Happy Hour deals

Logan Tavern
Last week we needed a place with happy hour specials starting from 3:00 p.m. since we got off work early due to the long weekend, and in addition we wanted to find a new place rather than Buffalo Billiards in Dupont or neighboring areas. After extensive research, we found that Logan Tavern (http://www.logantavern.com/) opposite the Whole Foods on P street, fulfilled both criteria with its 3-6:30 p.m. happy hour with its half price drinks and appetizer menu offered at the bar. Owned by the same people as Grillfish and Merkado, Logan Tavern has a similar but yet unique feel with the huge big framed pictures of Logan circle on the walls. The waiter was attentive as it was just our group and a few other people at the bar. The Stella Artois, normally $7 at St. Ex and other places was being served at a very reasonable $3, along with Skyy vodka, rail drinks and other beers and “Stoly Dolly” for the same price. I would have liked the “Stoly Dolly” or pineapple infused vodka martini a little sweeter but others seemed to like its tartness. The group was happiest when our bartender put out rustic bread with extra virgin oil to go with the baked greek cheese dish which tasted a bit like ricotta cheese but solid with marinara sauce. LDJ got the scallops which came on a bed of steamed spinach also from the happy hour menu. The Bottom line is, Logan is not the most happening place for happy hour, but a quiet place with good deals is great if you already have a group of people or just want to catch up with a friend.

Beacon Bar and Grill
The best part about Beacon Bar and Grill is the $4 rail martinis (http://capitalhotelswdc.com/BBGWDC_com/specials.htm) available all the time and offered in a wide array of flavors from peach and watermelon to apple and chocolate. In addition the half price pitchers of sangria are quite popular. Located in the Beacon Hotel on 17th and Rhode Island, Beacon has a nice outdoor patio. The outside gets pretty busy but there is hardly ever anyone inside the restaurant area. The flat screen TVs mounted on the walls in the bathrooms are an interesting touch. The puffed pita chips served with the spinach artichoke dip are a must have. While Beacon has a pretty decent happy hour menu the service can be pretty slow (read "service can suck big time") so be prepared to be patient.

FoodBar DC
If you’re looking to do happy hour in a place in Dupont with a nice outdoor patio, then FoodBar (http://www.foodbardc.com/) is the place. Its situated at 17th and R and so a good place to people watch. Although the website suggests that the happy hour specials are only served at the bar, you can get it even in the outdoor patio between 5 & 8 p.m. The $5martinis and cosmos, $2 miller light & bud light and $3 wine are a decent deal. The nachos come with a bowl of melted cheese spiced with jalapenos and the quesadillas are pretty good too. Their brunch menu looks pretty good but I have yet to try it. The inside of FBDC looks a little dark and uninviting for during happy hour. However, the website boasts it was voted as “best trendy restaurant” in the Washington Blade, so I suspect it does attract a certain crowd later at night.

Craving thai food?

Rice
If you're tired of going to dingy Thai restaurants like the basement Sala Thai in Dupont or generally or better still, want to make an occassion out of dining at a Thai restaurant, then Rice restaurant (http://www.ricerestaurant.com/) is the place for you. Located on 14th street next to HR 57 and north of Q street, Rice is simplistic yet trendy in its decor with one entire wall of exposed brick with lights illumnating the wall. The long and narrow restaurant was quite packed the night we went and and we waited for our table with numerous others at the tiny bar one end of the restaurant. The chef is Phannarai Promprasert who was formerly with Busara in Glover Park. The menu is divided into three categories: Rice specialties, authentic Thai, and healthy green, each subdivided into soups, appetizers and entrees. I chose the thai green curry mixed with vegetables and tofu for $12. The lunch menu is relatively cheaper and the restaurant was quite empty. However, we still enjoyed the delicious menu while sitting on the outdoor patio.

Regent Thai Cuisine
Regent Thai Cuisine (http://www.regentthai.com/), diagonally accross from Lauriol plaza on 18th Street is a good new addition to the area and yet it seemed empty compared to Lauriol! While we ate an early dinner in the outside patio I popped in to check out the decor inside the suprisingly large restaurant. On the walls were the most beautiful Thai woodcarvings lending a sense of serenity to the place. Unlike many restaurants that often forget the lonely couple dining outdoors, we found the service very good as they came often enough to check on us without disturbing our peace. We did find that the bugs were bothering us in the outdoor patio which subsided a bit after the waitstaff lit some citronella type candles. Shrek had the Chicken red curry for $7.95 and I had a delicious Papaya sald for $5.95. It's definitely a place we intend to check out again and we will probably choose to dine inside the next time.

