James T.'s Profile

The Red Derby is the most recent addition to the bar roll in the NoCo/SoPet* region. It pretty much defines the new nightlife frontier for this area. At 14th and Quincy, it's a few blocks north into what was previously no man's land for English speaking night spots.

Unless there's someone smoking outside, which isn't uncommon, you need to keep your eyes open to find it the first time, because it's got a pretty low profile. But it's worth looking for. Red Derby has a lot of things going for it. First of all, the two most prominent fixtures, Sascha (one of the owners) and Patrick (one of the bartenders who I think may actually live there, since he's been working pretty every time I've ever been) are immediately welcoming and quick to start a conversation with a new face. There's no question that there are a lot of tight buddies hanging out here, but yet you never get that "outsider" vibe that some too-cool-for-school places can exude. You know, when the bartender would rather pour free beers for his friend than take a few minutes to actually take money for a beer from someone they don't know.

Second, it's got a pool table. Following the disappearance of Temperance Hall's pool table, there really hasn't been one around these parts.

Third, it's got a funky, slightly surreal atmosphere that is just a fun and interesting place to spend time. There is always some random movie being played (without sound) in this little lounge area against the red-painted wall, which just adds visual intrigue without imposing. For some reason because of the wall, it always looks like film noir no matter what the movie might be. The decor is slightly industrial and slightly haunted house, very cool.

Finally, it simply fills a void that has been left by Wonderland becoming insanely popular. Now w'land will always have a special place in my heart, and there's good folks there too, but frankly you just can't go there on the weekends. It's ridiculous. Red Derby offers the same somewhat divey, low-key experience that you once got from Wonderland. They have some pretty decent bar food too, and so far it's always been easy to find a seat and a friendly conversation.

The can thing, well, I'm not crazy about that, and it is the reason I have to take a star off. I like draft beer. There's really not a huge selection of decent beer in cans. If it weren't for the pub draft cans (the widget, by the way, is possibly the greatest invention of the 20th century, all hail Guinness) I might have a bigger problem. But Red Derby does offer a number of tasty pub draft beers in cans that I enjoy well enough.  So it's not perfect but I can live with that given the rest of the package.

Bottom line: go there and enjoy the neighborhood experience now. Given the relative dearth of night spots in the area, it is sure to become very popular. The last time I was there, I ended up talking to a couple tourists from France or something. How they ended up at Red Derby is a mystery, but it's a sign, all right. I doubt this will suffer the fate of Wonderland but it's certainly going to get harder to find a bar stool as summer hits.

*North Columbia Heights/South Petworth. You heard it here first. Okay, pretty bad, I admit. But that's way too much of a mouthful and that was the best I could come up with.

Let me start by saying that I like little kitschy shops as much as the next guy. You will never find me in Starbucks as long as Columbia Heights Coffee is in business. But when it comes to basics of life, you can't beat Target. And among the big-box department stores, I have always felt that Target is hands-down the best of them. Whereas even the thought of a trip to Wal-Mart can result in weeks of therapy for depression and suicidal thoughts, I have always found shopping at Target to be a reasonably pleasant experience.

I stopped in for the first time on Sunday, a few days after their grand opening. And it is a wonder to behold. The store was bustling with throngs of happy shoppers, neighbors chatting with neighbors. This place is almost certainly going to be our version of the Social Safeway. Yet despite the crowds, the checkout lines were moving quickly and smoothly. There's even a person whose job it is to help you find the best line! Compare that to Giant, where you're guaranteed at least a 10 minute wait while your cashier finishes texting their buddy. No doubt, I will be doing my incidental grocery shopping at Target from now on. That's right, it's got a grocery section too!

Best of all, it features the Target trademark cart escalator. I just love those things. Okay, so I'm easily amused, but how can you not find that cool?

I took a few pictures. Visit my blog or go to the ... er.... target of this link: http://www.flickr.com/...

Temperance Hall is a cozy, prohibition-era styled pub and restaurant located a block south of the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metro. The dark wood, tin ceiling and glass chandeliers create a great ambiance, while the big-screen television provides entertainment for the slow evenings - though those seem to be fewer and farther between in recent months.

Temperance has been open since early 2006, and are still pioneers in a block of Georgia Avenue that is probably better known for the strip club (The House) down the street. But as one of only a handful of restaurant/lounges serving Petworth, and also on the northeastern edge of Columbia Heights, Temperance draws a consistent and diverse crowd from CH and Petworth as well as from further away.

