Got Plans?

Every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET, washingtonpost.com's Going Out Guide experts share their best bets for local flavor, great dates and family fun. Got plans? Great. Need plans? Just ask. We have the skinny on the bars and clubs, concerts, kitchens, theaters and special events that keep life interesting. We're going out gurus, and we're at your service.

Of course, we're happy to answer questions about local entertainment, but we need to hear from you, too. Introduce us to the coolest DJ or the fastest bartender you've encountered. Sound off on the week's best concert or the city's best burger. Tell us about the best place to amuse little kids or a big art fan. Together we can plan fun ways to spend weekdays, weekends, dates and holidays. The pleasure is ours, and yours.

Each week a different guru will act as host or hostess, but the entire staff is at your service. If you're looking for more ideas, see the Going Out Guide or read transcripts of past Got Plans? discussions.

The transcript follows:

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washingtonpost.com: Welcome to the discussion, boys and girls. The weekend promises to be a beautiful one, which is most welcome after the heinosity-fest that we had earlier this week. Bring on the questions; all of the usual folk -- the whole GP crew, except for an under-the-weather Malitz -- are here to help you plan your lives so you don't have to.

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U Street: I have a hard time concentrating on work and studying while I'm at home. I'm really looking for a place where I can go, like a coffee shop, cheap restaurant, etc....where I can order something and sit for a couple hours and get stuff done, preferably with free WI-FI. I'd prefer some soft music (not blasting R&B...mocha hut) in the background and a place where people around me are generally doing the same thing. Anywhere in D.C. or Rosslyn/Clarendon. Thanks.

Julia: So true about Mocha Hut!

In D.C., Sova is perfect for this. In Arlington, Murky Coffee is a good go-to.

Tryst is one of the obvious choices in the District -- and it's not a bad one. I've always had a good experience there (provided it's not a super busy weekend day). It's so sceney there, though. I feel like most of the people there are trying to look like people doing work on laptops, instead of actually working on laptops. If that makes any sense....

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Silver Spring, Md.: Hi guys - Late last year, you wrote an article about Blob's going out of business. I just heard that are actually open. What happened? Have you been lately? We're thinking of going on Saturday - any thoughts?

Fritz: One of the happiest nightlife stories (thus far) of 2009 is the reopening of Blob's Park. It closed on Jan. 1, 2008, seemingly for good, because the Eggrel family didn't want to run it any more. They were going to sell it to a developer and the whole place was going to be ruined with houses and god knows what else. Then the bottom dropped out of the real estate market, and the project has been put on hold for a few years. Max Eggrel, the brother of owner John Eggrel, has given the place a renovation, and it's now open Fri-Sun for polka, sausages and German beer.

I admit I haven't been back yet, though I'm dying to. Just need to find a designated driver, because Jessup is a loooooong way away.

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Washington, D.C.: Help! The "Mom and Dad, meet my boyfriend for the first time" dinner is going to be happening soon. I needed suggestions on dinner -- Mom is vegetarian, the rest of us eat chicken and fish. I'm looking for somewhere that has a reasonable noise level -- quiet enough to hold a conversation, but loud enough to distract ourselves if Dad asks an awkward question (so when is the engagement?) If it helps, we're all Indian-American and like ethnic food (Indonesian, Middle Eastern, Greek, Thai etc.), but please no Indian. Anywhere in the District or Arlington works great.

Thanks!

Julia: I think Me Jana in Courthouse could be a perfect fit for your crew. Elegant, but not too pricey. Happening, but not crazy loud. Good Lebanese food too.

Our resident vegetarian just had a great dinner out at Proof -- lots of salad options, a pasta, etc. It can get up there in terms of price.

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Washington, D.C.: I read on one of the posts that the next Hirshhorn after hours will be March 27. It also says on the Hirshhorn website that tickets will be on sale a month in advance. Where exactly do I buy tickets?

Stephanie: Funny you should mention After Hours tickets because I had the same question earlier this week, but on a snowy Monday morning, no one at the museum seemed to be picking up. Though the Hirshhorn site says tickets are available a month before, the After Hours page still has the November details. In any case, the Hirshhorn now says that "hopefully" the After Hours page will be updated and tickets available by tomorrow.