Two fabulous new brunch places

Tabaq Bistro
Former owners of Mezze, Melih and Omer Buyukbayrak converted an abandoned row house into this posh new bar/restaurant lounge on U and 13th streets. Tabaq bistro (http://www.tabaqdc.com/) is divided into 3 areas each on a different level, providing totally different experiences. The "Glass Terrace" apparently has "DC's only retractable glass roof" which would make it a fun rooftop bar when the weather is nice. On the 1st floor is the "Red Room" with its swanky red and black decor and a lighted glass wall illuminating the drinks in the bar area. The "Tabaq Lounge" in the basement area has small stools around tables where one could sit around and smoke hookahs. Still new, the Tabaq Bistro is gaining popularity as one of the happening bars in the areas and gets quite busy on the weekends. Their menu offers a variety of medirranean and a smattering of Turkish foods, since the owners are Turkish. We were delighted with our Sunday brunch with both the taste and the quantity. I was especially pleased my eggwhite vegetable omelette for $6.95 which had a cheese souffle like texture that came with a tower of sauteed potatoes and Shrek was pleased with the Tabaq breakfast for $11.50 that comes with 2 eggs, your choice of bacon or sausage, feta salad, sauteed potatoes and toast. I hear the eggs benedict is pretty good too. Next time I plan to try the waffles or the french toast perhaps with braised pineapple or apple cinamon for $7.95 and Shrek might have the grilled fish with olive tapenade sandwhich for $8.95.

Merkado
Located right across the Wholefoods on P street, Merkado (http://www.merkadodc.com/) serving "Latin cuisine with an Asian twist" was started by David Winer and his partners who also own Logan Tavern 2 restaurants down and Grillfish in Dupont. We started out our meal by sitting in the nice outdoor patio but moved to the interesting latin/cuban decorated inside when it starting pouring. We were ravenous when we sat down and were pleased to get the best corn bread spiced up with jalapeno peppers. I was happy with my choice of toasted coconut belgian waffles which came with coconut cream and a side of spiced rum fruit for $8.95. Shrek raved about his steak sandwich in mojo with caramelized onions which was quite reasonable for $9.95 as well as the delicious cappucino a perfect ending to the meal. The pre theater dinner at $25 for a three course meal between 5 and 7 , sounds like a good deal and would allow one to get a better sense of the asian/ latin fusion cuisine.

The New Tryst

For months we have been talking about the huge need for a new Tryst. The past few times it has been impossible to get a place to sit at Tryst, without having to wait for a table. Yesterday I was delighted to spend my afternoon at http://busboysandpoets.com/. The interesting name is inspired by the African American poet Langston Hughes who was introduced to the world as a "Negro Busboy poet" by the poet Nicholas V. Lindsay was handed poems scribbled on scraps of paper one evening while he was served dinner by Hughes at DC's Wardam Park Hotel. The cafe/bar/bookstore/restaurant/ stage is located on 14th and V. Convenient for those living in the U street, Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant area, the place seemed to be bustling with people who had driven there from even further.

I sat next to a web designer who said it was his new choice of place of work made convenient by the fact they were offereing free Wi-Fi. While taking a break from building a website for a client he took advantage of the quaint bookstore within the place and encouraged me to check out the collection. He left for the day, having completed his work for the afternoon and in came another interesting set of people to share the same seating area as me. While my new neighbours raved about the decadent chocolate cake and chocolate mousse cake they had gotten, I was mighty pleased with my order of tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza with pesto sauce that I chose get (for just $ 5.95). I was pleased and a little overwhelmed to be offered a choice of sundried tomato, pesto or marinara sauce for the pizza. The wait staff was friendly and patient while I contemplated my sauce options!

For those who wanted to have a more formal meal there is a restaurant type area at Busboys and Poets. I was also excited to learn that there is a separate theater style area called "Peace Cafe" with booths, tables and a stage area. They have events scheduled everyweekend which range from book readings to independent film fest to FREE cognac tasting. And if you're ever looking to rent out the space..it costs $500 + a $50 audio fee and has a seating capacity of 100 people.