Rendering courtesy of Bar Pilar

Tantric Tasting: Reporting from New York, Young & Hungry alum Todd Kliman takes the first bite into chef R.J. Cooper's pop-up preview of what's in store at Rogue 24, his forthcoming 24-course tasting-menu restaurant in D.C.'s Blagden Alley. Cooper had previously compared the planned culinary circus to a  Widespread Panic concert. Kliman, meanwhile, finds it more akin to a night in Sting's bedroom: "It’s tantric dining, the chef as control freak. He’s not interested in gratifying you in the conventional bourgeois sense that we’ve come to expect of dining out, he wants to blow your mind with the taste that comes next." [Washingtonian]

Wine 'Em, Dine 'Em: Nightlife's Mister Manners Fritz Hahn deems Mount Pleasant's new cocktail den Last Exit a great date spot and digs the bar bites, too: "truffled fries, fried chicken livers, even Southwest-style corn fritters." [WaPo]

Clyde's Cash: The Clyde's Restaurant Group may be the last business getting D.C. tax-increment financing, a pot of $30 million the city set up to "attract large, signature retailers to the downtown core." What will diners be getting with the $4.47 million the city is giving to Clyde's? A 24-hour restaurant/lounge/entertainment venue in the old Border's space at 14th & F streets NW. [WCP/Housing Complex]

Sub Buzz: Are the folks behind Medium Rare and BGR: The Burger Joint the same people now plotting a specialty meatball sandwich shop in Penn Quarter? [PoP]

Openings: Adjacent to George Mason University's Virginia Square campus, you will soon have an option for hot pot! [DCFüd]

Does J. Peterman Work for Vermilion? Fancy words don't necessarily impress weekend brunch warriors: "There’s carrot and ginger soup made with baby carrot 'carpaccio,' whipped mascarpone, and micro cilantro, which all sounds very dramatic for a soup. Or there’s the St. Mary’s asparagus, which comes with imported buratta, charred lemon, baby greens and toasted ciabatta. I repeat, charred lemon. Micro cilantro. Who writes this shit?" [Bitches Who Brunch]

Mommy, Why Are You Slurring? First mom jeans; now mom wine. You know it's a trend when there's a trademark dispute. [Examiner]

Photo by Quinn Dombrowski/Creative Commons Attribution License

Waterlogged: If you had plans to head down to Washington Harbour in Georgetown to enjoy a drink or meal within view of the Potomac River, be aware that it's currently underwater due to flooding. [DCist]

It's All OK! The Serendipity 3 ice cream parlor, which has been planned for the old Nathan's space at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW in Georgetown, "is still all set to go," despite rumors to the contrary. [G'town Metropolitan]

Deals: Want discounted tickets to Taste of Arlington in May? Click here. [ARLNow]

Sneak Peeks: The forthcoming Jack Rose on 18th Street NW has a 52-foot-long bar. (Hopefully, that's enough room for Fritz Hahn not to be annoyed by other bar patrons.) [DCist]

Photo by Flickr user joo0ey using an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

On the Fritz's Nerves: If you ever want to agitate veteran Washington Post nightlife scribe Fritz Hahn at a bar like ChurchKey, occupy valuable bar real estate with empty drinks, tell the bartender "[n]o, we're good right now" when asked if you'd like another, and turn your back. Hahn might yell at you, but most likely, he'll just vent on Twitter. [@FritzHahn]

Rites of Spring: Lo and behold, it's that time of year when our local education and media company gets all crafty. [WaPo]

Chicken Switch: For those who patronize FedExField, please note that Popeye's is no longer the official chicken of the Washington Redskins. KFC is now the official poultry provider. [WCP/Cheap Seats]

Pity the Food Critic: It's hard to please Todd Kliman! About 60 percent of what he eats falls into "the not-great category." [Eater D.C.]

Feats of Strength: Egads! Kate Nerenberg tried "nearly 20" Whoopie pies to figure out which place in D.C. offers the best version. [Washingtonian]

Photo by Flickr user eflon using an Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license

The good news started when WaPo's Going Out Guru Fritz Hahn spread the word about Brasserie Beck's special January daily happy hour. The tune got even sweeter when Beck beer maestro Thor Cheston granted Mike Dolan's plea on DC Beer that the happy hour become permanent. This week the story gets even better.

In addition to extending their daily 5:00-7:00pm half-priced draft happy hour beyond the month of January indefinitely, Brasserie Beck has decided to add happiness to late-night weekend hours. Starting this week, every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from 10:00pm to closing, all drafts are half-price as well as items from the raw bar. (The website says it starts at 10:30 but Thor told us directly 10:00, so we're going with that. Every minute counts!)

That's a total of 23 happy hours a week to drink half-priced Belgian beer at the place with our city's largest selection of the stuff. It reminds us of the heyday we enjoyed when Bohemian Caverns had their Belgian beer happy hour. Prices have gone up a bit since then, but fancy-pants Belgian imports for half price? Antigoon for $4.50? We're so there.

Believe it or not, there has been other news in the world this week, aside from the opening of Birch & Barley/ChurchKey, the long-awaited Neighborhood Restaurant Group project on 14th Street NW. You wouldn't know it, though, from all the local food coverage, which has devoted a ton of server space to detailing every nook and cranny and keg at the joint.

Let's go to the highlights:

• WaPo's Fritz Hahn has what's on tap.
• Metrocurean has the glamour shots.
• The Beerspotter breaks down the cask list.

• The Washingtonian digs into some of the dining options.
• ReadysetDC calls Metrocurean's glamour shots and raises it 20 design-porn shots.
• Even more photos here and here.
• The Not Thin Man goes all soft opening on us.

There are lots more, but Y&H is tired of reading the same info over and over.