Cost - $$

Service - A-
I have always found the service to be pretty good at Sake Club. The hostess is always courteous and friendly and the wait staff are quite good as well.

Food - B+
I have heard some mixed things about Sake Club but I’ve always really enjoyed the sushi when I’ve eaten there and I’m pretty picky when it comes to sushi. There aren’t a lot of places in DC that strike me as having fundamentally superior sushi. Maybe Sushi-Ko.

Decor - A-
There is a lot to like about the decor in Sake Club. The lighting is quite good as is the general decor of the place. Even the small details that only matter to a small percentage of people - the tabletop fixtures, dining ware, etc. - are cared for. The only criticism I would have on the place is that the sense of privacy isn’t always there. Sometimes you feel like your neighbors can hear every single bit of your conversation and vice-versa.

Feel - B
I like Sake Club, so I can’t quite understand why it isn’t more popular amongst DC’s younger denizens. I get the feeling that it is mostly inhabited by the Woodley Park / upper Dupont Circle middle-aged crowd.

Cost - $$$

Service - A -
The service is top-notch. The bartender at the downstairs bar is a gem and the wait staff are attentive and sharp.

Food- A
New Heights boasts John Wabeck, one of the top chefs in the DC-area who finds a way of bringing a special twist to many of the dishes on the menu. The food is simply mouth-watering and you get what you pay for.

Decor - B
New Heights has a comfortable, mature decor. There is an understated dignity about the place that is evident in the way it is furnished.

Feel - A
Within minutes of entering you can clearly see why this place has existed as long as it has, and developed the following it has. Amarjeet (Umbi) Singh, the owner of New Heights, is clearly interested in creating great experiences for his customers and it comes through when you visit the restaurant. For a romantic dinner or just a weekday evening drink, New Heights is simply a great spot.

What’s the Buzz:

May 9, 2008 - In Northwest, a True Gin Joint (Washington Post) - From the martini to the gimlet to the Singapore Sling, gin has been a major player in the history of the cocktail. Yet gin remains a second-class citizen in most bars, especially when compared with the explosive growth of flavored vodka and high-end bourbon. Full Article…

August 26, 2007 - The Chef is In (Washington Post) - New Heights Has a Pulse Again. After several years of lying so low a diner could be forgiven for having thought it had shuttered, the contemporary American restaurant launched in 1986 — and the stage for a procession of talented cooks — is back on track. John Wabeck, late of Firefly, is the guy responsible for reviving the comatose kitchen. Full Article…

July 3, 2007 - Johnny’s Baaaack and Taking Things to New Heights (DCist) - I was a bit uncertain as I walked down Calvert St. toward Open City. I was looking for New Heights, and what I saw was a slightly shabby awning on a narrow storefront. This, I thought, is nothing like Firefly. But I’d been tipped off. I was there to see a man named John Wabeck about some soft shell crabs. A few months ago, Wabeck left the kitchen at Firefly to escape conference calls and focus on the food. Clearly he saved up some of his creativity and put it into the menu at his old kitchen at New Heights, where he used to work. Full Article…