Recess: The Underground Playground

Last night was filled with laughs, dancing, and of course chemical indulgence. I stopped in at a place I hadn't been in for sometime, Recess Lounge on 15th St NW. A small, stylish, lounge with great DJ's and a pair of some of the busiest bartenders I have ever seen. Kyle mixed up all kinds of libations I hadn't even heard of. He was fast, efficient, and didn't water down any drinks. It was obvious he prided himself on putting the right amounts of the right ingredients in front of the right customers.

Adherence to the stylish dress codes will give way to your descent into Recess' subterranean lounge without hinting at what you're in for. The glass doors open up to a small intimate venue that boasts hardwood floors, softly lit rail walls, and laser lighting. Low slung tables and contemporary leather sofas line the walls and centrally place the DJ booth at the back of the venue giving music the focus of this establishment. Depending on the night, spinsters put on hip-hop, pop, R&B, reggae,  and electronica. The DJ even played a bit of Brazilian Lounge Music. The atmosphere is personal and intimate even though it can get insanely busy so ladies should definitely wear their dancing shoes. By the end of the night there were definitely a few slender beauties packed around tables and bleeding out into the dance floor smiling and a tipping a bit as they danced through the night. 

The crowd is usually a 21-35yr old mix of urban professionals, international collegiate graduate and under graduate students, and young quirky hipsters who are really into haute couture trends. Recess' staff and management are innovative and welcoming and remind me of those you'd find at neighborhood bars in Rome or Moscow where the venues are ultra hip but still down to earth. Throughout the night, Sayo, one of the managers walked up to random people including myself and talked about the venue, asked what I liked and didn't like, and gave me a couple pointers on best nights to drop by and he didn't even know I'd be writing this article. I'm told they almost immediately recognize their regulars and treat them well for their frequent patronage.

As far as the venue itself, it's strength is also it's weakness. Since Recess is a small place, it can get really wild, and really packed, really fast. The bathrooms are small, clean, and well attended but can be hard to get through at the back of the lounge when it gets super busy.

All in all, Recess Lounge was it was a great experience and I will definitely be a regular here.

Insider tips: 

• Depending on what time you arrive, there will be a cover charge but you can also go their website, and add yourself to the guest list for free entry before 11p when available.
• It gets really packed with a 21-30yr old crowd on Tuesday night. 
• Follow on Twitter for insiders on when they have Open Bar events

Crepeaway=>Madhatter's=>Cafe Citron

This blog is usually about Columbia Heights but it just so happens I spent most of my yesterday outside my neighborhood so you'll have to bear with me...

Yesterday was a pretty interesting day. It started off with a trip to the Sprint store to pick up my Samsung Galaxy SII. Whitney was kind enough to repair it for me after an antennae malfunctioned (she is the best damn phone tech I've ever seen, by the way). While she was repairing my phone I stopped next door at Crepeaway, checked out their menu, and had an Obama Crepe for lunch. It was pretty good.

After that I headed to Chinatown to see The Avengers movie with a friend. It was two and a half hours of fantastic! It was over just in time to run over to Madhatter's  in Dupont Circle to catch the end of game six of the Miami/Boston playoff series. One of the best kept known secrets of DC is Madhatter's has $1 dollar Bud Light, and $5 Maker's Mark every Thursday night, all night. Eric, one of the best bartenders in town can make any drink known to mankind and never screws up my bill. I took my time with the bourbon so I could watch the Heat win 98-79 to tie up the series (3-3). Game 7 is sure to be a battle on the hardwood down in Miami this weekend so I'll probably drop into Lou's for that. Once the game wrapped up the DJ played Top 40 and some custom spins while ultra-tipsy, scantily-clad 20 somethings tried to dance well after midnight.

I left Madhatter's around around 12.30 am and on my way up the street, a gorgeous group of Latina's invited me into Cafe Citron for a margarita and some dancing. They bought me a couple of margarita's in exchange for a few rounds of salsa and merengue. Shirley was the bartender of choice at Citron and her Margarita's were strong and sour. I'd love to write more about rest of the night but I don't remember much of it, only that I had a great time.

I love Thursday nights in this town!