Apart from atmosphere, they offer a decent selection of beers, but more importantly, one of the city's best selections of rye whiskey. If you haven't ventured beyond Maker's Mark in the brown liquors, you owe it to yourself to give it a "rye". (Sorry, I couldn't resist). The food's also very good - what I'd call high-class pub food. Dishes include the obligatory burger, a hanger steak, and some more interesting things like a "Chicken Milanese" sandwich (a chicken breast pounded thin and lightly breaded and fried) and sloppy joes. They also make a kick ass BLT and some of the best fish and chips in town, as well as some veggie options (that I must admit I haven't explored too much). Most come with a side salad dressed with a very good house vinaigrette. And definitely stop in on a Monday night for half-price chicken wings (there's a different food special every night). They are the real deal.

All in all Temperance is a perfect neighborhood pub - the kind of place you like to walk in for a late dinner, have a couple drinks and chat with whoever's sitting next to you. And while the weeknights and late nights can be slow, they seem to be drawing a more steady crowd these days, such that there's often some good energy even into the wee hours. I would expect this trend to continue as development in Columbia Heights and Petworth brings in more and more residents within walking distance.

RedRocks is finally open after much anticipation. As it happened, they opened a day early, to the delight of many neighbors who were treated to a free meal on their "soft opening" day on July 11.

While it's not fair to review a restaurant on their not-even-first day, the food, atmosphere and beer list were all exceptional even under the circumstances. There is no question that this place is going to be a hit with the locals. It's slightly out-of-the-way location at 11th and Park makes it an immediate neighborhood joint for a lot of people living in this mostly residential corner of Columbia Heights/Petworth. Northeast of the 14th Street development, the only other option for American food was Temperance Hall. And Wonderland, of course. As special a place as Wonderland has in my heart, eating there on occasion is more out of necessity than by choice.

I tried a couple different pizzas, a Puttanesca and a Funghi. The crust is thin and chewy, with a little bit of yeastiness but not too salty. The toppings were fresh and well portioned, including excellent steamed mussels on the Puttanesca.  Not everything was perfect -- but for an unofficial-opening-day, I'm not even going to go into it. It was damn good.

The beer list is outstanding. Chimay on tap, as well as a few others. But much more importantly, there are at least 40 beers in bottles across the board from Leinenkugel Lager, to Abita TurboDog from Louisiana, to Victory Golden Monkey, a 9.5% belgian style beer from Pennsylvania.  Really, this is one of the most interesting beer lists in town.

Physically, RedRocks has a nice sized outdoor patio, and a beautifully renovated bar/dining room area with exposed brick, dark wood and warm, low lighting. There are vintage black & white photographs of Columbia Heights which add to the old timey atmosphere. Nothing bad to say about the space.

I'll definitely be back. Any restaurant opening around here is big news - but when it's NOT a chain, it's that much more so. RedRocks seems to have it right and is a great addition. I just hope I'll be able to get a seat in the future!

Update 8/14/2007: Red Rocks has now been open a month, and I've probably been back about a dozen times for dinner, drinks, or the $9 bottomless mimosa brunch on Sundays. They seem to have hit a stride and ironed out a lot of little glitches that they struggled with in the first couple weeks.  The service, food preparation, and beer list availability has become much more consistent, even as they've been dealing with spillover dinner crowds. I'd even go so far as to say that they've done an admirable job of getting up to speed in such a short time - the place looks like it's been positively slammed every night for dinner for the last couple weeks, yet the service has been good even when I've eaten during peak  dinner hours (around 7:30-8:30).

So one month in, I'm sticking by my five star rating. The food and atmosphere are both excellent, and the owner and staff couldn't be nicer. This is a true neighborhood restaurant and bar for Columbia Heights, and good enough that people from anywhere in the city should take notice.

Update 2/19/2008: I just wanted to add a note to the effect that the pizza has really come into it's own. It was a long road that involved some periods of inconsistency and the dreaded "soggy middle" problem. But in the last two months - and let me tell you, I'm there a LOT because I'm in the middle of renovating my kitchen - the pizza's been dead on every time. My original fear did come true though.. I can't get a seat at the bar half the time!