THE WASHINGTON POST.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019EZ12
Happy Hour with Fritz Hahn
Q: Best first date spot for drinks?
A: This is a super-complex
question that depends on
location, budget and the vibe
you’re looking for.
Do you want somewhere
where there aren’t too many
distractions from loud music or
TVs? All Souls in Shaw is a go-to
for cocktails and a hip-yet-
understated vibe. The cool and
quaint little French spot La
Jambe works for me, especially
at happy hour (until 7 p.m.
weekdays), when you can get $5
glasses of wine and $4 bar
snacks.
Want something to do to avoid
awkward silences? I’ve seen a
few dates happening at
Kingfisher’s Monday night
Bingo sessions. It’s a cool no-
frills basement bar near Logan
Circle, but the bingo gives you
something to do/talk about.
Looking for a classier option?
Joe’s Stone Crab is good for its
half-price happy hour (no drink
costs more than $6.50) and
central location just a block from
the White House, though seats
can be tough to come by on busy
nights. I also had a debate
recently about whether Left
Door was a good first-date spot. I
thought it was better for, like, a
fourth or fifth date, since it’s
dark and atmospheric, but some
people think it would be a really
cool place to sit and get to know
someone.
But my advice as always: Don’t
take a first date to your favorite
neighborhood bar, because if it
doesn’t work out, you don’t want
to be the person who’s at the bar
with a new “date” every week.Q: Any reason you didn’t include
the Bottom Line in your story on
intern bars [Aug. 9 Weekend
section]? The $2 beer happy
hour is on par with the Front
Page.
A: I thought about including the
Bottom Line — which actually
shares owners with the Front
Page — in my story about where
interns might go after the
longtime happy hour destination
closed.
It’s known as a spot for cheap
drinks — the Friday happy hour
was featured in my cover story
about happy hours with cheap
beers in 2017, though the price
has since risen from $1 to $2. It’s
just that I’ve never gotten an
“intern” vibe while drinking
there — it seems to draw a
slightly older crowd than the
Front Page or Madhatter. Please
tell me if I’m wrong!
Either way, I’m happy to
recommend it for an affordable
happy hour for anyone.
(Thursday, for example, is $3
Coors and $4 Yuengling, rail
drinks and tater tots until 8 p.m.)Q: What are the best small towns
for a day trip within an hour orso from D.C.? Something with
more than just museums, please.
A: Annapolis is a given — the
charming, historic downtown is
worth visiting just to pop in and
out of boutiques and used book
stores, have a lunch of fresh
oysters or crabs, and take in the
nautical vibes. (I’m partial to the
Naval Academy Museum, and
walking around the gardens of
the historic homes, such as the
beautifully landscaped William
Paca House.) There are boat
tours of the city, or you can just
take a water taxi around and see
the sights that way. Boatyard Bar
and Grill, Sailor Oyster Bar and
Davis’ Pub are among the
neighborhood spots I often
mention, plus Dry 85 for beersand cocktails.
Baltimore should be a given,
too, especially because you don’t
have to drive — an $8 MARC
ticket gets you from Union
Station to Penn Station, even on
weekends. It’s full of museums,
galleries, places for drinks, such
as the Union Craft Brewery and
Sagamore Spirit Distillery (their
tour is highly recommended),
cool neighborhoods to check out,
such as Hampden, Station North
and Canton. (Just watch the time
so you don’t wind up having to
take a more-expensive Amtrak
back, like I did last weekend.)
Frederick is great for lovers of
antique shops and bookstores,
and the downtown has plenty of
options for shopping and dining,though I’d also recommend
visiting the Flying Dog brewery.
When you’re there, you’re not far
from Gambrill or South
Mountain State Parks. Gambrill
actually has a nice lake for
swimming.
In Virginia, I’d probably head
to Fredericksburg, which has
that important mix of history,
shopping good dining and good
drinking. You can visit a Civil
War battlefield, a few really
fashionable boutiques, get an
old-fashioned milkshake at a
soda fountain and then tour the
award-winning A Bowman
distillery in one afternoon.
Hmm. I might have just talked
myself into going back down
there.Q: Any lively bars in
Gaithersburg/Germantown
worth visiting?
A: My last few trips to
Gaithersburg have been beer-
focused — the Dogfish Head
Alehouse, which seems to be
holding its own with great beers,
a nice patio, and the usual mix of
pizzas, burgers and seafood.
Downtown Crown Beer and
Wine, the reason I was going up
there, has been doing a great job
with exclusive can releases (they
just had one with Other Half ),
but you’ll also find some good
stuff from Burley Oak, RAR or
Black Flag on tap. The outdoor
Maryland Day Beer Festival was
a success — I wish they’d do
more of those. At the Downtown
Crown development, I also like
the Paladar rum bar, though I
know it’s a chain.
Old Town Pour House has 90-
some taps, and it’s definitely
lively, but it also feels like a
cookie-cutter to me.Q: Middleburg area and
Leesburg are also good day trips.
A: Leesburg for sure — the
historic downtown is bursting
with breweries, including
perennial recommendations
Crooked Rum and Wild Hare
Cider, as well as a mix of antique
shops, galleries, a beach bar and
the odd dive bar. Balls Bluff
battlefield is an interesting visit
for hiking and the tiny national
cemetery; there’s also the
Volcano Waterpark, which is cool
with or without kids.
Middleburg is Middleburg. Fritz Hahn hosts a
Q&A every other Thursday at 1 p.m. at
live.washingtonpost.com.JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POSTAnnapolis is the perfect spot for a day trip from D.C. You can wander the charming, historic downtown or take a boat tour of the city.
Excerpts from The Post reporter’s online discussion
DIXIE D. VEREEN FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTLeft Door bar is dark and atmospheric, and is seen by some as a really cool place to sit and get to know
someone on a first date, but others think it’s more of a fourth- or fifth-date location.