FVT Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Daughter is turning 16 in a few weeks and we are trying to find a great place for 8-10 girls (age 15 to 17) to have a birthday dinner. Not too fancy given the age, American menu, and ambiance and vibe are key. Matchbox in Pentagon City looks cool from the outside, so we are going there to check it out today. But otherwise we are drawing a blank. We live in Northern Virginia and are willing to venture out to MD or DC for the perfect place. Budget, we are open minded. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Pizzeria Orso is another good spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 Thanks, weezy. Looking for a little more upscale than a pizza joint, as much as dear daughter and her friends love pizza. I realize the teenage + upscale-but-not-too-upscale is tricky balance. Perhaps an enclosed rooftop place that might accommodate a teenage party of 8-10 might hit the spot. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Okay, but know that it does make pizza, but certainly pizza is only a part of their offerings. Take a look at the menu http://www.pizzeriaorso.com/pizzeria-orso-menu-updated-10-19-16.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Have you heard of Pinstripes in Georgetown. It's a restaurant and bowling alley(s) and bocce courts. A friend of ours threw a 50th birthday party for her husband there and it was a surprisingly fun evening. She rented 2 bocce courts for a few hours and had wine, pizza, salads and maybe another dish or two for a group of about 20. This might not be all that appealing to a group of teen age girls, but we all had a very fun time. Of course the wine may have had something to do with that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 If you want to stay in VA, I'd agree with Orso. It's not just a pizza place, any more than Matchbox is only a pizza place. In DC, what about Hill Country? What about something like The Hamilton, where there might even be a show that night? (Or, ditto for Hill Country.) Are you looking for something splashy more than food? If it doesn't have to be American food, I'd go with Zaytinya in DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedm Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Another vote for Pizzeria Orso. Their menu offers plenty of variety, which will allow those with "pickier palates" to enjoy the place, while they also offer some more adventurous dishes. The pizza is outstanding as always. As a bonus, parents can enjoy a nice glass of wine/beer or a cocktail. My wife and I took my daughter to Fiola for her 16th, but I don't have the bankroll to do that with 8 friends. If that's within your budget, taste, etc., you can ask for the private room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 Wow, thank you Bart, Pat, and reedm. Those are terrific suggestions. I'll be busy now for the next hour! I agree on Pizzeria Orso, having been there twice before ... but as Pat asked, yes, I think I am looking for something splashy more than food per se. I'll write back after doing some research on the suggestions. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 Pat, The Hamilton and Hill Country suggestion made us realize having food + live music would be absolutely perfect for our group of eight to ten girls (ages 15 to 17). Unfortunately the artists playing on our date, January 14, do not fit the girls' current taste. That made me look at other venues (prioritizing music over food) and had us looking at the State Theater on that date. Turned out perfect, Gonzo's Nose's last performance, EXCEPT they're sold out! Man, I would pay above and beyond for those tickets but there appears to be no secondary ticket source for this show. So back to square one. I guess my search has been reshaped as a search for an experience (music, food, activity) rather than purely a restaurant search as we've gotten to better know what we want. Any further advice on this would be appreciated. Musically, I think a good cover band is what the girls want, if somehow venue and dates align. Thank you. BTW, reedm, Fiola looked great. Saw its mention in one of Wash. Post's guides. A contender if music concept doesn't pan out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezy Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 How about Jammin' Java? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Maybe this show at the 9:30 club? You can only buy 6 tix per household, so you'd need two people buying tickets. Teens are allowed at the 9:30 (mine has gone w/a parent and other kids). http://www.930.com/event/1375337-lotus-washington/ The Black Cat also allows teens, don't know if this would be to your daughter and friends' taste (not live music): http://www.blackcatdc.com/shows/we-the-people.html Restaurant but not music: I haven't been to this place in years, but Coco Sala was very fancy looking and has a chocolate theme and luxe desserts: http://www.cocosala.com/menu/ You could even take them for a prix fixe 3 course brunch, if your daughter could do a party then: http://www.cocosala.com/themencode-pdf-viewer/?file=http://www.cocosala.com/media/menus/group/29-3courseBrunch2016.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 I so appreciate all the help I am getting here; it's tremendous. The various suggestions are expanding our thoughts on what we want and what we might do (Sweet 16 birthday outing for music or some other type of special experience/dinner). weezy, I looked at Jammin' Java again after your post -- I had passed it by during an earlier search. I think I, the dad, would enjoy the band that will be performing on our party date 1/14 (Wrinkle Neck Mules), but their newgrass, alt-country sound is proving to be a tough sell to my daughter and her group of teenage girls from the DMV area. Great suggestion, though, and I look forward to taking in a show there in the near future. Genevieve, I did not know 9:30 Club was even an option for the under-21 crowd. I'm excited about this option! 