Celebrating A Year of Excellence at Muse
It was a quiet Thursday evening in the District almost one year ago when Dan Kelly and I wandered into a nightclub on 6th Street in Chinatown. I had just started writing for the WB and Dan had an idea to do a drink of the week concept for my blog. We had a drink at this new establishment and continued on to our main destination, Josephine. The evening at
Josephine was a bust, so we returned to the Chinatown nightclub because of the warm hospitality we had received. And for one year now we've been going back to
Muse Nightclub almost weekly.
I've had the pleasure of seeing some of the best house DJs hit up the turn tables at Muse, including the likes of
Marques Wyatt and
King Britt. I also had a chance to teach a weekly dance class at the club and see some of the world's
best Lindy Hoppers tear up the dance floor. In other words, Muse has been good to us over the past year.
So on November 13th, Muse Lounge celebrated their 1-year anniversary of epic parties in Chinatown. And of course, Urban Marinade was there to document the chaos and celebrate the success of this downtown nightclub. And in true Muse fashion, they hired world-class artist DJ Icey for the evening.
Icey has a long history within the electronic music ranks as being one of the innovators of "Florida Breaks." He's influenced the likes of Baby Anne and Kimball Collins and was the DJ that convinced the Chemical Brothers to do their first show in the States. So yeah, the guy knows his way around a DJ booth and knows how to make you move. He was also one of the first DJs I had the pleasure of covering in Tampa when I started writing
Nocturnal Vibe 6 years ago.
The following is a collection of photos from the evening. Not enough for a full gallery on
dougvansant.com, but enough to whet your appetite for more of what this great DC nightclub has to offer.
Labels: Clubs, DJs, Entertainment, House, Music, Nightlife
75 Bars DC: Liberty Tavern
Since our 75 Bars DC adventure has kept us in the District the past few outings, Dan and I figured it was time to visit our friends to the west in Virginia. According to the Washingtonian list, there are 12 bars in the Commonwealth worthy of our attention. And while I don't get into Virginia that often for nightlife, I'm sure there are others not listed worth a visit. If you own a bar or know of one you really enjoy, let me know. It doesn't matter if it's in DC, Arlington, Vienna or Greenbelt. We're here to serve you with the most accurate and real-life accounts of these drinking establishments.
That being said, I have one thing I have to vent about today. I don't know about you, but I get really annoyed by the whole bridge and tunnel crowd that seems to be growing in numbers in our city. You know what I'm talking about. These are the people who live in DC but act like there is a
vast wasteland of rednecks and strip malls just across the Potomac River. They talk in dramatic tones about how great DC is and sound exasperated at the thought of even thinking about Virginia. You almost get the impression that they fear they'll sprout a mullet, lose a tooth and start talking with a twang if they even look in that westerly direction. I didn't encounter these types on my 75 Bars night but overheard a young guy last night at Zaytinya trying to impress some lady-friends. The funny thing is, I think the guy who was acting like a DC-snob sounded more like a tourist than the people who live in the suburbs. I mean, he talked about his neighborhood and the bars he visits like he's going down a checklist pulled from Travel magazine. Dude, no one cares if you go to Marvin all the time. With all due respect, everyone has been to Marvin and it really isn't that cool. So you can understand why I was excited to trek into Virginia on this particular evening to experience some of what the Old Dominion has to offer and rub it in the noses of these District snobs that probably grew up in...Virginia.
Our first spot was
Liberty Tavern in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington. Like DC, Arlington is a cluster of defined neighborhoods. Clarendon sits along a corridor of tightly compact neighborhoods all connected by Metro and Wilson Blvd. These neighborhoods are newer and seem to cater to a large young population looking for city-life but suburban amenities. Liberty Tavern sits at the corner of Wilson, N. Irving St. and Washington Blvd. It's housed in an historic Masonic Temple building and decked out with black awnings, a hard-to-miss neon sign and outdoor dining. The interior is nicely appointed with dark-warm woods, high ceilings and an imposing staircase to an upstairs dining room. The downstairs bar has a long communal table fit for sharing food or enjoying a cocktail after a long day of sitting at a desk.
