There are so many different kinds of places to have a drink these days. There are massive bars filled with tanked folks partying their livers off, there are quiet joints, there are hip places with $12 drinks, there are dives, and there are even places where you have to wear a jacket. Depending on my mood, I like almost all of these options – though the insane college bar scene (Rhino, this means you, especially during OSU games) is starting to get old.
I am a fan of many bars, but here are a couple that I am always willing to head back when in need of some libations.
Kitty O’Shea’s, Arlington – This is my “local” as the Brits would say, my hangout to watch soccer and otherwise unwind with a beer or two and generally affable folks. A simple but good beer selection that includes Guinness, Stella and Yuengling on tap and food that is decent enough. In a corner of Arlington full of places that are restaurants masquarding as bars, Kitty’s is actually a bar. A place where folks who don’t know each other might even start up a conversation. If Arsenal are playing on Setanta Sports on a weekend morning, you know where to find me.
RFD, Chinatown – This is where I go when I want to try something new. RFD has the biggest beer section in DC, this place is packed before and after events at nearby Verizon Center but has good food and enough beers and whiskys to keep the enthusiast amused for a long, long time. Their beer list changes all the time, especially the tapped beers, but there is truly something on that list for everyone. Try a style you’ve never tried before, odds are you won’t be dissapointed.
Capitol Lounge, Capitol Hill – This is my go-to place on the Hill. It always seems slightly more dirtbag-staffer-free despite its political theme and location. A solid beer selection, good specials and decent food. It’s got quite the past, having burned down twice in recent years. It’s also walking distance from Nationals Park. Believe it or not, Capitol Lounge and all the places on the Hill are only a 15-minute walk down New Jersey Ave. from the ballpark.
Larry’s, Columbus, Ohio – Just thinking about this bar makes me yearn to go there so badly. The best bar by Ohio State by a country mile. It has remained an oasis of good beer and fun times since the 1920s. It’s always been the campus nerd bar, featuring poetry forum mondays, local art on the walls and a jukebox filled with bands I am not nearly hip enough to know. A legendary story has gone around that Larry’s put out rumors that it was a gay bar just to keep the frat guys out. Well, whatever it takes, because this is one of the few places on campus you where you could always avoid the packs of obnoxious purple-poloed idiots. I dunno if this still takes place, but it used to be that on every Friday, one corner of the bar would get taken over by all the senior staff of the Lantern student newspaper. Many a drink was hoisted and a writer was ripped by editors enjoying the freedom that comes with putting the last paper of the week “to bed.” By the way, Larry’s doesn’t do food. If you need a post-drink much, head up to Buckeye Donuts for a gyro and the best conversation in Columbus.
Aaron
Sam S.
