My husband and I, joined by our friends Gail and Dave, were recently among the crowd that poured in for an evening on the newly revitalized H Street, NE. Several lively blocks long (edged by streets that still feel a little sketchy), the corridor offers nightlife choices that are eclectic, including stylish eateries and cozy gastro-pubs.
As you walk along, past the art deco Atlas Theatre sign and glowing windows, night moves in and you feel like the place is really coming to life.
Sticky Rice, a sushi restaurant, has got to be the only one of its kind to feature not only sashimi and tempura, but also tater tots. The sushi rolls have sassy names such as “shiitake happens” and “happy hippy” and the ambiance tilts toward funky rather than Asian sensibility. Of course, we had tots, too. How can you not tot?
Gail had gotten us tickets to a musical performance (there are plenty of places to hear live music on H Street), and we had time before the doors opened. We briefly stepped inside Granville Moore’s where I instantly agreed that we must come back another night for Belgian beers and mussels in that softly-lit historical bar-room.
Many appealing bars and restaurants line the walk, beguiling passersby with hip, warm interiors and unique menus.
The lure of a half-hour at a beer-barrel table under strands of colored lights led us to the Bavarian-themed Biergarten Haus. We hoisted giant steins of coppery dopplebocks before joining the crowded floor for Bill Callahan's haunting prairie-themed songs at the Rock and Roll Hotel.
In spite of its name, the Hotel is not a place to stay for the night, though there are themed party rooms for rent upstairs. The main floor is a concert space and the one we attended was a tightly packed, standing room kind of scene, best enjoyed by taller folks.
The nearby all-night pie shop was the perfect spot for post-concert recovery.
(I propose a new rule: every neighborhood must have its own all-night pie shop.)