The first thing you notice at Liberty is the buzz of energy throughout the bar. Most of the crowd is fairly young in the early-to-mid 30's range. The fashion - button down shirts, khaki pants and pleats (oh God, pleats!) - definitely agrees with the suburban work-life vibe most of the patrons exude. I'd bet half work in DC and half work in Virginia, but almost all of them come back to this neighborhood and visit Liberty because of it's friendly neighborhood pub appeal.
And the bartenders certainly contribute to the atmosphere with their welcoming demeanor. We were greeted within 20 seconds after settling in to our bar stools by a very friendly bartenders named Nick. In true
Cheers fashion, Nick introduced himself, asked our names and shook our hands. It might seem simple, but this greeting always props up a venue in my regard. We ordered our standard drinks of choice and sat back to take in the atmosphere.
One thing I'll say for Liberty is everything about this bar is done well. I believe the proper word would be balanced. I had a standard Crown & Coke for drink #1 and a glass of Malbec for drink #2, both of which were very enjoyable. Dan enjoyed a Belgian wheat beer to start and the aptly named Masonic (Evan Williams Black Bourbon, Lemon Juice, Mint, Water, served in a mason jar) for his second beverage. All of which were made well and clearly show an attention to detail behind the bar.
We ran into our fair share of drunk ladies heading home after a successful happy hour and a young girl who almost lit her eyebrow on fire while trying to have a smoke out front. So thankfully there was some color in the evening. But overall Liberty Tavern is a solid neighborhood bar worthy of another visit. And a little side note about this tavern is they host a very nice Sunday brunch that comes complete with a candy table offering selections of Pez. Seriously!
I know I'll never convince some people to visit Virginia for a nocturnal experience. Clearly Mr. Happy at Zaytinya is proud of his cookie cutter nightlife selections that Zagat keep telling him are cool. But for those looking for a balanced night of great cocktails, warm and inviting atmosphere and friendly bartenders who will remember your name, Liberty is the spot.
Labels: 75 Bars, Arlington, Bars, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife
It's All Gone Pete Tong
I recently got around to posting a few more galleries on my site and wanted to share with you this collection from a
night with Pete Tong at Glow.
For those not familiar with Tong, his work transcends many years of dance music artists and styles. As a DJ, Pete has graced the decks of the best clubs and festivals worldwide. As a producer he's assembled the music for many different soundtracks and was the inspiration behind the hit film "
It's All Gone Pete Tong."
Pete's success as a broadcaster, clubland DJ and music industry maven is his ability to create a balance between credibility and commerciality and is not afraid to drop the hits on the decks. "People forget it's entertainment," Pete explains. "I wouldn't be doing this if I couldn't champion new music, but a mix is the key. And it's supposed to be fun."
I was pretty excited to see
Pete for the first time because he's a name I've become familiar with through the BBC-One essential mixes. I can't even begin to tell you how many DJ mixes I've listened to with the BBC (Radio)-One call sign announced. You almost begin to expect to hear it while listening to any dance music mix.
I wish I could say I was as excited about the
images I captured from the evening. I like some of the color in these shots, but I was very disappointed with the clarity and sharpness of the photos. I've been over-thinking my nightlife photography, trying to use different techniques to pull out more color and style in my shots. What's happened is that I'm getting vibrant the color but losing some of the crisp and clean, noise-free shots I've captured on recent outings.
The following are some of the better images from the gallery. To be perfectly honest with you, the best shot came during the opening DJ set. I had everything set correctly and just got a little happy with my exposure settings throughout the night. I really can't wait to get back out and continue to refine my nightlife style and try to correct some of my mistakes in these shots. In the meantime,
enjoy these photos and please let me know what you think.
Labels: Clubs, Dancing, Entertainment, House, Music, Nightlife, Trance
Spooky Evening at the Skyline
I'm seriously way behind in updating this blog with details on parties and events, so I figured I should try to get everyone up to speed. As our 75 Bars DC experiment continues, I'm finding time to check out other parties that you should know about. That's why I wanted to post a few words about this year's Capitol Skyline - Metromix Halloween Party.
