Happy Hour at The Quill

Things are super busy and stressful this week, but I figured since I'm planning on spending almost all of the weekend locked in my apartment with my computer, I could take a short break for the Thursday happy hour.

This week we went to The Quill at the Jefferson Hotel at the request of Beth. Everything about it was awesome. We sat out on the patio, which was very nice and relaxed and uncrowded - and it was one of DC's very few and precious 'perfect patio' days where it was low 70's and sunny. It's on a fairly busy street, but there are enough trees that you feel like it's actually pretty hidden. They bring out olives and nuts right away (and keep refreshing them while you're there, which was probably not super healthy for me since I just kept munching away...) And the cocktails are amazing! They have some really unique options - I had the dessert rose - strawberry puree, St. Germain, and Prosecco - first, and then I tried the 'odd couple,' which included sharp cheddar cheese paired with a cocktail maid with jalapeño infused vodka and some kind of watermelon mixer. Very spicy, but really great!

And, Jesse Tyler Furgeson, who plays "Mitchell" on Modern Family (the funniest show on TV right now), walked right past the patio and into the bar! So cool!!!

Happy Hour @ Barcode

Last Thursday we had our weekly happy hour at Barcode. It's a new restaurant at 17th and L NW. I thought it was pretty good - we tried their pita and guacamole, which was really good, and also had the fries with aioli. I had a glass of half-priced pinot noir which wasn't bad either. In addition to Jeff and I, there was Jaisha and a Spanish friend she brought along, Noelle, and Beth. And then Alanna and her friend showed up just as Jaisha, Beth, and I were heading out, but it worked out perfectly because we could just give them our seats at the table (which otherwise wouldn't have fit all of us).  

Happy Hour @ Oya

Happy Hour on February 3rd was at Oya – a restaurant in Penn Quarter. Jeff and I got there really early (around 5pm – normally we meet at 6pm), so we got a good spot in the lounge area. Oya had good happy hour specials. The cocktail that I tried was good, but the highlight was definitely the sushi – I loved their sushi! It was just really tasty and also somewhat unique – for example, they add tempura flakes to the spicy tuna roll to make it a little crunchy. We got a good crowd, and had a good time – definitely a place I’d try again.

Happy Hour at Topaz

On January 13th, we had our first Happy Hour of the year - the turnout was great - Jeff, Stephanie, Arthur, Kris, Emma, Beth W., Jaisha, Al, Beth F., Noelle - the whole crowd. We went to Topaz - a hotel lounge on N Street. The drinks were good - they had a bunch of zodiak-themed drinks (I went with Scorpio - yum!). We also tried empanadas, which were great. Beth had a tuna burger, which she said was really good too.

Every Thursday, Topaz has a free comedy show featuring ten local comedians. A group of us stayed after happy hour to see the show. I thought it was actually really good! Some comedians were funnier than others, but all of them had at least some funny jokes. I'd definitely consider going again in the future!

Adam's Visit and Happy Hour @ The Mighty Pint

Last week, my friend Adam came to visit DC for a few days. He got in on Monday and came to stay with Jeff and me. I was pretty busy with work and school, but I was able to hang out at least a bit, which was fun.

On Wednesday, Adam and I met up with Stephanie for lunch - even though it was a very quick lunch close-by, we somehow got caught in a downpour, and Adam was soaked by the time we got home (I brought an umbrella!). Then he got a lecture from someone in my building on dryer etiquette (apparently you can't use the empty dryer unless all the washers are also empty.)

On Thursday, Adam joined us for our weekly Happy Hour. This week we went to the Mighty Pint - they had great deals - $3 draft beers, $1 pizza slices, and $2 tater tots. Lots of people were able to make it this week - Beth, Stephanie, Phil, Tommy, Ryan and his wife, and Al. And, Adam brought his new girlfriend, so we all got to meet her briefly.

After that, a few of us had dinner at Scion in Dupont Circle - it is a nice little restaurant, and the entrees were really reasonably priced. I shared a turkey and apple panini with Jeff - very tasty. Overall, great night!

Happy Hour - Dupont Italian Kitchen

Last Thursday we all met up for Happy Hour at Dupont Italian Kitchen - Jeff & I, Beth, Emma, Stephanie, Al, Beth F., Tommy, and my new co-worker Ryan and his wife.

