Churchkey

Introducing our first ever guestblog! In order to get you more reviews (and to save my liver), I've asked some very talented writing friends to lend their talent and experiences at local bars. I always respect their drink choices & recommendations, and I think you will too. Thank you, Katie, for being my first guinea pig!

-------------------------

Before Churchkey even opened I was dying to go there based on the design of the brand and it's display on the Web site alone. The bold fonts and simple silhouetted graphics showcasing the variety of beer glasses were enough to make every white hipster beer lover in DC rush out so they could experience it before their friends had the opportunity.

The first time I popped into Churchkey was on a whim, within a month of it's opening in October of 2009. My parents were in town for a visit and staying down the street at the Donovan House, so we dropped in just as it opened on our way back from a little shopping at Miss Pixie's on 14th Street. My father and I sampled a couple beers from the Crisp section of their menu and my mother, a strict non-beer drinker, enjoyed the vintage decor, high ceilings with sunlight pouring through the picture windows and a standard selection of liquor.

We didn't even need to confer before ordering the Mac & Cheese Sticks for the table, but just as easily concluded that they were an abomination. I will say this now, knowing that you will likely ignore my warnings and order them anyway...why wouldn't you? It's fried macaroni and cheese in stick form...they should be incredible! But when you bite into them and the inevitable disappointment creeps onto your face, think of me. Mozzarella stick appearance on the outside, but tastes like sweaty macaroni in a breaded rectangle. Sad.

Every other time I've ventured to Churchkey since, I have had to fight off some serious crowds, putting a real damper on my overall bar going experience. A couple tips to keep in mind during your next happy hour and to help you through during the hype:

Don't whine if there's a line.

It's typically for your own good. They try to keep it at a reasonable capacity upstairs so as to minimize the amount of elbowing and booty bumping you have to do once you get in. And they're also known to hand out tater tots to people waiting in line.

Don't crowd the plate.

Once you do get upstairs, you'll need to be quick if you want to get a booth or stool. Loiter within reason but don't make people feel uncomfortable like a slow-moving car full of Grandmothers in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. If you see people starting to wrap up, I recommend letting them know that you are interested in commandeering their area, but to take their sweet time. You'll be surprised at how loyal people can be with a small act of patience.

Don't be choosy about your glassware.

Each beer comes with it's own unique shape that is made for the particular beer, to enhance the flavor and ultimate enjoyment of the brew. According to their blog post, "Glass differentiation depends upon the beer's need for enhancing aromatic volatiles, showcasing appearance, and maintaining beer head." And, of course, they're above branding with logos.

Do expand your beer drinking horizons.

Maybe you're traditionally a wheat beer kinda girl or a stout drinking kinda guy, but you would be insane not to belly up for an early evening and chat with the incredibly knowledgeable barkeeps about some of their favorites from behind the bar. Though I am often guilty of sticking with Victory Brewing Company's Prima Pils for the night, my husband Tyler is a fan of their authentic cask ales, particularly when they featured Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron this winter. Though they're not the kind of thing you can drink all night, the amount of care that goes into their cask ales is definitely worth exploring.

So that's it. Churchkey is a gorgeous bar and a great place to soak up the knowledge about super rare beers so you can impress the pants off your friends at your next get together, but I'd prefer it if you didn't go. I want the hype to die down so I can just enjoy my super snooty beer conversations in private.

The Deal:
There is no deal. The beer is fantastic, the barkeeps are super smart and they serve you tots as you wait in line to get in. Check their blog for any information on a special guest star in the form of a new keg.

M-F they open at 4pm

S-S they open at Noon

Churchkey

Thank you, Katie, for this Guestblog!
To check out more of her writing, please visit her blog:
http://katieobriendc.posterous.com/

The Black Rooster

The Black Rooster was described to me as "The Cheers of D.C.", the first time I heard of it. I was standing in the rain with Jenny, watching a bit of Rugby. The man was from out of town but in D.C. for a consulting gig, and reminiscing about his old days in the district. A week later Jenny told me the bar was doomed to be closed, as it took up the first floor of the Peace Core building and they were planning to use the bar space as a new conference room.

3 days later we were there, just days before its scheduled close. I was not going to review the bar, but I recently heard via the DCist.com that the bar was planning on reopening!

Reached by telephone, Rooster Pub kitchen manager Phillip Turner confirmed that the bar does indeed hope to reopen in the next two to three weeks. Turner said that as he understood it, the leasing agent and the building owner "were able to work out something."