Halloween was definitely more special to me this year because I was sharing it with Joelle and we had decided to team up for our costume. If you're looking at the photo and wondering what in the world we were trying to be, you probably don't watch
True Blood on HBO. It's okay, I didn't either until Jo came up with the idea. Anyhow, I'm Bill Compton, the vampire and Jo is Sookie Stackhouse, his "woman." The show is actually pretty neat and engaging, so it was easy getting behind this costume idea. And those who know the show immediately picked up on us. I think the best part of our look was the Tru Blood bottle Jo created using a photo I printed and some contact paper. It was actually pomegranate tea, but damn did it not look like the bottles of Tru Blood from the show?
So we hit up the Capitol Skyline because my friends Alyssa Shelasky, Spike Mendelsohn and Angie Goff were hosting the Metromix DC party there. Now it seems like every bar, club and hotel hosts some type of halloween party. So it takes some research to figure out which one will actually be "fun." Thankfully the Capitol Skyline was! I spent several Sunday afternoon's at the Skyline pool for Spike's weekly party and had a blast, so I had no reason to think this party would be any different.
I think the thing I like most about the Skyline is they attract a diverse and well put-together crowd. This party had all the makings of a great evening...DJ Flounder, local celebrities, a costume contest and hotel rooms just a few feet away for the buzzed and tired. And almost everyone dressed up. We saw several versions of
Superman, a
whoopie cushion,
Stewie from family guy showing his ass,
Billy Mays of Oxi Clean and even
Interstate 495. Yes, someone actually dressed up as the freeway.
So when it comes time to start planning your Halloween adventures next year, peek at the
Capitol Skyline web site and see what they're offering. If Alyssa and crew do it again, it's sure to be THE Halloween party to attend. Below are a few more shots from the evening and you can see all of them
here on Dougvansant.com.
Labels: Entertainment, Music, Nightlife
75 Bars DC: The Gibson
It's going on 9 p.m. on a recent Thursday night. Myself, Dan, Rick and Rob are all enjoying libations at
Bar Pilar, part of our
75 Bars DC experiment. I look at my watch and realize we need to get going. We have a reservation waiting and we can't be late. We slug our drinks down as quickly as possible, settle our tab and exit Bar Pilar to the vibrant 14th and U Street corridor. We don't go very far...just two blocks to our final destination of the evening. We stop in front of what looks like an abandoned building. No signage, no lights, not even a hint of activity. The windows and doors are closed and covered with steel garage security doors. The only sign of life comes from the DC socialites gathering out in front of Marvin directly next door.
We try the front door. It doesn't open. We ring the doorbell and after about a minute a young doorman steps out and brings us into a dark hallway. You get the feeling you've just walked into a crack house. He asks if we have a reservation. We do. A couple had walked in behind us and so he asks them if they have one. They do not. He takes their cell phone number and says he'll be calling. They leave. He then opens a black door and walks us in. Welcome to The Gibson.
The Gibson opened on 14th Street just about a year ago with little fanfare. That, of course, would go against its speakeasy concept, which comes from owner Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation, the Eighteenth Street Lounge and neighboring Marvin. I remember my first visit proved it's easier to just book a reservation days ahead than try your hand at the door, which that couple that followed us in quickly found out. The Gibson has a strict "no standing" policy and does not allow lines out the door. They simply take your cell phone number and call you when (if at all) a spot opens up.
On this evening, the four of us planned ahead and were walked straight in to our table. The bar is made of lush appointments with intricately embossed black leather and warm unfinished wood on the bar and cozy booths. There's a patio out back, and the back room sports an absinthe fountain. A chalkboard is updated with the list of drinks to give imbibers a quick view of the menu. The Gibson isn't a place to be seen. It's a bar dedicated to the drink and allows you to settle into your own little world and forget all of that narcissistic showboating that goes on at most nightlife establishments. If anything, the trendy side of The Gibson is simply being able to tell people you've been there.
On this night Rob and I both started out with the Blue Blood, which consisted of Laphroaig 10 Year Single Malt Scotch, Leopold Bros. Tart Cherry Liqueur, Grand Marnier and Dolin Dry Vermouth. The drink was decent but had an awfully strong peaty flavor coming from the scotch that overpowered the drink. I don't mind scotch, but I really don't want my beverage to taste like a campfire.
