show off my etchings. More likely, I’ll have picked up at least one soused drinking buddy who shouldn’t be driving and who will want to crash on my couch. Either way, there’s at least one more stop to go–the _piece de la resistance_. Arlington just wasn’t the same once the **Bardo Rodeo** shut down, but it has reincarnated (as Bardo must) as **Dr. Dremo’s Lounge**. Dremo is the greatest beer ever created by man, and it is fresh and on tap at its new namesake. Depending on how pissed I am and who’s with me at this point, it’ll be either a pint or a pitcher. Smoooove. If I’m alone, I might drop in on **Rhodeside** , at Wilson and Rhode St. to see who’s playing there and to say “hi” to the greatest bartendress inside the Beltway, **Claire**. When she’s not slinging mean drinks, she’s making a name for herself as the stunning lead vocalist for the Fromattas. Stardom awaits, so you better get to know her now. Then, emptyhanded, or otherwise, it’s off to the Den of Iniquity, where slumber–and a first class hangover–will welcome me with open arms. Hopefully, I’ll sleep through all this inaugural bullshit and be ready for something else tomorrow. Wish me luck. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/12 "2001-01-19T20:55:11Z")
**SNenc** I’m also a 22-year old male, and majored in poli sci so maybe my tips will work well for you. The rave scene actually sucks in DC, so don’t get your hopes too high. But check out Nation or Buzz for the best raves. The aforementioned Galaxy Hut is pretty trendy, in a punk/brit-pop kind of way. Clubs: you didn’t mention what kind of music you’re looking for, so: [ul] [li]For trendiness check out **Ozio’s** (Michael Jordan stops by whenever he’s actually in town on Wizards’ business)[/li][li] **Five** is right around the corner, and plays some of the best house & techno in town (and it’s right next door to the also aforementioned **18th Street Lounge** )[/li][li]Got big bucks to blow: **1223** is pretty swank[/li][li] **Platinum** , near 9th and F St., is usually pretty tight – check to see who’s spinning the night you go, because some nights it’s disappointing. **Dragonfly** is great, as is **Chi-Cha Lounge** [/li][li]Hip-hop? Check out 2:K:9. I’ve never been to **DC Live** but it’s supposed to be on point[/li][li]for “artsy,” I gotta point to Adams-Morgan and Dupont Circle.[/li][li]sports bars: we have an **ESPNZone** , but it’s a rip-off. I think **Willie & Reed’s** in Bethesda is tops[/li][/ul] Since you mentioned that you dig politics, I’m sure it won’t take you long to gravitate to the Hill. Check out **Hawk and Dove** and **Politiki** (where IIRC Mary Matalin and James Carville courted) for starters and good happy hours; but there are so many more places up there. In addition to the Washington City Paper, check out **[washingtonpost.com](http://washingtonpost.com)’s** great online [Nightlife](http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/nightlife.htm) section. It has postings about upcoming events, reviews of almost every area hangout, and you can look up every bar/club in the area in the Search option. My old college roommate is the editor (which gets us free drinks whenever he has to review a new place:)). ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/13 "2001-01-19T21:03:52Z")
It wasn’t Politiki where Matalin & Carville first dated. It was [Tune Inn](http://yp.washingtonpost.com/E/V/WASDC/0000/53/32/cs1.html), on Capitol Hill. ---
**Author:** ![dcnewsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dcnewsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dcnewsman)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/14 "2001-01-19T21:49:37Z")
There are a lot of good restaurants…for Mexican, the best in the city is Tortilla Coast on Capitol Hill but even better is El Paso Mexican Restaurant in Springfield; Bucco Di Beppo in DuPont is the best Italian food but take along a crowd, they serve family style and you’ll probably take leftovers home; a good Greek restaurant is just across from the Cleveland Park metro (I forget the name); and Ivy’s Place just up the street has good Thai food. Oh, the Kabob Bazaar in Arlington has great kabobs. If you want ice cream, try Larry’s in DuPont or any Ben & Jerry’s. Avoid all the restarunts in Union Station…the quality is sub-par (even for the chains) but the prices are higher. Oh, by the way, the DC tax on restaurant food is 10% although it is 5.75% otherwise. Grocery stores are also better outside the city since they are bigger and have a better selection. And the DC Lunch Bunch meets every other Friday at noon at the White House exit of the McPherson Square Metro Station. Olentzero and myself work about a block in either direction of the Metro so you’ll probably be nearby. ---
**Author:** ![Althea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@Althea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Althea)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/15 "2001-01-19T21:57:07Z")
I have very little knowledge of D.C. (I still invariably get stuck on Dupont Circle), but if you brave the trek to Baltimore, I am very familiar with the places worth visiting there. ---
**Author:** ![Althea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@Althea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Althea)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/16 "2001-01-19T22:08:21Z")
I have very little knowledge of D.C. (I still invariably get stuck on Dupont Circle), but if you brave the trek to Baltimore, I am very familiar with the places worth visiting there. Oh, yeah…I’m a 22-year-old woman who majored in poetry at University of Michigan. I drink Guinness, watch sports, and consider steaks cooked beyond medium rare to be a blasphemy, if those things qualify as a comparison of your taste and mine. ---
**Author:** ![Althea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@Althea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Althea)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/17 "2001-01-19T22:13:21Z")
Damn my server. Sorry about the post-and-a-half. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/18 "2001-01-19T23:28:30Z")
Hey, um, Althea, are you single, too? Just to underscore the above recommendations, Adams Morgan is pretty dang cool for food and booze. Some joints not previously mentioned are **Chief Ike’s Mambo Lounge** , **Mo’ Bay Cafe** , **Madam’s Organ** , **Heaven/Hell** , and **that place at the beginning of the strip where they give you a bottle of gin and a bucket of ice** , whatever it’s called. Hey! What time is it? I gotta get my beer shorts on! Maybe tomorrow I’ll give you a rundown of cool stuff a little off the beaten path. ---
**Author:** ![Althea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@Althea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Althea)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/19 "2001-01-19T23:53:25Z")
I am always single, Sofa King. I have neither the time nor the energy for a long-term relationship right now. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-d-c-dopers/50835/20 "2001-01-20T22:06:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sofa King \* > **and that place at the beginning of the strip where they give you a bottle of gin and a bucket of ice, whatever it’s called.** It sounds like you’re thinking of **Common Share** (which is at the end of the strip), but IIRC it’s only **Dan’s Cafe** (which is farther up 18th Street) where the liquor stock is limited to pints or little airline size bottles. Both joints are very bare-bones and hence very cost-effective. From my experience, **Dan’s** is a big hangout for local bike messengers. Since we’re talking about Adams-Morgan, definitely stop by **Habana Village** (on Columbia Avenue) for salsa dancing and the best mojitos in town (if you don’t know what a mojito is, run – do not walk – to your nearest Cuban restaurant or bar:)).