The Gibson and Marvin

Yesterday we had our weekly Happy Hour. This week we tried The Gibson. It's a small place at 14th and U NW designed to be like a speakeasy. There is no sign, and just one unmarked door off the street. It's sometimes locked, so you have to knock or ring the bell. Inside it's quiet, with jazz music and low lighting. There is only seating for about 50 people, and they don't allow people to stand, so it never gets too crowded. They specialize in craft cocktails - fun, unique options. For example, I had:

Meridian: Tanqueray 10, Dolin Blanc, Dolin Dry, Rose Water, Orange Bitters, Creme de Violette
--This was a great drink, a very smooth floral Martini.

Relapse: El Dorado 5 Rum, Lemon, Maple Syrup, Hellfire Bitters
--I really enjoyed this drink, it was very unique - it tasted slightly sweet, but was garnished with cayenne pepper and was a bit spicy, particularly the after-taste.

After drinks at The Gibson, we headed next door to Marvin, for dinner. Marvin is owned by the same people. The food was great - Jeff and I shared some Coconut Curry Mussels that were incredible. The burger and fries we shared was also pretty impressive.