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Hey Fritz: I know RFD and Brickskeller, but where else in the city could I find my new favorite: Ommegang Hennepin (on tap would be an insane bonus!)

No I don't work for their distributor, I'm just a drunk with a soft spot for farmhouse ales.

Fritz: I can think of a number of places that have it in bottle, so let's stick to drink, just for the insane-bonus aspect.

51st State is generally my go-to for Hennepin on draft. Big Hunt has it, too. Saloon sometimes. I think I've seen it at Axis on U, but won't swear to that.

If you like Saisons, you should see what's on at Beck, Granville Moore or Birreria Paradiso. I know the latter is pouring the always-wonderful Saison Dupont right now. (But the funky, sour Abbey De Saint Bon Chien from Switzerland's BFM is my drink of choice there.)

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Waffle Shop: In Chinatown. Open or closed? I want to go check it out but keep hearing different things.

Julia: Open... just a few doors down. Here's the new address, phone number, etc.

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I have to disagree with your intro: Hello, Gurus.

I thought the beginning of this week was just lovely--I didn't think they had these kinds of day in Washington, D.C. where everything is lined with fluffy snow, talk about silver linings in the world of otherwise deep, dark economic times for much of the world. I thought it was so pretty, not quite Currier & Ives--but almost.

Jen: I hate frigid temperatures and snow. But that's me. I was born in August. It's not in my blood.

Glad you enjoyed it, though. The flakes falling were pretty, they just turned ugly once you had to drive or walk in them.

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Re: place to sit with a laptop: I want to comment that Busboys and Poets (U street), while it may seem like a good option for this sort of thing, is IMO not so much.

The reason is that when I go there I feel like the waitstaff is always coming around all the time and I always feel pressured to order more stuff. Also I never go there if I am not going to eat because I feel like the waitstaff gets mad if you take up space for a long time and all you've ordered is coffee.

I wonder if other people feel the same way when they go to Busboys?

Julia: I don't feel like they get mad, per se, but I generally agree with you. The place is, in my opinion, more of a coffeeshop scene than an actual coffeeshop where you can get work done. Like Tryst, in a way. I have no beef with the place; I just don't think you can really work there.

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Washington, DC: Gurus, This weekend I will be celebrating a birthday with two other girlfriends, ages 26-32. We're looking for a low-key bar that can allow for conversation and that won't be too crowded so our 20 guests can join us over the course of the night as they please, but that isn't stuffy and dull either. I've lived in DC for 7 years -- why can't I think of that perfect place that is neither pretentious nor juvenile? Neither crowded nor awkwardly quiet? Not too trendy, or too over-played. We'd rather not dance, but could enjoy other amusements such as karaoke, trivia or games. Your advice would be the best birthday present of the year!

Fritz: I think you're having trouble coming up with a perfect place because ... well, it almost doesn't exist, especially on weekends. Any place where 20 people can just show up on Saturday, with the perfect vibe, not a ghost town, not a club -- that's a really hard call. So here's what I'm going to suggest:

1. Go the lounge route. Eighteenth Street Lounge can seem overplayed, I know. But it's large enough that you can get everyone in, and once you're there, you can claim a sofa in one room, hit the jazz room upstairs for some live Afro-Latin music, hang out on the patio if the weather holds -- and it never feels like it's too huge. I never feel like ESL is overly pretentious; I get more of that vibe at Local 16, which has the same owners.

2. Go to a neighborhood spot, like Bedrock Billiards, the Argonaut, Atomic Billiards -- someplace on the local/divey end of the scale. Bedrock, for example, is never TOO slammed. They have Wii and shuffleboard and board games, a great juke and no cover. Argo is great for a leisurely night, especially if you can push some tables together. (If you're on H, you may as well consider Sova, too, since the wine bar has a fun living-room vibe.)

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Nice coffee houses to work in: Politics and Prose has a nice coffeehouse-- Modern Times, which is a good place to work all day and it's not too loud!

Rhome: More great suggestions. Another one of mine is Jolt 'N Bolt.

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Coffee shop...: For the person looking for the coffee shop in which to work/study, I have to say that Soho on P & 20th help get me though a number of Georgetown term papers. On almost any night most people there are studying, so no loud music or loud-talkers. It's open late (4 a.m. on weekends) and has a good neighborhood vibe.

Julia: I'll second Soho. I used to go their all the time in high school and you know, pretend my life was like "Friends."