When the bar does reopen, go. The French Fries are the best in the city (normal fries, I'm not talking Dr. Graneville-fancy-pants-fries). Our waitress was an older chick, a combination of gruff with a mix of sarcastic jokes to win us over — a perfect blonde Carla. The plan was to get a beer and get out, but we found ourselves settling into a corner table and taking in the vibe of a Monday Happy hour while it was still available. I was sad to leave knowing a bar that I would surely love to come to again had a finite lifetime...

I hope to see you at a happy hour here soon, when it reopens in the coming weeks.

the deal:
we'll see what they come up with.

The Black Rooster

Eatonsville

Drinking cocktails out of a mason jar is always a good thing. Though Eatonville is not known for its drinks in the short 4-months it has been open, but rather the delicious southern fare — we were still drawn by the libations. The cocktails were $5 and ranged from very peachy Georgia Peach, to the absinthe laced concoction... which I wish I could remember the name of, but I can't, and is not available online. Drafts were half-price. I made the mistake of ordering Hennepin, a bottle (the most expensive bottle), and blew my measly happy hour budget. Stick to drafts to get bang for your buck.

As for food, our group voted the Hushpuppies filled with shrimp (off the apps menu), as well as the Mac & Cheese and Sweet Potato and Andouille Sausage Hash (off the $5 side menu), as our favorites.

The bar is located towards the rear of the restaurant. Next time I would venture upstairs to see what that area feels like and see if it is a bit more private. At times I felt like I was in the way as the wait staff rushed past the downstairs bar to keep the southern food coming out hot. We did enjoy our bartenders — Corey and AJ were efficient and fun. They gave small samples of left-over drinks to us, which was helpful in whittling down our choices with such strong cocktail options. Rebecca was able to order a mint julep with a sour kick that has quickly become her favorite-made-to-order drink.

the deal:
M–F, 5:30–7
1/2 price drafts
$5 select cocktails (a bunch to choose from)
no food deals :(

Eatonville

Dr Granville Moore's

This is a great place to educate yourself and take your beer-drinking up a notch. It has an authentic feel with wooden tables and low lighting. The well educated staff are ready and willing to let you know anything and everything about all the beers they have on the menu and up on their chalk board.

I asked what they had on draft, and they only had one beer. When I asked why, my waiter enlightened me — most Belgian brews are bottled... I found a good summary of what he said on another site (http://www.beermad.org.uk/)

"Most of the best Belgian beers are "bottle conditioned." This means that the beer hasn't been pasteurised and filtered before it's bottled, so it's still a living thing, not dead like, for example, Newcastle Brown. The reason for this is twofold; first pasteurising beer inevitably has a bad effect on its flavour; that's why Real Ale tastes better than keg. Secondly, because the beer is still alive, it continues to mature in the bottle like a fine wine and can continue to change and improve for many years. This also means that a bottle conditioned beer will still taste superb many years after the pasteurised equivalent has become un-drinkable..."

Here are a few snapshots:

board posted on the second level with all beer in stock, not currently on the menu

Mmm! Delicious.

This is one of my favorite spots in DC. The food is FANTASTIC (Tim & I loved the Frites and the antipasto plate), and they are well known for having great mussels (I myself am not a huge fan of mussels, in general, so I can't comment). Dr. Granville Moore's is a bit hard to get to since it is in the Atlas District off H-street and does not participate in the free shuttle most other venues in the area share. Know how to get there before you jump in a cab as they tried to take us across DC despite citing the address, area, as well an neighboring bars. The trip will also be more expensive than the average trip to another bar because of the quality of food and drink, but treat yourself to this one. It was good homework for my trip to Belgium next year!

last note on a bit of trivia of the name — Dr.Granville Moore was a neighborhood Doctor who twice a week provided pro-bono work for the sick and ailing members of the community. The place blends into the rest of the street well so keep your eyes open for the wood door or you might walk right on by.


the deals:
Varies day-to-day

Monday:
$10 Mussels
$1 Off Drafts
(5pm-7pm)

Tuesday:
1/2 Price Wine Night
(Bottles Only - With Purchase of a Sandwich, Entree or Order of Mussels)

Wednesday:
$5 Bavik, Hoegaarden and Affligem all night!

Thursday:
$1 off Chimay Red, White and Blue

Dr. Graville Moore's