Voting Enabled ??
Jaleo ~ based on some food allergies, and MzCE's bum knee: 2 blocks from the Navy Memorial (metro-stop) is good, blizzard-conditions notwithstanding. ;)

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Something reasonably close to a metro stop for both dinner/drinks. Also something reasonably priced. Beyond that, I don't care. :)

Last time I was in D.C. I spent an evening hopping around the Adams-Morgan neighborhood. Lots of neat looking restaurants and bars, but perhaps too far away for this adventure, even if it is near a metro stop...

Also: Sunday morning I may be interested in visiting one of the Teaism shops for tea & breakfast. Anyone's welcome to join me.

That gets my vote for drinks, good selection on tap (including several not listed). http://www.menuvenue.com/mvgen/menus...2&t=1185296536

All the restaurants sound good to me.

A possible complicating factor to keep in mind for some of these locations in the downtown DC area is that the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League are playing at Verizon Center that evening; the game starts at 7:00pm and there may be larger than usual crowds at places such as Zengo, on the same block as Verizon Center or Clyde's -- which is next door to the arena.

Regarding places to dine - anywhere that's willing to take a reservation for a group of our size that's relatively metro accessible is a good place, IMHO - I used to do the DC Happy Hours planning & DC locations were tough... For a group this size, it may be tough...

Also, keep in mind whether we want to stay within walking distance of the mall or not...

I'm not going to dinner, but have been to most of these places. Here's my $.02, FWIW:
Jaleo - Over rated and very crowded. They don't normally take reservations after 6 or so. For a big group they might though.
IndeBlue - Pretty long walk from the A&S. I hear it is good, but haven't been there
Cafe Atlantico - Good food. Owned by the same guy who owns Jaleo and Tenpenh. Also a bit of a walk from A&S
Tenpenh - Best food on the list. It is on the pricier side.
Rasika - Never been there. (see a pattern, El Boocho doesn't like Indian food)
Zengo - I really liked this place. It will be a zoo before the game. It has small sized entrees and apps and the drinks will be expensive.
Clyde's of Gallery Place - Probably the best bet. Food and drinks are reasonably priced. Food is decent. It is a big place so there should be room somewhere. Get there around 5:30 and you will be fine, but it will get very busy arounf game time. The con is that it is a hike from the A&S.

Others:
My Brothers Place - I haven't been there recently, but it would be a good choice. Off the beaten path so less crowds.
Les Halles - Near tenpenh in PA ave. Reasonable food and drinks. Great fries.
Chop house - Kind of mediocre, but upstairs is a decent bar. You will have a crowd near gametime.
Matchbox - Near Zengo (read long walk, but near the metro) has very good Pizza (for DC). You'll need a reservation.
Rosa Mexicana - Decent Mexican. Reservations needed on game night.
Oyamel - Better Mexican. Owned by Jaleo guy. Trendy, so get a res. Closer than most of these places to the A&S.
RFD - has a bunch of good beers and also good food. On 7th but north of the Verizon center. Near the metro though.
Hooters - :)

rfd oyamel and rosa mexicana are the ones that caught my eye from boocho's list ;)

[QUOTE=GrizShel;8801591]Wow Who is going to cross the Pond, the Lake, or the Gulf to join us? :D

QUOTE]

Does the Potomac count? :p

Normal flight path TPA-IND is over a little of the gulf, just not as much as to IAH, MSP, or MEM.

We already got a recommendation for them for drinks and prices, how's the food there?

Bar food. OK, not as good as the places in chinatown, but without the crowds too.

Stolen from some website, "Located near Union Station, this pub is popular with office workers and Hill residents. An easygoing atmosphere prevails. The bartenders are friendly and chatty with regulars and newcomers. A juke box is going most of the time and there is an area to shoot darts. The usual pub fare of burgers, salads and pasta is enhanced by a nice list of grilled sandwiches and more elaborate entrees such as stuffed flounder."

Yes, I am connecting in EWR early Saturday morning. SFO-EWR gets in around 6:30a, I plan on going to the PC and taking a shower, and then catching the 9a flight to DCA. I'm up for pre-gaming the mini-do ;)

As far as places to eat in the DC metro area, let us not forget about all the wonderful restaurants up by Dupont Circle. The area near MCI Arena is going to be a mess, but up by Dupont there's a ton of good places (and it's only ~10m metro ride from Air & Space). Don't be too hung up about being on the mall - the mall area is mostly dead at night. Take metro out a few stops. For those with bad feet, you can sit down on Metro & enjoy the ride (10-15min), and get to great food.

The Brickskeller @ 1523 22nd St. NW - inexpensive (burgers, pasta, sandwiches), great for large groups, and over 500 beers. Yum. About 2-3 blocks from Dupont Circle metro.

Also good food would be Lebanese Taverna, if people are up for middle eastern food. (And, as a huge plus, it's literally right across the street from the Woodley Park / Zoo / Adams Morgan metro station). Also capable of seating a large group, open atmosphere.

Good suggestions ifette! I kinda like the option of a traditional pub like the Brickskeller, and you are right, we can take the metro to such a place rather easily, so it is a viable option. However, although I've heard good reviews of Brickskeller, when I try to go to their website, it seems they have lost control of their domain! :( :confused: Has something happened - did they shut down recently??

It's going to be hard to get a reservation lined up for our size group from what I have encountered so far, but we'll do our best.

A great post EB! Very useful info on our options. I'll add that RFD (Regional Food and Drink Washington) in addition to the wide beer selection for food has burgers, specialty pizzas - typical pub fare, nothing fancy, but it is well-priced for what you get. Good location just north of Gallery Place, don't know how packed it would be before the hockey game.
http://lovethebeer.com/rfd-menu.html

Rosa Mexicana did not have any reservations available before 8:30 PM, so I passed for now on it.
I like the choice of a place like Clyde's of Gallery Place (as you do) for a group like this because it has good spirits & good food at a variety of price points (because it is always a case with this kind of even that one's choice of venue is too cheap and/or low brow for some and too expensive and high brow for others). It has online reservatons available at 5 PM or 7:30 PM and later - think we are seeing the impact of the game. I'd need to call to see if they can accomodate our large group at 5 PM.

Oyamel is conveniently located, has good reviews and at a nice intermediate price point:
http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=10666
Strangely, they don't seem to have a menu on their website.
I think this review is from a visit to another location but the review of the food should apply:
http://www.washingtonian.com/article...ants/1598.html

Here's a review of My Brothers Place:
http://search.cityguide.aol.com/wash...ce/v-102175481
However, their website also appears to be down? What gives? :confused:

Oh, and finally - if you have any strong objections to any of our possible choices, now is the time to speak up. It's going to be a struggle to be able to make reservations so can't guarantee we'll make everyone happy in our choice of venue, but I'll give it a shot at least.

I'll call a few places starting today, and may just grab any place that says they can accomodate a group of 20.