Rick enjoyed the Obituary Cocktail, which was Tanqueray 10 Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth and Kubler Absinthe. Rick described the drink as clear, neat and innocent but packs a strong little punch. "The cocktail hits the nose with the strong scent of black licorice but quickly fades into a classic gin flavor" says the Rick. "Almost as soon as it appears, the Tanqueray dissipates as a fleeting memory and settles back into the smooth flavor of licorice."
Dan went with the Tennessee Rose, a drink he enjoyed at
Off the Record and I assume was just as good at this drinking establishment. I didn't see it on the menu, so I'm going to assume it's prepared in a similar fashion.
My second drink was a Planters Punch, which was Appleton Estate Light Rum, Myer's Dark Jamaican Rum, Orange, Lemon and Grenadine. I wish I could give you details on this drink, but my palate was pretty much ruined after finishing off my strong peaty Blue Blood and trying Rick's second drink. As a friend recently said on
Twitter, ZOMG!!! Rick's second beverage was known as The Upstate. His description pretty much says it all... "Pure gas! Don't smoke next to this puppy or it'll blow. The rye overpowers the drink but does end with a hint of citrus. Not for the faint at heart." He wasn't kidding. If your taste buds aren't numb after a few drinks of The Upstate, I'm impressed.
The drinks weren't the only thing that left us a little ruined. If there was one thing I seriously didn't like about The Gibson, it was the sudden time limit put on our table. I'm not kidding. After about 30 minutes of enjoying great cocktails and appetizers, the doorman comes over and says we have "30 more minutes before we have to give up our table." WTF? When's the last time you had a bartender tell you you've got 30 minutes before you have to give up your stool for another hearty drinker? We asked the waitress and she informed us he was wrong, we have about an hour left. But still... you're timing us? The Gibson had started out so perfectly but was quickly and quietly crashing our 75 Bars party. I understand the nature of the bar in their reservation policy. But I think once you're in, you should be able to stay. I know The Gibson would be the type of place I could spend 2 or 3 hours drinking and enjoying conversation. It's not the typical bar in DC where you're asses to elbows and have to yell just to say "What's up dude!" The Gibson is about savoring your drink and so it came as a surprise that we were being hurried along to finish these types of drinks.
I won't completely rip the place because of this policy, but I will let them know it kinda sucks. But in fairness to The Gibson, it's an awesome little bar and worth some of the bumps and bruises that go with trying to maintain a different type of nightlife establishment. And I suppose it's good they impose a time limit or else most of the patrons wouldn't be able to walk much after drinking more than 1 or 2 of the supremely strong beverages.
The Gibson is hot folks. But make sure you book a reservation and don't plan to stay all evening.
Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Entertainment, Nightlife
75 Bars DC: Bar Pilar
75 Bars DC made a triumphant return to the streets of the District last week with 14th Street as our target. The neighborhood is known simply as U Street, but it could be argued that it's also the northern borders of Logan Circle. Whatever you call it, the 14th and U area of DC has become one of the hottest neighborhoods in our city. It's chocked full of trendy restaurants, galleries, theaters, Whole Foods and of course, bars.
We kicked off our evening with a stop at the well known and local favorite,
Bar Pilar. This little tavern is a small Ernest Hemingway-inspired bar that sits near the corner of 14th and T Streets NW and is owned by the same people who own the popular Cafe Saint Ex. "El Pilar" was, as devoted Hemingway aficionados know, the name of Hemingway's fishing boat that he kept at his home in Cuba. So it should be no surprise that Bar Pilar has several fishing and nautical items posted along the walls.
I'll admit that I haven't had the best of experiences in this bar prior to this night. Mainly, I've always found it to be incredibly crowded and rather hard getting your hands on one of their crafty beverages. It always seemed like one of these popular yuppie/hipster joints that serve hard to find brew and alcoholic concoctions that leave you scratching your head. But I'll go ahead and say, Bar Pilar impressed me on this night.
