Last month I went to D.C. on a media trip with Springhill Suites. I’ve already shared with you all about the hotel, but I also wanted to share about the amazing places we went to in D.C. We were treated to a “little something extra” and got to check out things in D.C. that were a little different. No historical monuments on this trip!
Our first stop was the Jack Rose Dining Saloon. Jack Rose is quite an impressive spot with 2,390 bottles of whiskey lining the walls. When you order a flight of whiskey to try they actually bring the bottles to your table so that you don’t forget halfway through what you are drinking. Even though it was a Wednesday night when we were there, the dining room and bar area were packed. Even though I enjoyed the ambiance of the dining saloon there was another reason we were there. Underneath Jack Rose is a speakeasy called Dram and Grain. You can walk in, if you know its there of course, Tuesday through Thursday but on Friday and Saturday you need a reservation. They have an ever changing menu of modern craft cocktails based on vintage recipes. Cell phone conversations are banned, it takes awhile to get your handcrafted cocktail, and the bartenders know EVERYTHING about every drink on the menu. Don’t come here if you are in a hooray, this is a place to relax and enjoy yourself.
Stop number two was the polar opposite of Jack Rose. Heist is another underground find, but this time is a robber themed dance club and lounge. I had my first experience with VIP bottle service and I must admit that it was pretty neat. They made a big deal out of delivering our drinks (first bottles of champagne, and then the booze, we had our own server to mix up drinks for us, a huge private area right next to the DJ and dance floor, and the manager treated us to a round of tequila shots. This is not a place I would have found or even looked for on my own, so I’m glad we had a chance to check it out. I probably hadn’t danced that much in 15 years and my feet sure had something to say about it the next day.
Our second day started with Sculpture Garden Ice Skating at The National Gallery of Art. The National Gallery of Art gives visitors a special little extra during winter months, transforming the Sculpture Garden into an ice skating rink. Being a Floridian I’ve never been ice skating outdoors before, so I was super exciting about putting on my gloves and ear muffs and doing a little ice skating in the cold (at least for me) weather. It was amazing!
After ice skating we needed to warm up a little bit so we went over to Poste Moderne Brasserie. Located adjacent to the Hotel Monaco, Poste Moderne Brasserie is steeped in history. The crown molding and sunny skylights are all original to the 1841 building, which used to be D.C.’s General Post Office. In fact, the space that’s their buzzing dining area was once the mail-sorting room. We enjoyed hot toddys and learned all about the history of the building. We even checked out the Hotel Monaco before heading to our final stop of the day. I love old architecture and could have spent the entire day here if they’d let me.
The last stop of our whirlwind D.C. tour was The Fridge. More than just an art gallery, DC’s “street art” gallery, The Fridge, is a performance space, music venue and classroom located on Barracks Row in the historic Eastern Market neighborhood. We got a personal tour from the gallery owner and I learned so much about street art. The amazing work on display was street art that had been turned into quilts, so I was immediately in love. “Sew Rad” was an exhibit by local artist DECOY who actual wrote her thesis on the history of quilts. Pretty cool huh?
I had such an amazing time in D.C. checking out some different places on my short trip. Even though I’d love to see the historical monuments one day I’m glad that this is how I spent my first trip to D.C. Maybe next time right?
