Expanding Your H Street Options

By now, everyone knows about the cluster of bars, restaurants and cultural centers along H Street NE, which has grown by leaps and bounds in the past two years. The first wave of trendy establishments, which included the Rock and Roll Hotel, the Palace of Wonders and the H Street Martini Lounge, has settled in nicely, providing an alternative to the Adams Morgan, Georgetown and Dupont Circle strips.

But if you haven't made it back lately, or you're in an H Street rut (Granville Moore's/Hotel/Argonaut again?), then you may not have noticed that a couple of new places are adding live blues, soul food and imported wines to the neighborhood mix.

Pap & Petey's

421 H St. NE; 202-546-5299

Best for: Kicking back with neighbors while listing to jazz and blues.

Owner Duke Cross named Pap & Petey's in honor of his great-grandfather Pap and Pap's friend Petey, both of whom played the blues. They'd probably be pretty happy with Cross's friendly neighborhood bar, which offers live music three nights a week.

On Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, jazz and blues performers take to a low platform at one end of the airy room.

Framed black-and-white photos and paintings of jazz greats line the walls, surrounding the huge picture windows that offer glimpses of H Street life. No matter what night you stop in, the bartenders greet you with a smile. Within 15 minutes after you settle down at the bar, they'll have introduced themselves, gotten your name and introduced you to their friends, who are also sitting at the bar. You'll be asked if you live nearby, and even if you don't, you'll be treated like a regular. Beers go for $3.50 to $5, and nightly specials include a tropical blend of coconut rum and fruit juices.

It's a shame the clientele is a little thin. It certainly has potential, from the barbecue sausages down to the inexpensive hot dog platter. By virtue of being at Fifth and H instead of 15th and H, it doesn't get the foot traffic it might otherwise.

Langston Bar & Grille

1831 Benning Rd. NE; 202-397-3637

Best for: Watching football, having a drink and digging into a hearty plate of soul food.

On Monday nights, Langston Bar & Grille is lively to the point of chaos. Competing for your attention are TVs tuned to football games and insistent funky house and breakbeats pouring from the stereo. At one end of the bar, guys in T-shirts and ball caps are debating the Redskins' season, and at the other, the bartenders are in a good-natured argument about the Dallas Cowboys, joshing customers with whom they're on a first-name basis, all the while keeping cocktail glasses full and delivering plates of mouthwatering fried chicken and collard greens. It's the kind of place that just sucks you in.

While this block of Benning Road seems a little derelict thanks to ongoing road work outside the front door, Langston's interior, decorated in reds and stained wood, is warm and inviting -- the low yellow lights provide a soft glow over the patrons and the modern paintings.