Adams Morgan’s newest bar takes “exclusive” to a new level.

When the owners of New York’s Town Tavern announced a D.C. outpost of their Greenwich Village club last fall, they made sure to tout the joint’s exclusivity. The bar’s opening would be an “inauguration.” Its spot between Bourbon and Columbia Station—formerly occupied by “Irish pub”/frat magnet Nolan’s—would situate it at the “heart of the Adams Morgan Heritage Trail.” The interior would be designed with “prowess.” The décor would be “rustic.” The televisions, “plasma.”

The bar’s discerning door policy [PDF] ensured that the clientele would also be top-shelf. No garden variety Adams Morgan sad sack would pass through the Town Tavern’s “master craftsman” mahogany gates. In the Tavern, all men would wear collared shirts and avoid a laundry list of other gear: no hats, no visors, no do-rags, no tank tops, no cutoffs, no sleeveless shirts, no jerseys, no sneakers, and no combat boots here. Only those with two forms of government-issued photo ID would be admitted. All “rude and/or obnoxious” patrons would be ousted. No “unaccompanied groups of males” would be allowed in. And while 21-year-old women would be free to enter, only men aged 23 and up would be able to join them.

Read More “Young Man, There’s A Place You Can’t Go” »

Pictured: hair lessons learned from the Kentucky Bluegrass Ball.

1. New Adams Morgan Bar Loves the Ladies; Dudes, Not So Much, an examination of gender discrimination targeted against douchebags!

2. Rick Warren Don’t Make No Sense, a nonsensical tired against Rick Warren’s nonsensical invocation!

3. The Great Inaugural After-Party, dudes talking about beer and sex, for the President!

4. Woman Offers Ovary for Inaugural Ball Ticket, still going strong!

5. How to Crash an Inaugural Ball: Lessons from the Kentucky Bluegrass Ball, which prompted one reader to huff that I am “opposed to waht we just heard in the President’s speech.”

Last night, I reported from the swankiest, most exclusive, hippest, Hills-iest, fanciest inaugural ball in all of Adams Morgan that was supposed to cost $125 but to which everyone actually secretly got in for free. Once the wool was pulled from our eyes, and the burning question—”who would play for this?”—was finally answered—”nobody”—it was time to revel in the absurd glory of all the false hype. Below, more photos from the desperately exclusive Town Tavern party that I still have not confirmed any cast member of MTV’s the “Hills” actually attended, as promised.

Who needs the cast of the “Hills” when you have these famous figures of history and fantasy?

Read More “INAUGURAL CELEB WATCH: More Photos of Where the “Hills” Weren’t” »

As local blogger Tim at the 42 reported yesterday, the 2323 18th St NW spot formerly occupied by Nolan’s will open again this Saturday. The replacement, “The Town Tavern,” has some gender-specific rules for entrance, and they’re not benefiting Adams Morgan’s storied dude population.

Here are some specifics: Women 21 and over can enter, but men must be 23. “No unaccompanied groups of males” are allowed. Most of the dress code applies to both genders (No Hats, No Visors, No Do-Rags, No Tank Tops, No Cut-Offs, No Sleeveless Shirts, No Jerseys, No Sneakers, No Combat Boots), but one rule is men only: they’ve gotta wear collared shirts.

These rules appear to be condescending toward the neighborhood’s men, but really, I think they’re more offensive to women. The collared shirts, the older men, the anti-friends-groups rule; they’re all made assuming that this is what women want, and that ladies will be falling over themselves to line-up to experience these perfectly calibrated hook-up conditions.

Whether Town Tavern can convince Adams Morgan to abandon its free-for-all clusterfuck hook-up culture for a more refined, collared experience remains to be seen. Drink up Town Tavern’s full set of rules, after the jump:

Read More “New Adams Morgan Bar Loves the Ladies; Dudes, Not So Much” »

Where will an extra two hours of boozing take you?

Archie Battles, 24, was just getting started on the 18th Street strip at 2:30 a.m., well after Adams Morgan bars had dried up. “I get off late, and I like to go out at a fashionable time,” says Battles. With last call called, he and two friends stand in position on the sidewalk, respectfully hollering at women who pass by.

Come inauguration week, those women-along with other drunken decisions concerning District sex lives-will be lubricated by two extra hours of bar time. To mark the occasion of Barack Obama’s ascension to the presidency, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation allowing bars to sell liquor until 4 a.m. from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21 (although some still have to adhere to their neighborhood voluntary agreements). You and an estimated 2 million to 4 million of your closest fellow Americans can now share in this historic event by becoming monumentally inebriated and attempting fumbling, ill-advised sex with each other. And if 4 a.m. rolls around and you have yet to zero-in on any promising prospects, never fear. Bars are free to stay open 24 hours for food sales during this magical time-meaning that you don’t have to go home, and you can stay here.
Read More “The Great Inaugural After-Party” »

Today is the day of reckoning for notorious Adams Morgan blues bar Madams Organ and its equally notorious owner, Bill Duggan. As Marc Fisher reports, D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will meet today to decide the fate of the bar’s liquor license, a ruling that will rest upon the story of a couple wandering hands.

According to Fisher:

The story began late one night in June of 2007, when an Arlington woman was sitting at the Madam’s bar with her boyfriend. Suddenly, she felt someone reach over and grab her side near her waist.

Read More “Madams Organ Could Lose License Over Touchy Customer” »

Scenes from this morning’s poll outside Iglesia Festival, 1640 Columbia Rd. NW

Read More “Photos: Iglesia Festival, Adams Morgan” »