Month: November 2024

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Georgetown Nightlife Destinations

The Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, DC, has long been recognized as one of the Capital’s most popular nightlife destinations. Whether it’s the latest “in” spot for singles, an upscale culinary experience or vibrant collegiate bar, Georgetown offers something for everyone. Take a peek at several favorites in alphabetical order:

Bistro Lepic

1736 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

If you’re looking for the real deal in French cuisine, you’ve found it with Bistro Lepic. This cozy gem serves authentic French food with an emphasis on Provencale cuisine backed by a helpful staff, savvy in selecting an appropriate wine. A popular date night destination, you can enjoy everything from a glass of burgundy to a snack to a full meal. Signature dishes include the onion tart, smoked trout salad and calf’s liver with capers, garlic, and black olives. The chef relies on seasonal fruits and vegetables to keep the menu fresh and diverse. For those looking for a good wine bar, the popular Wine bar upstairs offers monthly tastings and small appe-teasers. The low lighting and interesting wall hangings provide more of romantic ambience than the cheerful dining room downstairs. It’s best to call in advance as Bistro Lepic is small and fills up fast with regulars and patrons drawn by allure of flavorful, satisfying food.

Blues Alley

1073 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Modeled after the jazz supper clubs in the 20s and 30s, Blues Alley is one of the oldest continuing clubs in the US. Jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Ramsey Lewis, Tony Bennett, Grover Washington, Jr., and Sarah Vaughn have all played here at one time or another. Music lovers revel in the opportunity to hear renowned artists play blues and soul in the relative intimacy of small supper club tucked away on a cobblestoned alley in the heart of Georgetown. The club requires a two-item minimum with largely Cajun and Creole offerings on the menu in keeping with the jazz theme. The sound system is impressive with the volume just loud enough to experience the music with musicians who love playing to an audience that knows and appreciates them. Arrive early – seating is first come; first served.

Clyde’s

3236 M Street, NW

Located in the heart of Georgetown, Clyde’s is one of the granddaddies of American saloons. Opened in 1963, the restaurant maintains its charter of providing “good company” with good food and drink at good value. Despite frequent refurbishings, Clyde’s still features its signature long oak bar, plank flooring and Back Bar with vintage railroad posters. A gathering point for all walks of life, Clyde’s draws in journalists, politicians, athletes and neighborhood residents. Its late afternoon appetizer menu inspired the mellow 1976 pop hit, “Afternoon Delight,” with a gold record proudly hanging at the restaurant today.

L2 Lounge

3315 Cady’s Alley, NW

The L2 lounge is a luxe watering hole that appeals to the DC sophisticate. Beautifully decorated down to its white sectionals, exposed brick walls and unisex bathroom, L2 is known for its specialty drinks and exemplary service. Appetizers and plates are small but tasty. Of particular note are the sliders. Located in the central courtyard of Cady’s Alley, the L2 offers a membership program that enables members to bypass the line with up to five guests and access special rooms reserved for members only. Non-members can get in for a cover charge on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. More recently L2 has been hosting events such as Apres Work, a no-cover event that takes place every Wednesday night, and Art Soiree, bringing in a new group of patrons. L2 favors a mix of house and dance music that reinforces the chic vibe.

The Tombs

1226 36th Street, NW

Located at 36th street near Georgetown University, the Tombs is a quintessential college bar. Typically packed with both students and recent graduates, the Tombs inspired the college student hangout immortalized in the 1980s brat pack film “St. Elmo’s Fire.” While Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore have moved on, the Tombs remains much the same. Located below street level, the Tombs provides a cozy, classic underground pub feel with its wood paneling, darts and a convivial, collegiate atmosphere. While much of the Tombs’ allure is its cheap pitchers of beer, the food is top rated as well with the Tombs rumored to share its kitchen with its swanky upstairs neighbor, the 1789 Restaurant.

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Murudeshwar Hotels – Staying in Shiva’s Land

Murudeshwar, located half way along the Karavali Coast, is known for its beaches and temples. The city has frequent religious tourists who come to worship Lord Shiva at the famous 1,500 year old temple. The other popular getaways include Idagunji Temple, Murudeshwar Fort and Jattiga Shrine. The Statue Park located atop the Kandukagiri hillock is famous for the 123 meter high Shiva statue constructed in the recent past.