The place was crowded as usual and as Rob said in his follow-up report to me, it's vibe was "a little on the emo/counterculture side." I got the impression the crowd was a combination of neighborhood residents and local activists. Simply stated, it was a diverse group of grazers who don't want to spend a fortune but want some variety with their cocktails. Either way, we settled into a spot at the bar, took off our coats and began exploring the drink menu. Pilar serves a whole assortment of beverages and hard-to-find beers, but their specialty cocktail list is what they're known for. I order a Bee's Knees which is an excellent blend of
Plymouth Gin, lemon juice and honey syrup. It's like a slightly sweet and sour version of a gin and tonic, taking a rather bitter drink and giving it a full-body of life. In a city where specialty cocktails are pushing towards the $20 range, paying $10 for this drink is a steal.
Dan tried the Golden Bulleit, which was
Bulleit Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey with an orange-clove syrup and Rob enjoyed a Dark N' Stormy, which was
Gosling Black Seal Rum and
Fentiman's ginger beer. Our good friend Rick joined us a few minutes later and ordered one of my favorites, a tasty
Lindemans Framboise Belgian Raspberry Lambic. As far as I could tell, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their fancy pants cocktails, which added to a pretty spirited vibe throughout the bar. I specially like the attention to detail our bartender paid to our drinks and she even took the time to explain why certain drinks were her favorites. The last time 75 Bars hit the streets, we seemed to run into cerebral bartenders who gave us funny looks for even asking for recommendations. When you have a talented craftsman behind the bar like they did on this evening at Bar Pilar, it's no wonder they enjoy explaining and showing off their goods.
I closed out my stop at Bar Pilar with an aptly named Hemingway, which was
Plymouth Gin, green coconut water,
Angostura bitters and fresh lime juice. It sounds freaking amazing but it pretty much fell short of anything exciting. Wasn't bad, but the Bee's Knees is where it's at! Overall Bar Pilar serves as a well thought out and well run tavern in a neighborhood where excellence and competition is to be expected.
Labels: 75 Bars, Bars, Clubs, Entertainment, Music, Nightlife
Stay Away From This Restaurant
When I used to write my weekly nightlife column
Nocturnal Vibe in Tampa, Florida, I tried to keep things positive. My motto was,
if it's great, I'll tell you about it. If it sucks, I just won't recommend it. But then over time I've learned the power of prose. I've learned that sometimes you just have to speak your mind and make others aware of unsavory situations you may have experienced. Such is the case of a recent visit to DC restaurant Oya in Chinatown.
Let's set the stage for you really quick. It's Friday night. I booked an 8 p.m. reservation for 10 to host a secret birthday dinner for my girlfriend Joelle. The idea was that everyone would arrive by 8 and be seated. We would arrive around 10 after 8 and, surprise...everyone is there! Up until this night, Oya had been one of my favorite restaurants in a city of culinary heavy-weights. The design is impeccable, the vibe is smooth and hip and the food has always been some of the best I've had. And I've always appreciated their inexpensive prix fixe 3-course menu.
Oh, how quickly they fall!
My negative experience began when I called the restaurant earlier in the day to confirm everything. They explained they wouldn't seat anyone until we all had arrived. I explained the situation of the surprise birthday dinner in hopes they'd understand. No go. They simply would not seat our table unless we all were there. Well that sucks. Way to work with me there Oya!
So we arrive to the restaurant on time where everyone is waiting to surprise my lovely girlfriend. All is well so far despite the strict seating rules. That is until we see a party of 20 sitting at our table and realize we'll have to wait until they are done to be seated. Now, this has happened before at Oya. Dan and I waited an hour and a half one evening for a reservation Dan had made for a party of 8. We're thinking, can this truly be happening again? Well, it was and the staff at Oya didn't seem to care. In my opinion, a reservation for 8 p.m. means a reservation for 8 p.m. I'll accept a 10, maybe 15 minute delay on the table. But what's a reservation system for if you still have to wait 30 minutes or more? I could probably be seated next door at Zaytinya for the same amount of time without a reservation.
