We initially heard from Tuscana back in the Fall when they were launching but never made it over so a couple of weeks back we heard that a local promoter and friend was having a birthday party at the venue so we decided to check it out.

Cost - $$

Service – A-
Straight into the club and then a drink within 5 minutes of waiting at the bar. A good first way to get a positive impression kicked-off.

Food – ?

Design – B+
Tuscana is a pretty large space that has a solid aesthetic throughout.  I wouldn’t say it is quite top-tier but certainly not far behind.

Feel – C+
The issue I have with larger spaces like Tuscana is that there is no rhyme or reason to the crowd.  When you have a large space you have to fill it up and what ends up happening is you get a really disjointed crowd that doesn’t have a clear identity.  There may be a strong South Asian contingent (from what I hear) in the venue but on the night we visited it was a completely mixed bag.  That may be good for some but it’s not really my cup of tea.  That being said the place was completely packed and it seemed like everyone was having a great time.

Tuscana Lounge is located at 1350 Eye Street, NW.

Cost – $$$

Service – B
The bartenders at Lima are incredibly cool and friendly.  They do a great job making sure everyone is served promptly and punctually.  There are also several cuties standing back and that’s always nice.  The security used to be one of the strengths of Lima.  They were pretty laid-back and friendly.  The last two times I’ve visited however, I have had some run-ins with them.  In conversations with the club’s ownership however, I’ve been assured that these situations are the exception and it is their goal to make sure that everyone feels “welcomed and respected.”

Food – B+
According to Cuban-born, French-trained chef Raynold Mendizabel-Betancourt, “The idea is to get Latin American flavors into everything,” which is pretty evident from a quick glance at the menu. Their ceviche is probably the best in the city.

Decor – A
Lima has a great feel to it. A collaboration of architects Ali Honarkar and Mustafa Ali Nouri of Division One Architects, and graphic designer Paul Miller, has produced one of the best interiors in all of DC. They have managed to create a sense of openness that pervades the upstairs bar/restaurant area and the downstairs lounge. The only gripe I have is that the bathrooms are also part of this them of openness and I don’t like to embarrass others when using the urinal.

Feel – B+
Lima has built a great following in the past several years and become a staple in the DC nightlife scene.  You would be hard pressed to find a venue in DC that draws the same crowd and Lima is a surefire bet for a good night.

Lima is located at 1401 K Street, Northwest.  They can be reached at (202) 789-2800.

What’s the Buzz:

August 8, 2007 – Lima (Chowhound) – went to Lima with a group of 7 people and had an overall pleasant and fun experience, with a couple exceptions. Started off with bread and lime butter. The butter was very tasty and the bread was good/fresh but had a pretty crusty shell which made it hard to eat. Full Article…

Lima Nightclub (DC Bachelor) – In a quest to find a suitable DC hangout, I am willing to try anywhere once. This Saturday it was Lima, a restaurant/lounge/night club that opened last month. At first I thought the name referred to the capital of Peru, but a friendly hostess told me it actually means lime. Full Article…

Last night I headed over to Mio for a gathering that honored the 75th anniversary of the end of prohibition. They extended their happy hour special throughout the night (my stomach just turned over from the memory of the two bourbon drinks I had) and also offered a variety of special dishes that I’ll talk about in a little bit.

Cost – $$$

Service – B+
I didn’t get to experience the wait staff but Sietsema vouches for it: “Downtown Washington’s restaurants are stocked with pretty hostesses and servers who can efficiently transport food from Point A to Point B. Maybe that’s why I like the staff at Mio so much: They do more than just go through the motions.”

Food – A
The executive chef Nicholas Stefanelli, formerly of Maestro. He put together a special bar menu for the evening that included homemade hot dogs topped with Mac ‘n’ Cheese and French Fries with cheese curds and gravy. I really have to try dinner there before rating this place honestly but any top-tier restaurant that served hot dogs earns points in my book.

Decor – B+
I’m still trying to track down who the designer was but they managed to create a well conceived space that has a very warm, comfortable feel.

Feel – A-
I had a blast last night. I think some of this may have had to do with the promoters and associated crowd that was there for the event but I did add Mio to my K Street short list. It would be a fantastic place for a date or to have a few drinks before hitting some of the clubs down along K Street.

Mio is located at 1110 Vermont Ave. They can be reached at (202) 955-0075.

The Park at Fourteenth is a relatively new venue located (surprise) down on 14th between I and K across from Franklin Square. Josephine’s and the Park at Fourteenth popped about the same time and although they both want to be the new hot club in DC they are taking very different tacts to get there. While Josephine’s attempts to create more of an air of exclusivity, the Park at Fourteenth definitely has a wider door policy. Consequently you might get more meat and chicken heads (does anyone use this term any longer) but at the same time you also engender more good will.

Cost – $$

Service – B+
I’ve never seen a place that creates more controversy because of its door policy than Josephine’s. Many of the people I’ve talked to bring up the Park at Fourteenth as an antithetical representation of what a club should do at the door – which is let people in. Now I’m not going to debate the relative merit of an open versus closed door approach but I’ll just say that personally I have tended to have an easier time at the door at the Park. The service inside the club is also pretty good.

Food – ?