9:30 Club's website had 2 performances on their calendar: concert by Lotus at the club; and Story District's Top Shelf at the Lincoln Theater. Both sound excellent (to me) -- I'll write back after checking with the birthday girl. The Black Cat's event for 1/14 look a bit more mature than the typical DMV 15-17 crowd, but I'm not sure. Have you ever been to a DJ Dredd show? Love Coco Salsa's decor, which I think would be a hit with the girls. Choices and choices, thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 Wanted to get the spelling right for such a beautiful place, Co Co. Sala. Bears repeating, Love the decor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I think Co Co Sala is an excellent idea, and was just about to ask you to consider Ching Ching Cha in Georgetown - the type of place that the girls will really remember ten years from now - not just the gathering itself, but the actual venue. If they could get in (they can't), I'd even recommend H Street Country Club with their miniature golf course. Maybe think along these lines? I threw my son a surprise 16th birthday dinner at Piero's Corner in Fairfax (now closed), which was convenient for all his friends to attend, so convenience for the guests is something else you may want to consider. The restaurant itself was nothing special, but the surprise aspect made it all worthwhile, and the restaurant handled it beautifully (I arranged to pay for the whole thing in advance, leave him alone with his friends, pay for everyone's meal, and pick him up after it was over, so they could just order anything they wanted off the menu and not even think about the price). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 Thanks, Don, I think for this age group of 15-17 chocolate trumps tea, but I will keep Ching Ching Cha for my in-laws next time they're here. Lovely place. And yes, you have the finger on the pulse of my search in the H Street Country Club, similar to earlier suggestion of Pinstripes; too bad it's not going to work for this age group. Regarding your son's 16th B-party, I like your style, Don. Taking notes. So the current top contender is Story District's Top Shelf at the Lincoln Theater on 1/14 at 6:30 pm, followed by dessert at Co Co. Sala (what a change from my original search and help request). I happen to think 9:30 Club's Lotus show on 1/14 would be even more fun but daughter and friends have never been to a grown-up concert of this size before and they tell me they might feel awkward just standing around listening to music that they don't know. Obviously young pups, but understandable where they might be coming from. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 21 hours ago, FVT said: Regarding your son's 16th B-party, I like your style, Don. Taking notes. Well, Matt had been to every restaurant in the DC area probably three times by the time he turned 16, so for me to try and "sell" Piero's Corner to him and not have him be suspicious, I had to lie and say, "They reportedly just got a brand new chef from Italy who won all sorts of awards over there." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Unfortunately, when I went to see what Story District was, it appeared to be sold out: Sounds like a great idea, though. The Hamilton is nearby, I think it's all ages, but the performer that night might be too mellow for your group? Another possibility would be just do the birthday dinner at Co Co. Sala that night (the dinner menu has foods for both more and less adventurous eaters), but take your daughter and some friends out to a show they'd like another night? Hard to find an all-ages show to specific taste on that night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 What about The Shadowboxers at Rock and Roll Hotel on H Street? The show is all ages. Dinner at Maketto? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 1 hour ago, Genevieve said: Another possibility would be just do the birthday dinner at Co Co. Sala that night (the dinner menu has foods for both more and less adventurous eaters), but take your daughter and some friends out to a show they'd like another night? Hard to find an all-ages show to specific taste on that night. An interesting factoid about CoCo Sala: Their owner is a tennis acquaintance of mine (he was a fine player on the amateur circuit), and his software company that he co-owned, CVent, was, well, I'll include an excerpt from one of his Facebook posts. I won't make this too easily searchable (i.e., I won't put this in the CoCo Sala thread, or use his name) because his FB post was only for his FB friends, but many, many people have seen it by now: "They hired me and one would think the rest is history. But NO!! 2000 we raise VC money, 2001 we almost went bankrupt, over the next half a decade we started to build a real company, 2011 we raised $136 Million, August 2013, we went public (coolest day of my life might I add), April 2016 we get acquired for $1.65 Billion (that's a B)." I have no idea what percentage of CVent he owned, but I suspect he won't be digging too many ditches in the near future. From what I know of him, he's a genuinely nice person, and I'm very happy for him (he wrote me a really nice note of recommendation awhile back - if you keep hitting "reload," you'll come across it). I don't think you can say anyone "deserves" such immense wealth, but he seems like the type of guy who - if you