Beer-topia

Bread & Brew wears many hats. In addition to the obvious, they also self-identify as catering, cafe, cocktails, and coffeehouse. Oh, and it's certifiably "green." All together, this means local, fresh, and organic ingredients. It means homemade food--from meats roasted in-house to muffins, cupcakes, and cookies baked daily to homemade soups. It means biodegradable plates, utensils, and cups. It means organic espresso with a fresh pastry. It means wood-burning brick-oven pizza, and plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. And finally, it means craft cocktails and beers. All without the white tablecloth, in a casual and friendly atmosphere. They open for breakfast, continue through lunch and dinner, and in the after hours you can knock back drinks in the basement bar. And for all you beer nerds out there, the draft list currently includes Arrogant Bastard, Brooklyn Lager, Victory Fest Bier, Allagash White, Bells Double Cream Stout, Brew Free or Die IPA, and Sierra Anniversary. It's almost like you can't have bad taste at Bread & Brew. Excellent choice!

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Restaurants • Dupont Circle / Adams Morgan

All Aboard: Let's Eat

I abhore eating or drinking in bus stations, train stations, rest stops, and airports. I feel like a mass transport culinary hostage, with options that are usually overpriced and greasy, with surly workers, stressful atmospheres, and dirty tables. And since I rarely remember to add a healthy, delicious meal to my packing list, I find myself standing in line for something I don't want to eat, or filling my body with vending machine carbohydrates to avoid hunger pains. But I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by my happy hour at Union Station's Center Cafe. Let's be clear: this is not a destination. But presumably you're at the train station because you already have one, and the drinks and food are fairly priced and reasonably fresh. The draw, though, is the location. The restaurant is smack dab in the middle of the station, so when you sit on the second "floor," you're vaulted up into the Beaux-Arts interior, complete with stone inscriptions and sculptures. Instead of being elbowed by MARC train commuters, you can gaze upwards at the ceiling details of gold leaf, granite, and marble. And it’s quite nice to hear the hubbub below while calming sipping your beer from above--and in the company of allegorical sculptures. It's just Union Station, but relatively speaking (to McDonald's), it's all very grand!

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Restaurants • Chinatown / Union Station

Windowless Bars Can Be Bourgie Too

Entering Breadsoda, the first thing that hit me was the strong smell of a roast beef sandwich...in an underground pool hall. This immediately struck me as wrong, until I realized that I too could partake in a delicious sandwich. And then it seemed awesome. Breadsoda is hard to spot from Wisconsin Avenue, being sunken below a strip-mall-esque string of retail, down a concrete flight of stairs. The bar itself is quite chic, although it functions as a rumpus room. Besides billiards, there’s shuffleboard; ping pong; Wii; a jukebox; and a selection of gourmet sandwiches, microbrews, Belgian beers, and fancy cocktails. The mood lighting and pristine interior indicate that this is no dingy basement, though. Leave it to Glover Park to make even a windowless bar bourgie.

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Nightlife • Glover Park / Foxhall

Standing Out From the Crowd

It's easy to make fun of Adams Morgan and its stretch of bars on 18th Street. I'm fond of telling visitors that if they're looking for a fight or an ideal place to vomit, they should show up at 3am. But the truth is that there are lots of bars there that I'd embrace as my regular (were I a local resident), and really, isn't it nice to have a safe haven of no judgment--where shoving jumbo slices down your throat and falling over in heels are 100% acceptable? In any case, I have to say that of the wide selection of drinking holes on 18th Street, the Black Squirrel really does stand out. And not because it's cheap, plays my favorite songs, or has not been cleaned since the '80s--my usual criteria. It's outstanding simply because they serve great drinks and exceptional food. They have a dozen beers on tap, all of which are existing favorites or new ones I'd love to try, from Old Chub to the Black Squirrel Pumpkin Ale. And if you move to bottles, there are over 90 choices. In addition, the food menu, while not as extensive, has some nice choices--like duck confit spring rolls and addictive macaroni and cheese, both of which I would heartily recommend. And on a recent visit, a friend announced, "I don't like to eat, but this is the best burger I've ever had." Take that as you will. I'll take a pint of Bare Knuckle Stout and an order of Boardwalk fries, please.

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Nightlife • Adams Morgan (North) / Mt Pleasant

Non-Hip Bliss

What is it about the dance spots around BWI Airport that makes them so special? I was taken with Cancun Cantina from the first time I saw the longhorn skeleton above the door, steam blowing out of its nostrils, eyes red with neon. But a recent trip to Blob's Park in Jessup, Maryland, has delivered one of the most memorable Oktoberfests ever. I ate schweinschnitzel with sauerkraut, drank pitchers of German what beer, listened to live polka band the Rheinlanders, learned some traditional dances, and let off steam with a vigorous group chicken dance. The crowd is older--families to middle-aged couples to senior citizens--but man do they know how to move. If you too enjoy like nonironic, nonhip, nonthreatening partner dancing with steps, Blobs Park has live polka music every Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon.

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Nightlife • Extended Coverage Area