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Free wi-fi: Panera generally has free wi-fi

Julia: But then you're at Panera.

Nah, I'm just kidding. The onion soup's pretty good for a big old chain.

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DC: What's the recommended dress code for a visit to a performance at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage? Would a suit be too much? Maybe khakis and a tie?

Rhome: A suit is not required but would by no means be out of place. I recommend business casual, although since it's a free daily show that aims to welcome the public, you'll find tourists dressed touristy and all kinds of attire really. I personally feel motivated to clean up for KennCen though, so the biz cazh recommendation stands.

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Falls Church, Va.: All knowing Gurus,

I am planning a wine tasting with 8 different types of wine. Which is less ghetto - using disposable cups or one piece of real glassware per person and allowing guests to rinse out their glass at each wine station? I'm on a budget here! (Any other ideas or tips you have would be much appreciated - this is my first event of this kind!)

Jen: I have grappled with this issue myself; a few years ago, I decided I was too old to keep serving wine out of red plastic cups every time I had a party. I went to Pier One and bought a box of a dozen basic wine glasses -- not top of the line, obviously, but fine for my purposes -- for somewhere between $12 and $15. So it came out to less than $2 per glass and now I am always stocked for parties.

I don't know if they still sell them at those prices, but if not, I bet you could find something similar at a place like Tuesday Morning or maybe even Target. There are ways to step up from disposable cups without having to lay out a ton of cash. That said, I also don't think the rinsing option is a bad one, and you may want to do that anyway -- at least to separate reds from whites -- so you don't spend five hours afterward doing dishes.

Sounds like a fun time. Sip something good for me!

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Petworth: Well, if you were looking for the Waffle Shop in Chinatown, I think I see your problem. Maybe a D.C. neighborhoods tour after breakfast?

Julia: Sigh, I should have been more specific. "Downtown" or "Penn Quarter" are perhaps better neighborhoods to describe the location of the 10th Street Waffle Shop.

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Really looking for a place where I can go, like a coffee shop, cheap restaurant, etc: I know the poster said D.C. or NoVa, but when I was living in Silver Spring and in grad school Mayorga on Georgia Ave. was perfect for studying and doing work, in case there is a Md./D.C. person looking for a place to go.

Julia: A little love for our Maryland readers.

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Georgetown: The weather for this weekend looks amazing. Do you have any ideas for fun outdoor dates this time of year? Saturday specifically?

Julia: Many parks and other outdoorsy spots are open year-round. I like picnics on the stretch of land near Rock Creek Parkway near the intersection of Calvert and Connecticut. We also listed a few outdoorsy ideas in our recent blog post about cheap date ideas. The Cathedral tour/walk to Surfside could work for you.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello GOGs! In my opinion, pubs are the pinnacle of perfection, and, while I love D.C., I find the city to be somewhat lacking in this regard (especially in comparison to Baltimore, Philly, Boston...) Any suggestions for good old-fashioned pubs in the city? Dubliner is the best I've found so far, and I'm not really interseted in chains (like Fado's). Thanks!

Fritz: I ran into an English friend of mine at [a bar I'm going to be writing about soon] last night and we had a very similar conversation. His take, as an Englishman who's lived in the D.C. area for years, is that the Four Courts is the most English pub in the area. Good music, good crowd, good staff, good pints. Have to agree with him on those counts. D.C.'s done a pretty decent job tearing down our old pubs and taverns over the last few decades, and the places that have survived are mostly dive bars.

Anyway, back to pubs. Um. The bar at CommonWealth wants badly to be a gastropub, but it's more "modern bar with good food" than anything else. Great beers, though not the old-fashioned wood-and-brass pub I think you're looking for. Kemble Park Tavern isn't bad, but again, more of a restaurant than a pub.

The answer, I think, is Martin's Tavern, which I could see being somewhere in London, with its odd booths and old paintings and crooked bar counter. A D.C. treasure.

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Washington, D.C.: I am delighted to find myself with Sunday free. I'd like to do something touristy--museum, monument, walking tour, etc. I've lived in DC for a while, so I have seen the basics, but can you give me a few suggestions? If you suggest a museum exhibition, I'd prefer something that's close to closing (so I don't miss it and so it is not as crowded). Strongly prefer downtown area, and must be accessible by public transportation or walking (within 4 miles of Mount Pleasant). Thanks!