heard that it happened to him - it wouldn't "annoy" you in the least (does that make sense?) He even mentioned his "sweet mother," who invested $25,000 in CVent in 2000, and then forgot about it ... well, I suspect she remembers it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Is SAX too racy? I think the 16 year olds would say no. My 40 year old girl friends seem to love it for shows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Tell you what, this help forum is blowing me away with the creative ideas I'm getting. Each time I think I have a favorite option another one comes in and it's just as good! Thank you so much. (To recap, I am looking for a musical, food or some other type of exceptional experience for a group of 15-17 year old girls from this area; budget, not Don's bankroll but open minded) SAX -- holy $#^, had no idea such a place even existed here! Definitely on my to-do list with the wife, but not the kiddies. Thanks, DaRiv18. :-) Love the story about Co Co. Sala, Don. Now I have a better understanding of the place as a whole. We hope to make it there on the 14th. Pat, we have thought and thought about Shadowboxers. The venue is better for us, more manageable, but not sure that their Nashville-influenced sound would be a hit with the girls; but similar concern applies to Lotus at the 9:30 Club, too. Will have to think about this some more. Genevieve, Story District's Top Shelf was our top choice at the time of that writing, but the girls changed their mind and wanted music after all. Glad it sold out; sounded like a fantastic show, will try to catch it next year. Doing just dinner there -- had not considered that option. Interesting. Will keep you posted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 6 hours ago, DonRocks said: An interesting factoid about CoCo Sala: Their owner is a tennis acquaintance of mine (he was a fine player on the amateur circuit), and his software company that he co-owned, CVent, was, well, I'll include an excerpt from one of his Facebook posts. I won't make this too easily searchable (i.e., I won't put this in the CoCo Sala thread, or use his name) because his FB post was only for his FB friends, but many, many people have seen it by now: Off topic, but Don, you play tennis? What level? 4.0 steady baseliner if you ever want to hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRiv18 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 38 minutes ago, FVT said: SAX -- holy $#^, had no idea such a place even existed here! Definitely on my to-do list with the wife, but not the kiddies. Thanks, DaRiv18. :-) I see it is a 21 and over lounge, so poor call on my part! Personally, what I saw wasn't any more provocative than many music videos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 13 hours ago, FVT said: Off topic, but Don, you play tennis? What level? 4.0 steady baseliner if you ever want to hit. I was a ranked MATA tournament player (I guess about 5.0 in USTA league parlance, seeing as though everyone underrates themselves), but injury has reduced me to 0.0 - I haven't stepped on a tennis court in several years, and I've come home to table-tennis, which was my first love as a child. If you're a 4.0 steady baseliner, that means you can keep the ball in one place, so maybe we can hit if you don't mind aiming for one spot. Still looking for help if anyone sees this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FVT Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 On 1/1/2017 at 7:29 PM, Genevieve said: Maybe this show at the 9:30 club? You can only buy 6 tix per household, so you'd need two people buying tickets. Teens are allowed at the 9:30 (mine has gone w/a parent and other kids). http://www.930.com/event/1375337-lotus-washington/ The Black Cat also allows teens, don't know if this would be to your daughter and friends' taste (not live music): http://www.blackcatdc.com/shows/we-the-people.html Restaurant but not music: I haven't been to this place in years, but Coco Sala was very fancy looking and has a chocolate theme and luxe desserts: http://www.cocosala.com/menu/ You could even take them for a prix fixe 3 course brunch, if your daughter could do a party then: http://www.cocosala.com/themencode-pdf-viewer/?file=http://www.cocosala.com/media/menus/group/29-3courseBrunch2016.pdf I just wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions in helping me to find a great experience for my daughter's Sweet 16 birthday outing. It was this past Saturday, and we wound up going to the 9:30 Club to see Lotus. Before the concert we took the girls to Pentagon City Matchbox for dinner. The meal at Matchbox was forgettable but the 9:30 Club was incredible. A BIG BIG thank you to Genevieve for suggesting it. I would have never thought of it. For future reference (and searches), it should be noted that the 9:30 Club is an all-age venue, so anyone can get in. But they are serious about identifying minors and making sure they do not drink alcohol -- underage club patrons are stamped on both hands for ready identification and it seemed nearly impossible to wipe them off even with rubbing alcohol; so it was clear that the club was not going to be serving them had they tried. The staff was extremely polite and helpful to us even though they were very busy at the sold-out show, despite many contrary comments that we saw on Yelp. Music and the sound system were fantastic. Overall, it was a great experience, exactly what we were looking for. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I'm so pleased to hear that it went so well and your daughter and friends enjoyed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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