There are a number of affordable Murudeshwar hotels such as Hotel Danish Regency, Benzy Intercontinental and Hotel Kola Paradise available for both leisure and corporate guests.

Hotel Kola Paradise

This place is located in Bhatkal, which is 16 kilometers away from Murudeshwar. The hotel provides rooms at variable prices to suit the needs of the guests; the rooms are classified as air-conditioned, single and deluxe rooms. These rooms are well designed and styled with perfection to provide comfortable accommodation to the guests. The hotel provides restaurant facilities for both vegetarian and non vegetarian guests.

Guests can relish Goan dishes at the restaurants and cafeterias located close to the hotel. Sea food lovers can find lobsters, prawns, crabs and all their favorite types of seafood. For visiting executives, the hotel’s Amenities and Service Division provides exclusive secretarial service during their stay at the hotel. All the facilities available at modern day hotels can be found here at affordable prices.

Hotel Benzy Intercontinental

This hotel is located on NH17 at Maveelli near Murudeshwar. It is 165 kilometers away from Mangalore city. The hotel offers all the facilities present in budget hotels. This includes laundry, valet, breakfast, gift shop, free newspaper, cable television with remote control, doctor on call and safes. Hotel Benzy Intercontinental has a multi-cuisine restaurant which serves continental, Italian, Chinese, and South-Indian, Tandoor, Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian dishes.

Murudeshwar Guest House

This is located about one kilometer away from Murudeshwar Railway station and similarly one kilometer away from Murudeshwar Bus Stand. The hotel offers amenities like cable television, travel desk, valet, continental breakfast, doctor on call and valet facilities. Murudeshwar Guest House also offers restaurant for guests as per their tastes. These include multiple cuisines such as Chinese, South Indian, Tandoori and pure vegetarian.

Some hotels even organize special dolphin spotting trips for their guests. Water sports is a very common sports activity in Murudeshwar, activities like sea kayaking, banana boat rides, para-sailing and sea-rafting bring immense joy and thrill to the guests arriving here. It is hardly a surprise then that people get away from Bangalore to Murudeshwar to spend their lovely holidays in this colorful beach town.

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How Delicious Is Your Tips Booklet?

How does your tips booklet taste? That may seem like a crazy question, especially if you view food as a means to an end rather than the yummy experience many people consider it.

Tips booklets have often been characterized as the appetizer, the “starter” to whet the appetite of the reader so they want more. Ideally the tips are small tastes that are easily digestible, allowing information to be learned without difficulty in small segments.

It can also be a way to determine the interest level of a particular topic. The reader may take a few tastes and find they simply don’t enjoy that flavor, and that’s that. Or, because the information is basic and easy to learn, it can become a welcomed surprise that allows deeper exploration to a brand new area of information, one that may have felt overwhelming or off-putting in the past.

Many tips booklets authors worry about giving enough valuable information in a tips booklet, forgetting that this is the appetizer not the main course. They put as much as possible into every sentence, making it so heavy to slog through, leaving a not-great aftertaste from the experience.

The reader makes a lasting decision from a single experience, never again to darken your door electronically or in person. Your stuff didn’t taste good to them. Of course it is impossible to please everyone who comes to you. After all, some people prefer things that are sweet or spicy or savory when it comes to food. Yes, that carries over to taste in other parts of life. You cannot please everyone.

Some people really do want short tips and they are on their way. Others find those tips to be a good door opener and come back to you for more in-depth information. Some people want to listen or watch a video rather than read. Once you do your tips booklet, you can survey people who have expressed interest in your topic to see what formats to do next, what sub-topics to address in greater depth, what style appeals most to them.

Back to that first taste, though, and how delicious it is. By letting people know the tips booklet is intended as a quick and easy sampler of your knowledge, as a taste to see if they like it, you are letting them know there is more for when they are ready. Your intention is to give them something they enjoy in portions and tastes they like. It is not intended to give them indigestion in any way!

ACTION – View your tips booklet as one small yet important and appealing item on a buffet table of many choices. The tips booklet’s taste appeals to some people who come to eat at your table and gives the opportunity to decide what else they would like to satisfy their hunger from your expertise. While some eat lighter or heavier than others, you will ultimately develop more choices for them as you build your business and know more of what people want. It may be sweet, spicy, savory, or something else.

“Turn your tips into products and your tips products into moneymakers. TM”

© 2013 Paulette Ensign