Stephanie: If it's half as nice as the forecast, then I'd probably just walk around the Mall and mosey in and out of museums. As for interesting exhibits that shouldn't be too crowded, I'd hit up the Pompeii exhibit at the National Gallery, which closes this month. After that, ceramics that have been repaired with gold at Freer and paintings from the New Deal at the American Art Museum. And if you don't want to be inside too much, just grab a seat on one of the benches along the Mall and read a book. It should be perfect weather for that.

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Wine In Plastic?: Girl you best be serving some Richards or Wild Vine from that solo cup.

Go to crate n barrel and get their low end glass. Get some glass paint at the craft store and decorate each glass with the guest's name for a gift.

You won't get the nose and texture of a wine if it slides off pvc with a toilet lid size top.

Jen: You said what I said, but in a way that throws down the wine tasting hammer. Thanks for this.

C&B is an option, too, although I have found their stemware to be a little more expensive than what you might find at a Pier One-ish type place. But it can't hurt to look.

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RE: Cheap Wine Glasses: I got some at IKEA for a party that were way cheap

Jen: Ah, Ikea. Another good suggestion, if you don't mind the trek to Potomac Mills or College Park.

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Arlington, VA: One of my favorite places in the DC area is the Russia House. I love going there with friends and getting their $40 vodka sampler and letting the bartender choose from their 250 or so vodkas. I like trying and being able to talk about the really good vodkas and knowing my stuff. I'd love to be able to do this with other types of liquors too.

Are there any other bars that specialize in a particular type of liquor in town? I'd love to find a good gin bar, a good rum bar, a good tequilla bar and a good bourbon bar (maybe a good scotch bar, but I'm not sure if I'm wealthy enough for that).

Fritz: I do the exact same thing, Arlington. Was at Russia House for a birthday recently and our waitress looked puzzled when none of us wanted to repeat vodkas in the next round. (I did stick to the Baltika 7 the whole way as a chaser, though.)

Bourbon (obviously) is your next stop for a great selection of Kentucky whiskeys, and a staff that really knows its stuff, especially if Patrick or Owen are on duty. They always find a way to surprise me.

For tequila, you can go to Oyamel, though it gets pricey. The supreme tequila bar is Red Rocks, out in Centreville, and if you can bribe someone to be DD, it's well worth the trip. Over 100 selections at all price points. Completely crazy stuff. You'll never look at a bottle of Patron the same way.

The gin bar at New Heights in Woodley Park isn't the same since chef and gin-freak John Wabeck went out to be the sommelier at Inox, but they still have some gins that are worth exploring, especially if you want to play around with different tonic waters.

For rum -- I usually try new rums at cocktail bars like the Gibson or Bar Pilar, since that's where most of the boutiquey Rhum Agricoles from Martinique and other Caribbean locales show up. When Ed Hamilton, the proprietor of the excellent Ministry of Rum Web site was in town, he did a talk and tasting at Bourbon in Adams Morgan, so I might try there, too.

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Arlington, Va.: Guru's! Help! This is the 3rd time I've written in to you without an answer....I'm starting to lose faith! I know you are terribly busy, but please help me! I have my 17-year-old cousin and her friend coming to visit this weekend and I am clueless as to what to do with under-agers! I am going to take them to the museums, but wanted to take them to a fun, trendy restaurant. Any ideas? I was thinking something like Oya, but maybe with food a 17-year-old would like to eat. Please Help!!!!

Julia: Don't lose the faith!

Co Co. Sala is trendy. Call before you go about the ID situation. It gets kind of loungey after a certain hour, but I don't think they'll card your cousin. I've never been carded there, but then again, people keep telling me I look old lately (really annoying, btw).

If that doesn't work out -- Eventide, in your neck of the woods, is new and awful pretty to look at. Food's good too! Either Matchbox could work as well.

Speaking of Matchbox, in case some of you didn't see my blog post about the subject, they're slashing the prices on sliders for one day only on Friday.

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Jen - wine tasting: I should have clarified - either disposables or rent hundred of glasses (it's going to be a large party). Does that change your opinion?

Jen: Wow, you're having 100 people? That probably does change the scenario a bit.