Dupont Italian Kitchen was pretty good - we had some appetizers - fried ravioli, bruschetta, and hummus. Everything was pretty good, though it was a bit expensive.

After happy hour, we headed to Mackey's for the Twin's game, but that didn't turn out too well... Maybe we'll do better in New York?

Happy Hour – Current Sushi

Jeff and I have been traveling a lot lately, so we haven’t been around for our normal Thursday night happy hour. Luckily, we were able to get people together on Thursday, Sept. 16th. We decided to try Current Sushi – a sushi restaurant that turns into a lounge at night. Maybe because we hadn’t had a happy hour in a while, a fair number of people came – Me, Jeff, Stephanie, Beth, Emma, Tommy, and Tommy’s friend. There were five sushi rolls on the happy hour special ($4 each!), so we just ordered two of each. It was mostly the standard stuff – spicy sushi, salmon, yellowtail – but everything was good. We also had edamame, and it was served hot, which I loved.

Afterwards we stopped at Public Bar across the street. It was a bit loud, but the patio was nice now that the weather is not quite as hot as it has been. Jeff and I shared a beer, and that was it!

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.

After Comps

After taking the political comprehensive exam on Tuesday, I went to Urbana for dinner with my friend Janet, who was in town for the week. (Sad that I only got to see her the one time - it was just a crazy time with exams!) As always, the food at Urbana was great, and since we made the reservation on OpenTable, we got a free glass of champagne with dinner. (Thanks to Stephanie for that tip!)

On Thursday, when both comps were done, I celebrated with a bowl of Ben & Jerry's, got ready, and headed out to Buffalo Billiards for a celebration happy hour. In addition to the normal Thursday Happy Hour crowd, I invited all the UMD PhD's, since some of them were also taking comps. Lots of people came, which was really fun, and Jeff and I and a few others ended up staying out pretty late. It was my first time to Buffalo Billiards, and I actually liked it a lot. They had a great all-night drink deal ($3.50 for Sam Adams), pool tables, and darts. It's big, so it doesn't ever seem too crowded. It's a nice place for a laid-back, jeans-and-a-T-shirt kind of evening.

Other than doing a bit of work, I spent most of Friday relaxing on the couch and essentially doing nothing - for the first time in months! I caught up on some not-so-great TV (like Grey's Anatomy) that had built up on the DVR and just relaxed.

Happy Hour

Every Thursday Jeff and I get together with friends for Happy Hour to catch up on the events of the week and plan for the weekend. It's also a great way to see lots of different DC restaurants without spending too much money.

Two Thursdays ago we went to PS7 in Penn Quarter. The happy hour drinks were a good deal ($5 wine, $4 beer) and the food was great. The flat breads were all pretty tasty (and were half-price), but the best thing we had was the tuna tartar sliders - they were great. They also had a patio, which makes the place a winner in my book.

Last Thursday we actually didn't have a happy hour, but instead Jeff and I drove to Baltimore to have dinner with his parents. We ate at Woodberry Kitchen - a farm to table restaurant. They use only local ingredients. The food is amazing - we split lots of different things - oysters, fried rabbit, asparagus crepes, mushroom flat-bread, scallops, steak, and an incredible chocolate dessert. Everything was great!

Happy Hour - Ping Pong Dim Sum

Last Thursday, I got together with a group of friends for happy hour at Ping Pong Dim Sum - a new restaurant in Penn Quarter. It was a really fun evening - lots of people were able to make it this week. My cousin, Liz, and Jeff's cousin, Sarah, both came and met each other for the first time. Stephanie & Arthur, Eric & Lindsey, Emma, Jaisha, Lewis, and others were all there too. I really meant to take pictures, but didn't get a chance. Next I'll really, really try to take pictures.

The happy hour at Ping Pong Dim Sum was really good. They have lots of fun signature cocktails, normally price around $10, available for only $5. I absolutely loved the Lychee and Roses Martini that I had, and enjoyed my Kumquat Mojito as well. Jeff seemed happy with his Lemongrass and lime drink - which looked really cool, since the glass was full of lemongrass. There were also a number of snacks - spring rolls, vegetable buns, and other fun things, offered at happy hour prices. Definitely a spot I'd go again!