9
EZTHE WASHINGTON POST.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2019Nightlife
BY FRITZ HAHNSo you’re not going to the
beach for Labor Day. It’s okay: A
lot of us aren’t, either. But if your
long holiday weekend isn’t com-
plete without upbeat music, trop-
ical drinks and maybe some sand
between your toes, there are ways
to find what you need without
getting stuck in traffic on the Bay
Bridge or I-95.
Coconut Club: It’s not a sur-
prise to learn that chef Adam
Greenberg dreamed up Coconut
Club while on vacation in Hawaii:
Everything about this highly Ins-
tagrammable restaurant and bar
is designed to take visitors as far
as possible from Washington’s
humidity/rain/slush (depending
on the season).
Hence the murals of palm
fronds, in “Miami Vice” shades of
turquoise and flamingo; the
greenery hanging over the airy
central bar; mismatched chairs in
every possible pastel shade. And
then there are the drinks: daiqui-
ris, frosé, a blender-whipped
combination of mezcal, citrus
and Thai chiles called the Hell in
Mirin. Nothing, though, says
“holiday” like Is That Thing On
Fire, a flaming and boozy rum
drink for two served in a peeled
coconut. (Even nondrinkers can
get in on the fun, thanks to the
Fresh Cracked Coconut, which is
simply a cracked coconut served
with a straw.)
On nice days, the front garage-
style doors are rolled up and
guests can sit at a patio surround-
ed by colorful planters. But the
views of Penn Street traffic are
less than idyllic, so if you want to
keep the illusion going, stay in-
side, perhaps in one of the bird-
cage-shaped dangling chairs, and
gaze at large photos of beachy
vacation spots. 540 Penn St. NE.
Drinks $11$13. Drinks for two
$19$24.
El Techo: The rooftop garden
spot in Shaw, above Rito Loco,
channels Tulum, Mexico, with
palm trees, lush greenery and a
mirror-bedecked outdoor dining
room tucked behind gauzy, white
curtains. DJs spin deep-grooved
house music from a booth almost
hidden behind shelves of tchotch-
kes and colorful strands of (fake)
wisteria. Margaritas — regular,
passion fruit, habanero-spiced,
frozen with mango and pineapple
— flow steadily from the bar,
where customers snack on
shrimp tacos and ceviche.
What makes El Te cho one of
this summer’s best spots for a day
party is a new cantilevered roof,
which can swing closed when
ominous clouds roll in, and pop
open when the danger passes.
(The panels aren’t just protection
from rain: They’re sometimes left
open at a 45-degree angle to offer
shade on a blindingly sunny after-
noon.) Doors open at noon, and
it’s w orth lingering for drinks and
a cheerful vacation vibe. 606 Flor
ida Ave. NW. Cocktails $12$13.The Beach at Pike and Rose: If
you have a choice between going
to the mall — sorry, a “retail
experience” — and the beach,
you’re always going to choose the
latter. Pike and Rose would like to
offer you a bit of both. Through
September, a block-long strip of
land at t he north end of the North
Bethesda mixed-use develop-
ment has been covered with sand
and surrounded by a brightly
colored fence, turning it into “The
Beach at Pike and Rose.” Adiron-
dack chairs and umbrella-shaded
picnic tables sit in the middle of
this oasis, while a row of “caban-
as” offer a more private experi-
ence, each containing just a table
and a pair of chairs. Buckets and
shovels sit in stacks, inviting kids
to play.
Unlike last summer, there are
no happy hours on Friday or
Saturday for adults to enjoy, but
all ages will enjoy perching at a
picnic table with creamy ice
cream or a customized ice cream
sandwich from the Baked Bear,
located just across the pedestri-
anized road — which is painted
blue, of course, to keep up the
illusion that you’ve traveled down
the ocean. Prose Street and GrandPark Avenue, Pike and Rose,
North Bethesda.Hula Girl Bar and Grill: Oahu
native Mikala Brennan and her
Hula Girl food truck turned D.C.
lunch crowds on to the flavors of
Spam musubi and Hawaiian-style
banh mi, but dining from takeout
boxes in the middle of Farragut
Square didn’t exactly keep the
North Shore vibes going. Instead,Brennan brought the Aloha State
to the Village of Shirlington in- Rows of hula girl dashboard
figurines bob on dining room
shelves, while surfboards hang
from wooden rafters. Ziggy Mar-
ley’s “Beach in Hawaii” and evoc-
ative slide-guitar and ukulele
songs play over the sound system.
The good vibes extend to the
bar, where happy hour specials
include Hula Girl Punch — white
rum, coconut rum and a mix of
tropical fruit juices — and the
lurid Blue HI, which adds vodka
to a similar mix of coconut rum
and pineapple, and gets its color
from citrusy blue curacao. After 7
p.m., the standouts are the Hula
Girl Mai Ta i, which gets spicy,
nutty notes from ginger liqueur
and macadamia orgeat, and the
Hawaii Kai Margarita, in which
sambal chilies and passion fruit
add depth and richness.
Balance the cocktails with the
Spam musubi roll — processed
meat in a panko crust with spicy
mayo and a tangy teriyaki sauce,
with optional hot sauce — or ahi
poke, available in its traditional
form, with green onions, sesame
and ginger, or as the base of tacos
topped with shiitake mushroom
salsa. Substantial plate lunches,
such as kalua pork roasted in
banana leaves and served with
two scoops of rice and a side of
macaroni salad, are also avail-
able. 4044 Campbell Ave., Arling
ton. Drinks $4$6 at happy hour
(4:30 to 7 p.m. weekdays, 5 to
7 p.m. Sunday). Cocktails $11$14.The Sandlot: One of the most
unlikely seasonal getaways in
Maryland is a peninsula in Balti-
more’s Harbor East neighbor-
hood — 3 0,000 square feet of
sand and palm trees right on the
water, just across the Patapsco
River from the famous Domino
Sugar sign. A mix of couches,
cabana areas and sail-shaded pic-
nic tables offers a chance to kick
off your flip-flops and wiggle your
toes in the sand while sipping a
cold drink, which comes from a
bar housed in a converted Air-
stream trailer.
The two-year-old Sandlot was
created with the help of Food-
shed, the restaurant group run by
Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitch-
en. Food leans toward summer
classics that you might snack on
at the ballpark — burgers, hot
dogs, gourmet nachos — as well
as rotating seafood specials. The
beverage list is heavy on cans of
local beer — look for the exclu-
sives, such as the Soak Up t he Sun
hoppy saison from Brewers Art —
and a whole menu of “Boat
Drinks,” i ncluding spritzes and a
Dark and Stormy made with local
rum and ginger beer. There’s e ven
a special “Shortstop Eats” menu
for the kids after they’re done
building sand castles or playing
on the swings.
With multiple beach volleyball
courts, cornhole setups and a
stage that allows cover bands to
entertain the crowds, this is a
place that could fill your entire
weekend. 1000 Wills St., Balti
more. Drinks $6$11.
[email protected]These spots give you beachy vibes, without traffic
PHOTOS BY FRITZ HAHN/THE WASHINGTON POST
El Techo, the rooftop bar and restaurant above Rito Loco in Shaw, channels Tulum, Mexico, with palm
trees, lush greenery and an outdoor dining room. Its cantilevered roof protects it from storms and sun.Fe aturing a sand beach and a baseball-themed menu, the Sandlot is
the perfect place to hang out as the summer winds to a close.