Decor – C
This is where the Park at Fourteenth falls short. In my opinion, there wasn’t much thought put into the general decor of the place. There is nothing in the general decor of the venue that would suggest it was any different than any other cheesy waterfront club like Love.

Feel – C-
As much as I’d like to put this place up on a pedestal I simply don’t get it. I think the main reason people are getting behind this place is because it is new and they let people in. My two cents is that it is a little tacky. I honestly felt like it had a mega-club feel in an area of DC (K Street) that is a little more sophisticated. Think of the venue as MCCXXIII except in a different part of town.

The Park at Fourteenth is located at 920 14th St NW.

What’s the Buzz:

March 12, 2008 – Review: The Park at Fourteenth (Ginger) – Two thumbs DOWN. I should probably elaborate, even though I don’t really feel like it and just want you to take my word for it. But anyway, here goes…Full article…

December 4, 2007 – The Park at Fourteenth (DCfabulous) – Everyone knows a Saturday night doesn’t end at dinner, so after cocktails at Westend Bistro and rounds of champagne at Hudson, my group of ladies headed to the newly opened Park on Fourteenth. Arriving around 11pm, there was a huge crowd of people standing outside the bar trying to find a way in, but being in a small groups of girls must be the golden ticket because the velvet rope was immediately moved aside for us. Full Article…

Geisha Lounge is a sushi bar and lounge located in the lower level of an office building very close to the White House. By day and early evening, Geisha Lounge is a hipper than average restaurant but on certain nights, it plays host to various crowds ranging from Latin to Hip Hop depending on the day of the week. From time to time, I think they have naked sushi parties where one can eat sushi off of nude models.

Cost – $$

Service – B
The times I have been there, both as a restaurant and club, it hasn’t been too crowded so the service was good.

Food – B-
The sushi was average compared to other DC establishments but some of the other offerings on the menu were pretty good. I think part of my favorable disposition is due to the fact that I live close to here and appreciate being able to get udon and katsu within walking distance.

Decor – B
Geisha lounge is trendy and stylish and I liked the abundant use of red in the decor. I especially like the mural on the lighted wall in the dining room and the atypical Japanese art.

Feel – B-
Last time there, it was a Friday night and I felt like I was at an underground hip hop club in LA or NY. The breakdancers and b-boys were doing their thing in the middle of the dance floor and the other patrons were on the fringes watching and moving to the music. I never would have expected to find such a scene in the middle of downtown DC which was kind of cool. On the restaurant side, the dim lighting and private booths make for an intimate setting. The crowd has been light the times I have been but with a full restaurant, I can imagine this place being pretty cool.

Geisha Lounge is at 727 15th St, NW Washington DC 20005. They can be reached at (202) 347-3887.

Cost – $$$

Service – B+
The door policy at Josephine has been something of a debated topic (see the conversation below).  They definitely have a more exclusive door policy than most other clubs in the area and this rubs some people the wrong way.  The filter does result in a pretty good crowd once you do get in.  Once you are in the staff couldn’t be friendlier and it certainly doesn’t hurt that every single waitress in the venue is a hottie and Jill, the beautiful blonde who is often at the front door, is one of the stars in the DC nightlife industry.

Decor – A-
The interior of Josephine is pretty cool. I heard some people refer to it as ‘bland’ but I sort of like it. Fritz Hahn from the Washington Post refers to it as “retro-chic French” and I believe that is fairly accurate. The space is actually fairly substantial and accommodates several different areas with different feels.

Feel – A
Josephine has managed to bring something completely new to the DC area and I commend them for that. I know that many people have a problem with their door policy but they should ante up with their friends and buy a table or find some other way to get on the list. Exclusivity equals a hotter crowd. If you want a laid-back experience with no guff at the door then go to Marvin or Eighteenth Street Lounge. If you want hot girls, expensive drinks and a sexy ambiance – then figure out how to get into Josephine.

Tattoo Bar is located in the continually emerging K-street corridor at 1413 K Street. Tattoo is a Michael Romo venue (Fur, Lotus, Play) and was designed by Michael Francis of Queue Design. The venue’s mission is “focused on bringing the love of rock ‘n’ roll back to the DC nightlife scene.” We visited the place about a week after it was launched and weren’t blown away but returned this past weekend (May 9, 2008) and were greeted by Scott Eustace (the General Manager) with open arms and had a simply amazing time.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
The people working the door were quite friendly and although the bar was packed, we managed to get served almost immediately. Scott has done a terrific job assembling a helpful, friendly staff (yes, they have hot bartenders) – which is a bit of an anomaly in the DC club scene – particularly in the K Street area.

Food – N/A

Decor – A
The Web site provides a good indication of the general decor of the place. Michael Francis from Queue Design has found a way to make Rock-and-Roll sexy and contemporary. With a slick, black interior, a 90-inch plasma and numerous high-dev TV’ scattered throughout (playing music videos), the interior presents an electric, energetic feel that exudes throughout its patrons.

Feel – A-
The first time we visited it was full of University kids and while that’s fine, it is not really what I’m personally looking for. This most recent time, the crowd had changed completely and was a far more mature, stylish group. It sort of reminded me a little bit of a Scottsdale crowd. On the way in, Scott mentioned that the ratio was “70% women” and he actually wasn’t that far off. I have to hand it to the management and ownership at Tattoo, they have created a great venue that should be a hot-spot for years to come.