The nation’s capitol is abuzz over the White House’s newest neighbor, The Hamilton, and rightfully so. The combination music venue/24-hour restaurant is wildly ambitious, even for a town overrun with ambition.
Hamilton opened its doors the evening of December 18th and has shut them only once since — on Christmas Day. Located in the Penn Quarter area of downtown D.C., just a stone’s throw from where POTUS sleeps, the historic two story building known as Hamilton Square was originally built in 1929 as the flagship for Garfinckel’s department store. Today the 37,000-square-foot space retains its grandeur with high ceilings, floor-length windows looking onto 14th and 9th streets and enough room for a booming restaurant, an inset sushi bar, two separate mahogany bar areas and a massive, velvet-accented music venue below that seats four hundred. But what makes this spot a standout is not solely its dimensions — it seems many of D.C.’s downtown locales are rather oversize — but its bold and so far, rather successful move to host weekly music guests like Mavis Staples and Chubby Checker, packing in the crowds while simultaneously offering such an extensive American-themed food and drink menu 24 hours a day, every day.
Forget fast food for your late night munchies. Here’s an upscale eatery that ensures that even after a night of dancing and drinking, you can retreat to the privacy of an elegant booth (note the sliding pocket doors) and gorge on “after midnight” options like chicken and biscuits, petite filet mignon sandwiches and even milkshakes. As for what hour friendly neighbor President Obama will be stopping by, that’s yet to be determined.
The Hamilton, 600 14th Street, N.W., Washington D.C.