So we're taken to our table at 8:35 p.m. and everyone is still in good spirits. Joelle was happy, so that was the most important thing on this night. We ordered our various courses, drank wine and enjoyed conversation. Things started to go really bad when we realized it was 10:30 p.m. and had not been served our main course. In fact, almost an hour passed between our first and second course. Some of our guests had not ordered a first course, so they had been sitting the entire time without anything. And now, as 10:45 approaches, a few of our guests had to leave to get to prior engagements. If you had told me you had somewhere to be at 11 and our reservations were for 8, I'd tell you there would be more than enough time. But oh, not tonight at Oya!
As time continued to pass, we realize our waiter has gone missing. We finally see him and he rolls his eyes when we tell him we want our main course. We tell him we'd like to see the manager and he cops an attitude and walks away. Clearly he didn't care either. So I get up and find the manager and tell him our situation. It's now 11 p.m. and we're finally eating our main course. But my salmon was overcooked and others were finding their food to be overdone or downright cold. As Dan says, these have probably been sitting under a hot-plate for 30 minutes. At this point I didn't care. I was hungry!
The night finished with our dessert course with little fanfare. Things wrapped up with the restaurant finally realizing we existed and bringing Jo a nice little happy birthday written on her dessert. And the manager did finally stop by to tell us they were reducing our check. But to be honest, the damage was done long before they took the time to come talk to us. As Dan said, there are far too many great restaurants in DC to stand for this type of service. And it's not like there was a large tourist bus sitting outside that could explain for the excessively long wait. The two large tables next to us with just as many guests were served their meals and had gone before we were done our second course. Clearly someone, somewhere in this joint had dropped the ball. And clearly our waiter decided to step away for an hour long break while we sat wondering when, oh when our dinner would arrive. Joelle did enjoy the evening and I think everyone enjoyed the great company.
So there it is. What was once one of my favorite restaurants is now officially history. I'd love to tell you I'll go back and give Oya another chance, but I just don't see it. Not when I have literally hundreds of other choices.
Labels: Dining Out, Food, Review
Random Photo of the Day: Nov. 8th
On Monday, November 2nd, my lovely girlfriend Joelle celebrated a birthday. I had a secret birthday dinner at Oya planned with a bunch of her friends later in the week, so I decided I'd cook her dinner at my place the night of her birthday. On the menu was a ginger teriyaki salmon, jasmine rice and organic asparagus cooked with butter and garlic.
Lord knows, I'm not the best cook. I may be a DC foodie and love watching cooking shows, but I certainly don't have the skills in the kitchen to be a contestant on Top Chef. But there are a few dishes I'm good at, and this was one of them. The surprise dinner at Oya was a whole different experience that I'll write about shortly. But I thought I'd share a photo of the meal I cooked on Joelle's birthday night.
Random Photo of the Day: Nov. 3rd
I started going through some files on my desktop and came across this adorable photo of Joelle and I. It was taken two weeks ago on a Saturday night at Muse Lounge by one of their party photographers working for
DCNites.com.
The funny story about this photo is that we had no intention of hitting up Muse that night. The original plan was for Joelle and I to get together with Francis and Samm and to see Armin van Buuren at FUR. But mother nature decided to open the skies and dump rain all across the region. We braved the colder temps and Hurricane FUR (this is what we decided to call it since it felt like a damn hurricane swept through on our walk from Metro to the club) to attempt to get into the club. But we decided against it when it was clear only my name was on the guest list and everyone else would have to pay a high price for their ticket. Not that Armin isn't worth spending a little money to see. But on this night, it just seemed like everything was working against us.
So we jumped into a cab, went downtown and enjoyed cocktails at Zola and some dancing at
Muse Lounge. The weather sucked, but the night was a huge success because of the great company and awesome management over at Muse.
Labels: Clubs, Entertainment, House, Music, Nightlife, Random, Trance
It was a quiet Thursday evening in the District almost one year ago when Dan Kelly and I wandered into a nightclub on 6th Street in Chinatown. I had just started writing for the WB and Dan had an idea to do a drink of the week concept for my blog. We had a drink at this new establishment and continued on to our main destination, Josephine. The evening at Josephine was a bust, so we returned to the Chinatown nightclub because of the warm hospitality we had received. And for one year now we've been going back to Muse Nightclub almost weekly.
