on the town in....
Adams-Morgan
Adams-Morgan is Washington's most ethnically diverse neighborhood. And as is so often the case, that means it's one of Washington's most interesting areas, home to a veritable United Nations of cuisines, offbeat shops, and funky bars and clubs. The neighborhood's grand 19th-century apartment buildings and row houses and its bohemian atmosphere have also attracted young urban professionals.
Restaurants
Adams-Morgan's 18th Street, extending south from Columbia Road, is wall-to-wall restaurants, with new ones opening so fast it's almost impossible to track them. Although the area has retained some of its Hispanic identity, the new eating establishments include cuisine from a wide range of nationalities, including Italian, Caribbean, Ethiopian, New American, Japanese and French.
With the broadest repertoire of any Italian restaurant in the area, i matti offers everything from singularly excellent pizzas to such unusual concoctions as spiedini alla carlone (rabbit cutlets with sausage, pancetta, veal, sage, and onions!). All dishes are carefully prepared and served in a congenial setting. The restaurant is frequented by Washington's young business crowd, though Attorney General Janet Reno has been spotted here on occasion. 2436 18th Street, NW (202-462-8844).
Tom Tom. Even in Adams-Morgan, this art studio/bar/restaurant is unique. Sip some sangria or a slushy sweet drink and watch artists create their masterpieces before your very eyes. The food - pizza, tapas, and the like, is tasty and affordable. Amateur astronomers will love the roof deck. 2333 18th Street, NW (202-588-1300).
Brightly colored and imaginatively arranged sushi is served at Perry's. The atmosphere is stylish, with loud music and beautiful people who come to the restaurant to see and be seen. You have the choice of either eating inside, with dinner served on low tables as you lounge on red plush couches, or enjoying the rooftop deck, which commands perhaps the best view of any restaurant in the city. 1811 Columbia Road, NW (202-234-6218).
There's a lot to enjoy about The Grill from Ipanema. Its menu focuses on Brazilian cuisine, from spicy seafood stews to grilled steak and other hearty meat dishes. There's even a grouper with leeks and tomato wrapped in phyllo dough with a tropical sauce. The tropical drinks taste great, and pack quite a punch. 1858 Columbia Road, NW (202-986-0757).
Nightlife
Chief Ike's Mambo Room is as eclectic as its name, with DJs playing everything from R&B to disco, and a mural of its namesake, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in an Indian headdress. This dance club is popular with the 20-something crowd, and was once frequented by George Stephanopolos. 1725 Columbia Rd. NW (202-332-2211).
Millie and Al's is the quintessential neighborhood bar. It offers casual conversation over large, wooden tables, a TV airing the nightly sporting event, and a jukebox with a selection of musical favorites. 2440 18th Street, NW (202-387-8131)
Locals cue them up at Bedrock Billiards, a pool hall with eight tables and a '50s fashion sense. There is often a wait for the tables, but this place has terrific atmosphere, beer, munchies, -- and board games like Scrabble and Battleship to divert you. 1841 Columbia Rd. NW (202-265-4600)
This "two-clubs-in-one" setup has something for everyone. Club Heaven is upstairs from a bar named Hell, and features dancing to live and recorded synth-pop music. 2327 18th St. NW (202-667-4355)
Experience the....
Georgetown
SamplerNext to Capitol Hill, Georgetown is Washington's best-known neighborhood. After Adams-Morgan, it's DC's hippest, and is certainly among the city's wealthiest. Georgetown's popularity is not hard to understand - its tree-lined streets and historic town houses give it a fetching elegance, while the country's oldest Catholic institution of higher learning lends it the zesty atmosphere of a college town. Georgetown's restaurants are diverse, with white-table-cloth dining places next door to hole-in-the-wall joints.
Restaurants
Paolo's. Hugely popular, this bar/restaurant fills the narrow site with a sense of space and style. The service is brisk and friendly, and the creative pastas, gourmet pizza, salads, and fish of the day stand out on the modern menu. 1303 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202-333-7353).
Clyde's. Over 30 years old, this archetypal fern bar has matured nicely, and is frequented by the likes of a variety of clientele, including Monica Lewinsky. It's the place's classics that bring people back, the quintessential cozy-pub decor, good thick burgers, excellent crab cakes, and brunch - still among the best omelets and Bloody Marys around. 3236 M Street NW (202-333-9180).
Aditi. At first glance, this two-story dining room seems to be too elegant for a moderately priced Indian restaurant. The dim interior features burgundy carpets and chairs and pale mint-colored walls with brass sconces. There's a small first floor, with a dramatic staircase leading to a larger room with windows that overlook the busy street. But the decor is not the only draw: Tandoor and curry dishes, although not aggressively spiced, are otherwise expertly prepared. The rice biryani entrees are good for lighter appetites, and a small price will get you a delicious bread sampler. 3299 M Street, NW (202-625-6825).
