As Georgetown students, we all know how to multitask. Whether we use Palm Pilots or Post-Its, read history reading in theology or talk to our parents as we walk to a party on O Street, doing just one thing at once is never enough. Most of us have even ventured into the world of multitasking while eating and drinking, planning group meetings at Darnall or breakup conversations over coffee.
But at these three restaurants, the multitasking dining experience is brought to a new, highly professional level. Browse a bookstore while waiting for a table, listen to Brazilian jazz while sampling Mediterranean delicacies, or (if you can keep your food in your mouth) laugh at world-class comics while munching on bar fare. Either way, you get what you pay for.
Sitting at the inner dining area at U-Topia, one of the bars at the forefront of the recent U Street renaissance, is inevitably overwhelming. Small and intimate, the restaurant boasts art-laden walls and nightly live jazz and blues. A back room houses monthly art exhibits, and the front bar features a stocked and affordable drink menu. With an eclectic and delicious menu ranging from couscous to jambalaya, U-Topia remains a standout on U Street for eating, drinking, listening to music and looking at art.
Kerouac and cappuccino certainly go hand in hand, but linguini and Fitzgerald? At Kramerbooks and Afterwords Caf? & Grill, it’s a perfect match. The bookstore, which is the reason why Afterwords can stay open so very late each night of the week, is filled to the seams with classics new and old. Entrees range from chic pomegranate chicken to comforting mashed potatoes (averaging $8 to $15 an entr?e). Add a wine list, great mixed drinks, and the best cheesecake in Dupont, and it becomes the perfect date spot for the hungry intellectual.
Other than Dubya’s office, The Improv is the most comical place in town. Tickets at this comedy club stuck incongruously among steel-and-glass offices usually run between $10 and $25, and the upside to eating at the club is most applicable to the underage crowd In addition to the cover, there is a two-item minimum-and when imbibing alcohol isn’t an option, eating is a good consolation. Doors open at 7, the show begins at 8 or 8:30, and food and drink are served throughout. Cuisine may not be epicurean, but every calorie consumed is later burned by laughter.
You probably have a bagel in front of you right now while talking to a friend and reading this article. Take your multitasking to the streets, junior, you’re ready for the big leagues.
Afterwords Caf? is located at 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW, U-Topia is located at 1418 U St. NW, and The Improv is located at 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW.
