Quaffing in Comfort: The Gibson and Room 11

| Print Post This | Like (3) | Comments (1)

D.C. HAS LONG offered a wide selection of destinations at both ends of the drinking-formality spectrum, but there haven't always been good options if your taste has evolved beyond PBR cans but your wardrobe hasn't quite caught up.

Fortunately, the past year has brought the District two new venues that offer sophisticated environments and drinks, without requiring the same aesthetic from their patrons. Both Room 11 and The Gibson certainly attract well-heeled clientele, but I also felt more than welcome in my 15-year-old Vans.

A few short weeks after opening, Room 11 in Columbia Heights already seems like a beloved part of the community. Both the cozy bar and spacious patio were packed on a recent Sunday night, and after seeing me taking photos, a friendly stranger encouraged me to capture the restroom wallpaper. It was indeed worth investigating, with a vivid print including bats and Venus flytraps.

Although the space is well designed, the food and drink constitute the real draw at Room 11. The menu is brief, at least for now, but nearly everything looks enticing. There's a selection of cured meats and cheeses (including a number of local products from Maryland and Virginia ), soup, salads, and intriguing small plates, like a trout and fennel salad and Tunisian meatballs.

Even the ubiquitous paninis vary from the traditional standards, including a roasted garlic and cauliflower combo. The bar also offers a selection of desserts by D.C.'s Paisley Fig, including their famous honey goat cheesecake. Everything is quite reasonable, with prices topping out at $10 for the paninis and a lamb dish. A brunch menu is promised shortly.

The beverage menu is equally well-curated, featuring wine, beer, and a short but potent list of cocktails. As with the food, this list will continue to evolve. Co-owner Dan Searing was experimenting with clementine bitters he had concocted on a recent visit, and had a pomelo version in the works. In the meantime, sample one of the summery offerings currently on the menu, including the Delaware Dark 'n' Stormy made with Dogfish Head Honey Brown rum, or the Andy Murray, which combines Compass Box Asyla scotch with another Searing creation, house-made lemon barley water.

The Gibson, true to its speakeasy influence, is a more single-minded establishment. Wines and a charcuterie and cheese plate are available, but The Gibson's mission is purveying tasty, well-prepared cocktails, and even the snobbiest beverage enthusiast would have difficulty finding fault with the drinks. Simple standard cocktails are elevated by the high end ingredients and painstaking preparation; anyone who has ever ingested Tom Collins mix will find The Gibson's version a refreshing revelation.

For more adventurous drinkers, a number of more exotic options are also available. The frozen Chili-Mango Batida combines fruit, spice, creaminess and cilantro. Bartenders are also willing to customize drinks, if patrons share their preferences. I sampled a delicious take on an Old Fashioned, prepared with chocolate and orange bitters.

Sunday evenings are Tiki Night on the backyard patio, featuring tropical specials concocted by bartender/manager Tiffany Short (above, right). A consummate professional, she can readily describe how the special ice cubes created by the bar's Kold Draft machine are free of impurities and slow to melt, allowing drinkers to savor their cocktails without fear of dilution.

Beyond the beverages there are a few things to know about The Gibson. The bar caps admittance when all of its seats are full, so getting in on a busy night usually involves leaving a phone number with the door staff and waiting for a space to open. Reservations are available by calling the bar during the day, and they are especially advisable on weekends, when there is often a crowd milling around outside.

In keeping with the speakeasy theme, The Gibson's entrance is an unmarked door, but thanks to its immediate proximity to the highly visible Marvin, the entrance isn't difficult to identify.

Befitting the care that goes into their preparation, drinks can be expensive. Excepting the non-alcoholic Orgeat Lemonade, individual cocktail prices range from $8 to $16. (There are also a few frozen drinks and a punch that serve more than one person and are priced accordingly.)

Given the entrance policy, swanky decor and elaborate drinks, not to mention ownership by the Eighteenth Street Lounge proprietors, the lack of formality expected of patrons is surprising, if not at all unwelcome.

» The Gibson, 2009 14th St NW; 202-232-2156
» Room 11, 3234 11th St NW; 202-332-3234

Story and photos by Express contributor Meg Zamula

» RELATED: "Pouring on the Charm: Room 11 Proves Good Wine Doesn't Have to Be Expensive" [Express, Sept. 2009]