Excellent wats and alechas (spicy sweet stews) and the best injera (a soft bread used in place of utensils) in DC can be found at Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine. Menu specialties include spicy beef, chicken, shrimp, and excellent vegetarian dishes. Zed's is decorated with Ethiopian artifacts in a cozy, candlelit environment. 3318 M Street, NW (202-965-0665).
Nightlife
Jazz fans come to Blues Alley to hear such stars as Mynton Marsalis, Lou Rawls, Maynard Ferguson, and Nancy Wilson. To complement the music, there's a menu of New Orleans-style dishes as well as seafood and steaks. Dinner guests are given preferential seating during the shows. Those who want to enjoy the music and the candlelit ambiance without eating will have to pay a cover charge. 1073 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202-337-4141).
About a 10 minute walk from the center of Georgetown is The Brickskeller. Beer mavens worldwide rave about this place because it gives them exactly what they want: hundreds of brands of beer in a basement pub conducive to heavy drinking. 1523 22nd Street, NW (between P and Q) (202-293-1885).
The Grog and Tankard. A youngish crowd downs cheap pitchers of beer while listening to exuberant local bands in this small, comfortably disheveled night spot. 2408 Wisconsin Avenue, NW (202-333-3114).
Reveling in the flag, Elvis, Patsy Cline, and everything else that makes our country great, Old Glory All American Barbecue has a noisy downstairs bar with TVs blaring the day's big sporting event, and an upstairs dining room that is a little calmer. The choice of several sauces for your ribs is a refreshing change from mono-BBQ-ism. Let freedom ring. 3139 M Street NW (202-337-3406).
Hitting the streets of....
Downtown DC
Washington's Downtown has something of a split personality. This duality is best appreciated east of 15th Street and Vermont Avenue, where old and new stand cheek by jowl. New Downtown is home to boxy office buildings housing the city's burgeoning number of law firms, and a host of restaurants and shops. Old Downtown, which seems better connected to Washington's distant past, is characterized by old buildings and department stores. A short cab ride can take you between the sites of Old and New Downtown.
Restaurants
Updated Southern recipes have made Georgia Brown's one of Downtown's hottest restaurants. Try the gumbo, crab cakes, or head-on shrimp - don't pass up the pork chops smothered in sausage gravy. This place draws as diverse a clientele, in terms of age and ethnicity, as any restaurant in the city. 950 15th Street, NW (between I and K Streets) (202-393-4499).
Star of Siam. Curries are the stars of the menu, but the portions tend to be small, so order appetizers. Try the red curry fish and the crab with curry powder and fresh chilies. 1136 19th Street, NW (between L and M Streets) (202-785-2838).
Old Ebbit Grill. This reincarnation of Washington's longest-lived restaurant is obviously doing something right - it does more business than almost any other eating place in town. People flock here to drink at the several bars, which seem to go on for miles, and to enjoy carefully prepared bar food that includes buffalo chicken wings, hamburgers, and Ruben sandwiches. But this is not just a place for casual nibbling; the Old Ebbitt offers serious diners homemade pastas and a list of daily specials, with the emphasis on fish dishes and steak. Despite the crowds, the restaurant never feels cramped, thanks to its well-spaced, comfortable booths. 675 15th Street, NW (202-347-4800).
The movie lover's analogue of the Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood features motion picture memorabilia, continuous film clips running on TV screens, and dressed-up junk food bearing celebrity names. Sample the apple strudel; rumor has it that the recipe comes from co-owner Arnold Schwarzenegger's mom. The gift shop is a must, if only for browsing. 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (at 11th Street) (202-783-7827).
Nightlife
The 70s are alive! Polly Ester's brings disco excitement from its NYC and Florida nightclubs to DC. Memorabilia and music from this groovy decade are in full force. The club features a Saturday Night Fever dance floor, a Brady Bunch wall, a John Travolta tribute and more. 605 12th Street NW (202) 737-1970.
Zei is Greek for "to live." The owners of this dance club state that they want to attract "young, upscale politically aware women and men." To that end, a former electric power substation has been transformed into a New York-style dance club, with a wall of television sets peering down on the proceedings and the relentless thump of Euro-Pop dance music filling the air. 1415 Zei Alley NW (202-842-2445).
A new heavyweight on the Washington comedy scene, The Improv is descended from the club that sparked the stand-up boomlet in New York city and across the country. Tucked away in a basement, the club has established itself as a venue for first-rate comedy, featuring such stand-up artists as Brian Regan, George Wallace and Rosie O'Donnell. Call ahead of time for tickets. Saturday show times are 8:30 and 10:30. 1140 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202-296-7008).
The Big Hunt is not an especially fancy, but it's a fun place to hang out with Washington's young professionals. The bar/restaurant food is good, and the jukebox is outstanding. 1345 Connecticut Avenue, NW (202-785-2333).