The ominous score on the TV screen at Mackey’s was like a warning beacon flashing through my tipsy brain: “Buffalo 7 Philadelphia 1″… signalling the need to leave the convivial atmosphere of the Hurricane Katrina fundraiser and even abandon a very interesting conversation on exotic dancing to join my favorite Flyers fan in his hour of woe.
Off I dashed in a haze of cheap vodka-and-soda’s to Ventnor’s, a sports “cafe” in Adams Morgan. The lively downstairs bar was filled with Philly and Buffalo fans jostling each other in good-humoured but loaded subtext. It’s not your “typical” sports bar and definitely deserves a visit. Owner Scott Auslander greeted me with a challenging glint and that caustic Philly bite that I’ve grown to love in others from that greatest of underdog cities – clearly this is a man who both loves sport and his customers, and his well-run bar reflects that passion. The menu is filled with pub grub like potato skins, the necesary classic cheese steak, and burgers loaded with a wide choice of fixings (goat cheese? drool!).
Despite the sad loss inflicted on my dearest Philly fan, it was an enjoyable evening with a truly friendly vibe. And how can you beat such quirky specials as “Fllip Night” – upon asking for our tab we flipped a quarter for a chance at half-price on the bill. Of course, fitting to the night’s bad luck, I didn’t call it correctly but hey, there’s always next season (or next Tuesday… or tomorrow night for “Rock Paper Scissors” – I mean, how fantastic is that?)
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
As one of the founding editors of We Love DC, Jenn’s passions are theater and cocktails. After two decades in the city, she’s loved every quirky, mundane, elegant, rude minute of her DC life. A proud advocate for DC’s talented drinks scene, she’s judged the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s ARTINI contest, the DC Rickey Month contest, the Jefferson Hotel’s Quill Cocktail competition, and is a founding member of LUPEC DC. A graduate of Catholic University’s drama program, she toured the country as a member of National Players, and has been both an actor and a costume designer before jumping the aisle to theater criticism. Writing for We Love DC restored her happiness after a life-threatening illness, and she’s grateful to you, dear readers. Send your suggestions to jenn (at) welovedc (dot) com and follow her on Twitter.
