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JAMES M. THRESHER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Clockwise, from left: Patrons raise their glasses at Biergarten Haus, where a dozen German beers are on tap; the vegetarian sampler atop injera at Ethiopic; Liberty Tree offers a variety of New England menu staples, such as lobster rolls, as well as brick-oven pizzas; Sticky Rice bartender Casey Dalton, left, talks to patrons. The restaurant, which specializes in sushi, also hosts DJs and speed bingo nights.
MICHAEL S. WILLIAMSON/THE WASHINGTON POST
1. Ethiopic 401 H St. NE. 202-675-2066.
www.ethiopicrestaurant.com.
This sleek Ethiopian restau-
rant is one of the trailblazers on the less-bustling Union Station end of the H Street strip. Ex- posed brick, a smiling wait staff, alcove seating and an uncrowd- ed, unfussy setup add to the ap- peal of the locale owned by Mese- ret Bekele and her husband, Samuel Ergete, who pride them- selves on serving authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Things get spicy quickly with an offering atypical of an Ethiopian restau- rant: a basket of bread, which is served with red-flecked, berbere- laced olive oil. The menu offers all the standbys, from the tradi- tionally raw beef dish kitfo to vegetarian selections, including the curried potatoes of dinich wot. In some cases, the restau- rant really knocks the simple of- ferings out of the park, such as with fosolia, a deliciously sea- soned mix of the most basic of foods: carrots and green beans.
2. Studio H 408 H St. NE. 202-468-5277.
www.studiohdc.com.
With an ever-expanding selec- tion of galleries in the area, H Street is becoming the place to
check out new art. Phil Hutinet has added two stops to the mix, City Gallery in the 800 block and Studio H, a second-floor studio- turned-gallery exhibiting a di- verse mix of local talent. Recent solo exhibitions at the Studio H space, which opened in October, have included photos and instal- lations by graffiti artist Tim Con- lon and marionette-inspired pieces by painter Ellen Cornett. Next up: the compelling, if dark, work of painter Camille Schefter.
3. Toyland 421 H St. NE. 202-450-4075.
www.toylanddc.com.
Toyland sits on the less-buzzy end of H Street, but this bright, attractive neighborhood bar — decorated in a jet-age ’60s style, with an ice-blue counter and sparkly silver stools — is worth walking a few blocks for. True to the name, stacks of games sit on the bar: Monopoly, Connect Four, Uno, Jenga, even Operation. Just watch out — even if you have din- ner reservations somewhere nearby, it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re playing a com- petitive game of Fact or Crap and Boggle is within arm’s reach. But wait, there’s more: ’80s movie nights. (A recent trio was “Fame,” “Flashdance” and “Footloose.”) The cocktail list rewards ex-
ploration. The Urban Bourbon Sidecar, which pairs sweet Bul- leit bourbon with honey-agave water and lemon juice, is a smart twist on a classic refresher, while the gingery Long Tall Suzie gets a kick from gin, Pimm’s and bit- ters. The draft beer selection is slim, but with Flying Dog and Bear Republic among the bottle choices, you won’t notice. With the right friends and a roomy window seat, it’s easy to stay all night.
4. Liberty Tree 1016 H St. NE. 202-396-8733.
www.libertytreedc.com
Fans of New England seafood will love this one-room restau- rant and bar, run by Graig Glu- fling, the original chef at Match- box, and Massachusetts native Scott Hamilton, who owns Ham- ilton’s bar on the Hill. Need a fresh lobster roll on a toasted bun with mayo and celery? You’re covered. Lobster and scal- lop pot pie? Yep. Roasted cod? Sure, and you can get cod bread- ed on a sandwich, too. Wash any of that down with a beer from Shipyard, Whale’s Tale or Sam Adams, and it’s as if you’re on va- cation. But the Liberty Tree goes beyond food tourism. Glufling is rightly known for his pizzas, and the brick-oven pies don’t dis- appoint, whether it’s the Cape
Cod Casino, with clams, bacon, garlic and herb butter, or the apt- ly named Meat, topped by pep- peroni, prosciutto and linguica. Our favorite seating option isn’t beneath the dining room’s an- tique prints or framed copy of the Declaration of Independ- ence, or even at the eight-seat bar: It’s on the alley-width patio. If you need a bite before bar- hopping, take note that the res- taurant serves its full menu until 10 p.m. and then offers pizzas un- til last call at 11.
5. Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden
Dollar 1104 H St. NE. No phone.
www.littlemisswhiskeys.com.
It hasn’t taken long for Little
Miss Whiskey’s to become a sta- ple of the H Street scene. Its lush, New Orleans-meets-gilded-bor- dello decor in the dimly lit main bar reinforces the “you’re not in Washington anymore” vibe, which only grows when you step onto the small backyard patio to be greeted by flowering plants, a burbling fountain and wrought- iron lamps and benches. Up- stairs, a variety of DJs spin music for dancing — could be yacht rock, dubstep, electro or alterna- tive ’80s depending on the night. Every other Wednesday, it’s time
to play dress-up at Kostume Karaoke. (Any costume will do!) The beer selection runs the gam- ut from ironic lowbrow (Mickey’s Fine Malt Liquor, Stroh’s) to im- pressive microbrews by Stone, Avery, Founders and Bell’s. With no cover, no dress code, plenty of attitude and a crowd that in- cludes architects, off-duty bar- tenders, bike messengers and roving DJs, Little Miss Whiskey’s is hip — and a hit — all around.
6. Sticky Rice 1224 H St. NE. 202-397-7655.
www.stickyricedc.com.
If you labeled Sticky Rice a mere sushi restaurant, you would be missing a big part of the funky locale’s lively person- ality. Yes, it serves an intriguing mix of inventive rolls, such as the spicy shrimp, avocado and cream cheese Godzirra roll and the tem- pura fried sweet potato South Roll. (Bonus: This is a great place for vegetarians.) But Sticky Rice also excels at entertaining its pa- trons, whether that means show- ing retro music videos to the din- ner crowd, hosting karaoke on Tuesdays or offering rounds of speed bingo on Thursdays. But on Friday and Saturday nights, the party really gets started with DJs and large crowds looking to boogie. Another big draw? Two words: tater tots.
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010
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