Clubs that close for parties, music in Clarendon and fun things to do in Baltimore

As for restaurants, if you are looking for a quick bite, there are plenty of options in the Inner Harbor. If you are looking for something a bit more upscale, I suggest B&O American Brasserie.

Clarendon bar crawl

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My younger sister will be in town for her 28th birthday next week. We will be having a family dinner in Arlington early on Friday evening, and I’m planning to take her out afterward. The problem here is that I haven’t been out in that area in approximately three years, since I had a kid and moved to Springfield, where the most happening place is Chili’s. Where can we go to have drinks and fun after dinner? We’ll be in the Clarendon/Court House area, and need to stay reasonably Metro-accessible. Neither of us is much of a dancer, but we like an energetic atmosphere — just not so “energetic” that we can’t still have something of a conversation. We like music — live music, open mike or even just a reliably decent playlist will do. I know finding a not-too-young crowd in that area can be a challenge, but I’d rather not have to deal with too much childish behavior since I’m getting a rare night away from my 2-year-old! We’re not planning to stay in one place all night, but we’re both go-with-the-flow people, so if we don’t at least have a place to start we may just end up standing in the street staring at each other all night. Thanks for your help, Gurus!

Hahn: This could be a great excuse for a sisters-only bar crawl: a glass of wine at Screwtop, great cocktails down the block at the lively bar at Green Pig Bistro, then over to Eventide Restaurant’s first-floor Odd Bar, which skews older than Spider Kelly’s or Clarendon Ballroom, but still has a good vibe and a disc jockey spinning retro tunes.

If you’d rather have live music, I’d head to the revamped O’Sullivan’s. It has basically tripled in size, with a new “whiskey bar” and expanded dining room while keeping the pub feel. They’ve usually got Irish music or a guitar-toting singer-songwriter type on Saturday nights.

Italian in Northern Va.

Any ideas for a good, not-too-expensive Italian restaurant in Northern Virginia?

Maura Judkis: A few! How about: Faccia Luna, Pizzeria Orso, Pupatella, Ruffino’s Spaghetti House or Dolce Vita.

Family dinner

Hi, Gurus! I will have family in town in a couple of weeks, and we are looking for a place for dinner for about 18 people, including a couple little ones under the age of 8. We will all be attending a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery on a Friday afternoon. Is there anywhere out that way, or should we trek back to downtown Bethesda (where everyone will be coming from) for dinner? (Side note: Should we Metro or drive to the cemetery?) We will definitely want a place that takes reservations for such a large party and nothing too expensive or exotic in terms of food. Thanks!

Lavanya Ramanathan: Since the funeral is in the afternoon, you have young ones, and it will likely be early evening by the time your services are complete, I’d consider staying in Arlington. Ruffino’s Spaghetti House, mentioned by Maura, is an option; I would check with EatBar, which offers sliders and other fare a big family with diverse tastes might enjoy. You could call Ireland’s Four Courts, which has a private room and serves Irish pub food. In Crystal City, there’s Ted’s Montana Grill, which would be big enough for your group, as well as a Morton’s: The Steakhouse. (Not sure about your budget.) If you do decide to head back to Bethesda, I would make a reservation at Maggiano’s, which is great for big groups, thanks to family-style service. As for driving or taking the Metro, the cemetery provides some detail on this, asking that those attending services drive, because you’ll have to drive “to the grave site or the Columbarium for the services” (find this in their FAQ under “What is needed on the day of the service?”). So sorry for your loss.

Have questions of your own? The Going Out Gurus will be online at 1 p.m. Thursday. Submit questions in advance at goingoutguide.com.