I have no idea how much it costs to rent glasses, but is it that much cheaper than, say, $1 a glass? My guess is no, in which case the Ikea/Pier One/inexpensive store of your choice is still valid.

I don't mean this to sound flip at all, so I hope you don't take it that way. But if you can afford to serve good wine to all those people, I am thinking that $1 or $1.50 a glass probably wouldn't kill your budget, right?

That said, if you do disposable plastic wine glasses, that's better than the Solo cups. But, as previous sassy chatter noted, may detract from evaluating the nose and flavor of the wines.

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Speaking of pubs Fritz...: Since you seem to be all knowing here, I am taking a quick vacation to London next week. Have a favorite pub there? I hope to have a beer in hand by about 90 minutes after I get off the plane.

Fritz: Hopefully you have a ticket for the Heathrow Express, since there's the Mad Bishop and Bear right in Paddington Station. I usually welcome myself to London with a pint there or at the Isambard, which is right on the platform.

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Wine Glasses: The cheapest wine glasses can be found at World Market. Unfortunately I know this because I break so many, and not because I have friends over for wine tastings.

Julia: Hahaha! I have also purchased a wine glass or two at World Market. Broke one on Tuesday.

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Martin Tavern as a Pub: Good call. Bonus: Martin has a great only-in-DC history. You can sit at the booth where JFK proposed to Jackie. How fun is that?

Fritz: Well, it'd been fun if the story was true. I wrote about Martin's for Weekend a few years ago, when they were celebrating their 70th anniversary, and couldn't find confirmation of that proposal stories in any of the major Kennedy biographies. Most I read suggested that they were in England, where Jackie was photographing the Queen, when he proposed.

Not to take anything away from my favorite Georgetown bar.

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Van Ness: Hey Gurus - I'm excited about my move to NW around Van Ness. Not really as familiar as that part of CT as just a bit South closer to Cleveland Park. Are my best bests to stick to CP for Happy Hour locations (prefer laid back to "look at me"), or are there any go-to places north of the metro station in Van Ness?

Fritz: Is there even a bar in Van Ness besides the kinda sad Charlie Chiang's? I'd just stick with going to Atomic Billiards, Aroma and Cleveland Park Bar and Grill.

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Classy Glasses: Ikea sells decent stemware for a good price. I bought an 18-pack (6 red, 6 white, 6 juice-size classes) for about $10 when I had friends over for wine.

Fritz: That's what I did for my holiday party. I was making sparkling drinks, so went to Ikea and got a ton of cheap champagne glasses -- less than $5 for a pack of 6. That way, if/when when they inevitably broke, I wouldn't care.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm taking my boyfriend out for dinner at Rasika on Saturday for his birthday. The meal, however, needs to end with a decadent dessert, and I'm not sure Rasika fits the bill. I was thinking about Co Co. Sala, but I'm afraid we'd never be able to get served there at 9ish on a Saturday. Is getting in there a pipe dream? Should I make a reservation (and can I, for dessert only)? Or am I worried for nothing because Rasika's desserts will knock our socks off?

Julia: It has been a long time since I've had a Rasika dessert, I'll admit. Anyone care to chime in on them?

Guru Anne recently made a 10:30 reservation at Co Co. Sala and had hot chocolate and one of the multi-course dessert menus ($25) after dinner elsewhere in the city, so I think that's an option for you. She said the restaurant was so busy it was turning people away, so I think that might make just dropping in after dinner kind of difficult. I'd feel uncomfortable reserving a table for a $12 dessert, but if you're into doing a full dessert menu, I'd say go ahead and reserve at Co Co. Sala!

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U Street: Hi GOGs! I am going to Alice Russell's show tonight at the Bohemian Caverns/Liv. The ticket says doors open at 7. Having never been to a show there when should I arrive in time for the main show? Thanks!

Rhome: The Caverns is small and Alice is really popular. It will reach capacity quickly. I was told she'll take the stage between 8:30 and 9.

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Washington , D.C.: All of this talk about pubs is making me crave a beer. Nice work gurus!

Fritz: You and me both, my friend.

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Woodley Park: Oh I hope I make it in on time. I have had such a craving for some fish and chips - I know I can walk into most pub style bars and find them on the menu but thought I would see if you guys had any good recommendations - preferably in DC but would be willing to go on adventure!

