Just thinking, while the weather changes lives - dramatically from day to day:
So much of what happens in DC is out of sight and not necessarily for evasive reasons. There is a commonsense mission in playing hard-to-get, an alluring and fascinating motive. It's not necessarily the current trend of belonging to 'private clubs' for members onlhy (ah, the privilege of being able to afford such a thing). It's a snobbery (ouch, not really the right word) of another kind. The ability to seek out and take advantage of special places that don't really need advertising, to be an insider of sorts in the search for special and unusual places open to the public if the public has smarts enough to know about them. Word-of-mouth messaging, you might say.
One such place is a private home on a certain street in the Northeast not far from H St. where the owner hosts dinners that he creates for anyone informed of the experience and has the will to spend a goodly penny ((say upward of $200 or so) and the desire to have a communal experience, likely with strangers unless a certain generous someone wants to host a party.. To be surprised about what is contained in each of the 7 or so courses; to welcome entertainment throughout from the owner/chef himself. And the only way to reserve is through Instagram (@reikinadc)or by clicking on experiencereikina@gmail.com or, as I discovered on a whim, ringing the bell on a certain ground level door heralded by a blue light (turned on only at night). The word is passed along by someone who has been there, who can remember the address and who is in no way paid to do so. That host/owner/chef has sterling credentials (hot spots in Houston and on a Michelin starred DC restaurant). The entrepreneur in this case is Thomas Stacy ("chef & owner" reads his card).
I had been tipped off by a friend who reported on her evening (7 to 10:30 p.m.) praising the quality of the food. He greeted me, a stranger, warmly when I rang the bell, interrupting some sort of musical session happening next to the communal table (for 8 or 10 ) assume). Sure, he would call back he told me, though never had. Maybe the word is out in enough circles so that he doesn't need or want to circulate more information. He welcomes cash above all, and surely is not wanting to fuss about licensing or taxes.
Another successful low-key operation is a small bar with snacks and colorful cocktails hidden without any notice down an alley off of H St. NE near the Atlas Theater complex. Called Providencia (take the name literally as the providence of pleasure, the place is public and open only Tuesday to Saturday evenings five days a week, from 5 pm to midnight. barprovidenciadc.com will tell you more, as will a positive article about the place in the Washington Post on March 21 this year.
It is intended to be a late night club of sorts for anyone wanting an offbeat thrill - a club without membership requirements or barriers at the entrance. What was once a flower shop (Not the Little Shop of Horrors at all) has become a business owned and operated by a lively group of young professionals using their Latin and Asian heritages to supply just a small but enticing menu to accompany the most innovative drinks around. For those already familiar with the Cambodian-Taiwanese restaurant Maketto, the name of Erik Bruner-Yang will be familiar. Prices range from $4 to $24 for food items and $9 to $18 for inventive cocktails. I had a lilac concoction topped by popcorn...
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