winger1930 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I'm trying to put together a birthday celebration for my wife for this Saturday night. We'll have about 8 people with us, all in our early to mid thirties, and are aiming for a post dinner outing at about 9pm. We are coming from Rockville, but can go to DC, VA or MD. I'm not just looking for 1 bar, but maybe 2 or 3 that are with in walking distance (like the Passenger and Hogo - but I'm just worried that we won't be able to get in with this many people). Everyone drinks cocktails, but some prefer beer. We are hoping to find places where we can sit down, but at least where we can all talk. I just don't know the bars in DC like I used to, and am hoping you all can help. Maybe some places on 14th St, but anywhere is fine.I realize as I'm writing this is that I used to look down on all these people who would come into the city on the weekends and invade "my neighborhood". I'd curse them as they forced me to get home before 6pm on a Friday night just so I could have the privilege of parking my car 6 blocks from my house. Alas, now I've become one of "them"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Seems like I'm always making recommendations for Union Market, so why stop now? Rappahannock Oyster Bar has Columbia Room alum JP manning the bar there. Buffalo & Bergen features Rachel Sergi and Chris Martino there on Saturday nights, they have a full cocktail list. Righteous Cheese has wine, Red Apron, TaKorean have beer . . . you wouldn't really be bar-hopping per-se, but I am quite sure that you would comfortably fit 8+ people on peak Saturday night hours there and have a relaxed environment for conversations, which seems to be main challenge here. The Market closes at 8, and you'd have to drive elsewhere for dinner, but I think you would get quality cocktails there. Otherwise, I feel like your other options are Clydes or Carmines for large parties, and who knows if you can talk comfortably. Maybe there are other places in VA or MD, Old Towne perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I'm thinking maybe more Birch & Barley, with Cork, Estadio, Bar Pilar, etc. nearby on 14th? Even Pitago would be fun, celebrating with gelato? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winger1930 Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 Seems like I'm always making recommendations for Union Market, so why stop now? Union Market actually sounds like a great idea - but they close at 8 and we're looking to go out at 9. However, you do make a good case for my wife and I to head there for a long afternoon/evening. I'm thinking maybe more Birch & Barley, with Cork, Estadio, Bar Pilar, etc. nearby on 14th? Even Pitago would be fun, celebrating with gelato? Doesn't Birch & Barley get really crowded though on a Saturday night? I've tried to go there once, but it was so packed, we had to go somewhere else. I thought about Bar Pilar and Cork as possible places. I was able to score a reservation at The Gibson for 6, but I'm probably going to be a party of 7, so I might have to find something else. Any other recs or ideas would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Union Market actually sounds like a great idea - but they close at 8 and we're looking to go out at 9. However, you do make a good case for my wife and I to head there for a long afternoon/evening. I gotcha, I misread your post, thought you wanted to do drinks first and then head out for dinner around 9. Another thought is a Firefly- Tabard Inn crawl, plus whatever else is in the Dupont Circle area. Both places have those dedicated lounges that can fit larger parties. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Dedrick Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 My concern with 14th Street would be actually securing space. Since Bar Pilar has added the second floor I actually think they could accommodate you, but Cork/Estadio/Birch and Barley all get pretty slammed. You could do Pilar and Masa 14, although I'm not really a fan of Masa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winger1930 Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 I was thinking Pilar and Black Jack, and maybe one more place. Not sure what we'll do for that last one, but at least that gives me a plan for the first 2 places... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winger1930 Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 Just to close the loop on this... We ended up getting all 7 of us (and an unexpected 8th person) into the Gibson. I think the reviews are mixed from the party. On the one hand, I thought the service was efficient but not really friendly. Honestly, we had a tough time navigating the menu with all the obscure (at least to us) liquors and ingredients. We tried asking questions, but between the really dark lighting cause us to have trouble reading the menu, and being stuck in the corner where it was hard to talk to the server if you were seated on the back side of the table, we had a couple of drinks that were misses for us. But, we did enjoy the Bren on the Patio and the Gibson Gamble was pretty fun for some of us. One big miss for me was, when I made the reservation, we were told the table would be ours for the rest of the night. However, around 10:45 or so, our server told us that there was another party booked behind us at 11:30. It wasn't a big deal because we were ready to move on, but it was disappointing because we did have to rush through our second round of drinks, and some of us didn't get a chance to finish them off. We were sufficiently lubed up at that point, and my wife wanted to go to Saint Ex to relive our city years, so that was fun. Not exactly the type of place to talk to one another, but good times nonetheless. Thanks for all the recs everyone, even if only to give us places to go next time we head out downtown! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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