Fritz: I like the fish and chips at Eamonn's in Old Town Alexandria, O'Faolain's in Sterling and CommonWealth in Columbia Heights.

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Washington D.C.: I'm a huge theatre buff but the recession has me spent! Where can I enjoy an entertaining FREE performance in District of Columbia? (Keep in mind I'm on the metro 95% of the time!) Thanks Going out Gurus

-- Theatre Buff

Stephanie: Sorry for the short notice, but you can see some free one act plays at Lincoln Theatre tonight. Of course, there's always Millennium Stage -- a different free performance every night.

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Stemland: Target sells a Polycarbonate Red Wine Glass for $2.99 (you can't break it)

Julia: This is important for someone like me to know. Of course, as I was saying to Jen pre-chat, I just got married. I now have like 32 wine glasses, plus my ragtag crew of pre-marital glasses. Hey, maybe I could host a portion of that chatter's tasting party!

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re: Van Bess: There's a bar in the Epicurian (like a nicer version of So-Ho) that's popular with Howard Law and UDC students.

But it's still better to go down to ClePa.

Fritz: There you have it, from someone who knows.

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Dubliner is the best I've found so far: I still go from time to time but I feel like this place has been on a steady downhill slide for years. 2 or 3 years ago there Irish manager left, he was a great guy and made the trains run on time. Now the food is not that great, they never update their website and they may have the absolute worst waitstaff in the city. The bartenders do, however, still pour a good Guiness and it does have a very "real Irish pub" feel. I live in Silver Spring now but will have to treck to VA and check out Four Courts one day.

Fritz: Closer to you, I think the Royal Mile in Wheaton has a great pub feel -- roaring fire, English beers and the largest Scotch selection in the area.

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Silver Spring, Md: Hey Gurus. I'm turning 24 this weekend, and I need some bar suggestions to drag my friends to. I like Rocketbar, RFD etc., but it's been done. I love a good dive bar. Any suggestions?

Fritz: My list of the area's best dive bars.

On a Saturday night, I'd go for Tune Inn or Raven. Lively enough for non-dive fans, and you can always crawl off to nearby bars.

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Fort Washington, MD: I love your chat! I will turn 50 on Saturday. In the middle of separating from my spouse after 17 years, so no big party planned until the divorce is final. Where should I go with three great girlfriends on Sat nite to celebrate the big 5-0? We don't look our ages and don't plan to act our ages on Saturday! Please help.

Fritz: What're you looking for? Good band? Dance club?

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Brunch in Alexandria: Hi,

I'm looking for a casual brunch in Alexandria this Sunday, any recommendations? Thanks!

Julia: Evening Star Cafe or Fontaine Caffe and Creperie (which I'll be reviewing in an upcoming Weekend section).

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Washington, D.C.: I am going to Commonwealth for dinner tonight. Any particular recommendations on what to order or what to stay away from?

Fritz: The butcher's plate is your best bet: head cheese, trotters, black pudding, streaky bacon and all that good stuff.

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Wine tasting: There's nothing wrong with having guests use the same glass for each wine. Just don't rinse with water!! Changes the flavor of the wine. In fact, if you're going from lightest wine to heaviest, you probably don't need to rinse. If you feel it necessary, though, use the cheapest and lightest of the wines to rinse.

Jen: True, thanks for this.

Still, though, if our reader is having close to 100 people, or even more than 50 (which was my impression from the follow-up), he/she still might need to acquire more glasses, even if every guest is limited to one.

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Arlington Va.: Hi gurus, I'm meeting a friend (potentially more?) for drinks in Tysons next week to catch up...what's your best suggestion for a place where we may be able to get a high-table at the bar as opposed to standing around?

Fritz: For a beer, I'd say Gordon Biersch. Yeah, it's in a mall. But the beer is good.
If you want to be classier, the new Inox has quite a bar area, or so I hear from reliable sources, and a great wine selection.

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Free theater: If the person is willing to show up early, consider volunteering as an usher. Some places even let you volunteer when you can, or you can volunteer for specific days (ie. every Friday or Tuesday or whatever). I occasionally usher at the Folger when I have the time, and you stay for the entire show.

Stephanie: More options for free theater!

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less ghetto?: What worse, wine snobs using inherently racial vernacular or the the GOG's for not calling them on it?

Jen: I hear you, but I think people throw around the term ghetto without meaning it in a racial way. At least I didn't take it that way.

Look, I'm just trying to help a reader sip some wine here. I'm not trying to inflame long-simmering racial tensions.

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Washington, D.C.: My friends and I really like PX in Old Town. We're planning on trying the Gibson next, but we also hear that there are other speakeasy/hidden bars in DC. I've only seen mention of PX and the Gibson when I look online? Do you know of any other secret bars?

Thanks, B

Fritz: Well, a REAL speakeasy isn't legal, so I couldn't steer you to any of those on the chat. But if you're talking about the places that don't advertise and are kind of hidden away ... you need to try Punch Club, which is every Thursday at the old Warehouse Theater on 7th Street. Dan Searing, who's opening Room 13 in Columbia Heights in a few month, is making classic old punches and cocktails in the theater's bar until his own place is up and running. It feels pretty underground.

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Too Close for Comfort: Break all of the glasses at the end of the night like Jim J. Bullok did when he drank champagne and threw the glass into the fireplace. Boy was Mr. Rush angry, it was crystal.

Jen: See, these are the sorts of recommendations we need. How to throw a party, '80s sitcom-style.

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less ghetto II: I understand the lack of intent, but words have meanings, even in slang...wine snob could have chosen better, you could have said something, and I could have double checked my typing.

Jen: Fair enough. Let's agree we all could have done better, go grab a wine glass for a dollar and drink our cares away.

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Metro Center: In honor of this weekend's coming warm temperatures, tell us your favorite things to do outdoors in the city.

Thanks!

Stephanie: Are you as excited as I am? I've got it all planned out: Reading a book on the Mall, wandering around Meridian Hill Park and (not IN the city, but) hiking along Billy Goat Trail or Great Falls.

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MY use of ghetto : isn't racist, it's classist.

Jen: There you go. "I don't dislike folks of color, just the poor people."

You know who embraces people of all races, creeds, colors, religion, gender, sexual orientation and income levels? Jim J. Bullock.

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Saturday Day Drinking: Oh wise Gurus, I have two buddies coming into town, both of which are huge college basketball fans. As such, I'd like to find a place (ideally with some drink specials) to watch Saturday's big Pitt vs. UCONN game...I was thinking Georgetown as I'd like to wander around in (what I hope will be) the nice weather predicted for Saturday (any places in the city with nice outdoor seating you'd recommend?). As always, you folks are life savers (the good, cherry red kind).

Fritz: I would rather go watch the game on the rooftop bar at Cleveland Park Bar and Grill. If you're in Georgetown, I'd make tracks for Rhino Bar. Lots of TVs, cheap beer, good atmosphere for college hoops.

Elsewhere, Pitt and U-Conn alumni groups both host their regular game-watching parties at Penn Quarter Sports Tavern, so that place is going to be insane.

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dive bars for Ms. 24: I completely heart two dive bars at tbe bottom of the hill on 18th in Adams Morgan - both the Blaguard and Bobby Lews are the adams morgan "everybody knows your name" type of places.

Small enough so that everyone is really friendly and its easy to strike up a convo with someone at the bar. They are the perfect type of spot to get an Adams Morgan night started and sometimes I end up staying the whole night anyway cause its so fun. No food, really, though.

Fritz: I'll agree that both places are worth visiting. Blaguard is more of a wanna-be Irish pub, while Bobby Lew's is a plain-looking dive. Great for hanging out for a few hours.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Gurus! I'm moving in April and was wondering, if money were no object, where is the most fun neighborhood to live (in your opinion) in the city?

Julia: Well, I'd vote for Mount Pleasant/Columbia Heights because I've been living there for 5 years and I love the neighborhood-y feel, being by the park, etc. But, if you're looking for "most fun" per square foot, I'd probably say U Street or Penn Quarter. More things to do in both neighborhoods. Both suffer from a grocery-store shortage, but hey, you make do.

Stephanie: I lived in Dupont and Adams Morgan (with the biggest rats I've ever seen) for three years and would totally move back to Dupont; Adams Morgan, not so much. I'm with Julia on U Street though. That's probably my favorite neighborhood in the city.

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Re Wine glasses: If there's a still open linen's and things or bed bath and beyond or world market, they all have wine glass sets that aren't expensive. I bought two sets of glasses from L&T years ago that I still use. they're not Riedels, but if your party is good, who's going to care?

Fritz: World Market can be dead cheap.

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Fish and Chips: If the original questioner -really- wants an adventure, the best fish and Chips I've had in this area is at King's Court Tavern in Leesburg.

You've already reccomended Sterling, what's another 10 miles?

King's Court is Fun, the Fish and Chips is served in a Newspaper, and it's right in the middle of Old Town Leesburg, they could make a day of it, just my $0.02

Fritz: Ah, Leesburg. Haven't been to the old town in a while. Should probably go back, just for the fish and chips.

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Carding at Co Co: happened last night at my 27th b-day dinner: Also, y'all know what the park is called, what's it like, etc. that up on 16th, 17th Sts., up in Mount Pleasant? I've passed it a million times in car!

Thanks gurus!

Julia: Crazy re the carding! Are you talking about the "park" at the end of Mount Pleasant Street? The triangle-shaped section of bricks one at the intersection of Park Road that has band performances in the summer? I think generally in the neighborhood we just call it Lamont Park. Not sure if that's official.

If you're talking about the one at 16th Street and Columbia Road, I have no idea what the official name is, but my husband calls it Rat Creek Park in honor of its scurrying residents.

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Washington, D.C.: After dating for three months, a friend of mine told her boyfriend the three words that can make or break a relationship. The feeling was not reciprocated and he ended it on Tuesday. To make matters worse, tomorrow is her birthday! So where can my friends and I take our heart-broken friend in D.C. to have fun and take her mind off of the jerk without it being super crowded or expensive? We were thinking drinks, maybe dancing...and no, we don't want to go see He's Just Not That Into You. Thanks!

Julia: We just had a massive guru debate about this question. The gentlemen -- and that traitor Stephanie -- all think that just because he broke up with your friend doesn't necessarily make him a "jerk." Maybe the three words scared him. Maybe he wasn't ready. Maybe she pushed too hard. Maybe, yes, he just wasn't that into her. Stephanie also acknowledged that he could indeed be a jerk, so we should all stop passing judgement. I said that I thought it was possible -- nay, likely! -- that he could have led your friend on, which would have been a jerk move. Which led Fritz to exclaim, "You can not control who falls in love with you! It's not your fault! . . . I feel bad for this guy now." Fun times around chat land today.

But I digress.

Take your girlfriend to a place like Josephine, Cafe Citron or Midtown, grab some drinks and dance all night. Maybe even St. Ex if you want something a little less clubby (but likely more crowded). If you're not super-into the dancing route, grab cocktails and small plates at the expensive but delish restaurant Sei. You won't be disappointed.

Fritz: I would like to point out that the married gurus (Anne and Julia) instantly took the woman's side and labeled the guy a jerk without knowing any of the details, the unmarried gurus (Stephanie, Rhome and me) said it was unfair to rush to judgment.

Anyway. Take your friend to Moneytown tomorrow night and let her dance the blues away to some wickedly funky soul and R&B. You know there will be some "I'm so glad I got rid of that man"-style '60s in there.

Stephanie: In the interest of full disclosure, I should also add that the single gurus *might* also be slightly commitment-phobic, and would run screaming from anyone who dropped the L-bomb on us. And I second Julia's vote for Josephine, by the way. That should get your friend's mind off the "jerk."

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Live Music in Georgetown: My cousin is coming in town for two nights next week. She is definitely a bar person (hates nightclubs) and wants to go out both nights. Any suggestions for a venue in Georgetown to hear some live music on a Tuesday or Wednesday night? I'm going to definitely take her by Mr. Smiths for the piano bar sing-a-long but wanted to some other options. Help me Fritz!

Fritz: Only other live-music-during-the-week options in Georgetown I can think of is the Tuesday Boozeday at Rugby, where you'll find drink specials and, most likely, a singer-songwritery guy playing an acoustic guitar. Interesting crowd.

Drag her up to U Street for some jazz at Utopia or HR-57.

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washingtonpost.com: It's been a lively discussion today. The spring weather has obviously made us punchy. We'll try to keep that punchy spirit in play at the same time next week. Until then, keep fully sipping the wine that is life, just do it out of a cheap Ikea glass. Later!

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