Tag Archives: Date Night DC

July 24, 2018 · 8:40 am

Learn to Fly with Trapeze School New York – DC

If you’ve spent time at the The Yards in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, chances are you’ve seen the big bluish-gray, hangar-like structure with a trapeze apparatus next to it, possibly even with people swinging back and forth performing aerial stunts. It’s pretty impressive, and you can’t help but stop and watch what look like daring feats and challenges on swings and in the air.

This is Trapeze School New York – DC, and guess what? You and your kids can do this! I have yet to try it, but both of my kids have flown. Sasha actually soared for the first time a few years ago at a birthday party, and she and Owen both had opportunities to go recently — he joined a birthday celebration, and her class was a holiday gift that she finally redeemed.

Sasha and her friend Gabe took the Flying Trapeze class together earlier this summer while my friend Torey and I watched. Besides our kids, about eight other people were signed up for the same two-hour session, participants ranging in age from about seven years old to a 30-something adult. A few had flown before, and some were just beginning, but it looked like everyone was having a great time. Per their sign-up page: “Our program is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of people. Whether you are athletic or not, afraid or not, ready or not, we are committed to creating a fun and safe flying environment.” And they really do!

They started by teaching the students how to fly while they were still on the ground. The instructors demonstrated the positions and explained how they would call out when it was time to move to the next step — when to grab the bar, bring legs up, look back, let go and drop, etc. Then they outfitted the first flyer with the harness attached to the trapeze apparatus, and it was time to soar.

Many of the students caught on pretty quickly, and it was fun to watch them swing through the air, hanging from the bar by their knees, then bringing their legs over their heads, before they dropped to the net below. Everyone looked like they had a feeling of accomplishment after each turn — and like they were having a blast.

After practicing that stunt many times, they moved on to catching. One of the instructors hung by his knees from another bar as both he and the student swung at the same time. When he called out the move, the student would let go of their bar as they swung his way, reach out for him, and he’d catch them. It was pretty impressive to watch!

There is a seating area where an audience can observe the class — it was mostly parents watching their kids. And there is a TV monitor playing video of the class, so students can see how they did after their turns.

Needless to say, Sasha loved the class. Owen also had a blast at the birthday party (though I wasn’t there for it), and both kids have asked to go again. I’ll oblige, though probably for a special occasion — Flying Trapeze classes are $50/person — and next time, I plan to join, too!

Trapeze School New York – DC is located in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood near Yards Park, at the corner of New Jersey Ave SE & Tingey St SE. They offer a variety of classes for ages six and up as well as birthday parties. I have friends who have done this as a date night and girls’ night out, too. Class prices vary, but as noted the Flying Trapeze is $50, plus there is a lifetime registration fee of $10.

Joselito Casa de Comidas: A Dining Experience to Savor with (or without) the Kids

The Capitol Hill restaurant scene has come a long way in the many, many years that I’ve lived here. Back in the day, the dining options left a lot to be desired. Now, the neighborhood boasts a pretty great selection of places to eat out, including one that has even received a “best in the country” designation.

It’s one of the newest on the scene, though, that has become my favorite of them all: Joselito Casa de Comidas. If it sounds familiar, that may be because I just recommended it among the Mother’s Day activities. But it’s a superb pick for a meal out anytime — with the family or KidFree. I was there the first week it opened and have been back several times since. I guess you could say it’s become my go-to for a great meal out.

Joselito specializes in Spanish cuisine and serves up more than just scrumptious food. The whole vibe of the restaurant is inviting and warm; you feel like you’re having a special meal without being fancy and formal. The decor is beautiful, but still comfortable with a lot of white Spanish tile, black seating, and old black and white photographs of owner Javier Candon’s family in Spain adorning the walls — all of it together creates a lively yet cozy ambiance.

It’s a perfect space to feast on the food that includes traditional Spanish dishes and some with modern, creative updates. There’s the simple and delicious Iberico ham and Manchego cheese on the menu alongside gazpacho with smoked, salt cured cod. A tuna carpaccio comes with avocado mousse, and deep fried anchovies are seasoned with cumin and served with yuzu aioli. Meat dishes include Iberian pork tenderloin and Wagyu beef with chimmichurri. There’s a white chocolate soup (!) for dessert. And these are just some of many great choices on the main menu.

I also had the opportunity to join a tasting of their new brunch menu recently, which featured several yummy egg dishes, including an out-of-this-world crab benedict, and more fare perfect for a leisurely late morning/early afternoon meal. Oh, and I have to mention the cocktails and wine…all top notch. The white sangria is chilled with a white sangria ice cube, a simple but lovely detail. And the original cocktails and selection of wine are perfect complements to the food. (Non-alcholic beverages available, too, of course.)

Something really great about Joselito is that almost everything on the menu is available in three sizes — tapa (appetizer size), media ración (entree) and ración (family-style) — so you can order according to the size of your party, or choose whether or not to share. (If you ask me, this is food best enjoyed communally, plus you get to try more dishes that way!) No matter what you opt for, you’re in for a fantastic meal.

And before you think this all sounds sophisticated for kids, let me assure you there are plenty of options that will appeal to patrons of all ages. (And a heads-up: A kids’ menu is about to be introduced!) Javier and his wife Christiana have two children themselves and don’t just welcome, but encourage families to enjoy their restaurant. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and dining with them, and they are as gracious as they are genuine when it comes to Joselito. They truly want to bring people together to savor good food and good company.

And I think they’ve nailed it.

Joselito Casa de Comidas is located at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue SE on Capitol Hill, across from the Eastern Market Metro. Hours are Sunday – Thursday 11:30am – 10pm, and Fridays & Saturday 11:30am – 12am.

KidFree: Babysitting, Compliments of Chime & Neighborhood Restaurant Group

Who wants an evening of free babysitting? Yes, you read that right. From now through Labor Day, you have the opportunity to enjoy four hours of kid-free time compliments of Chime by Sittercity and Neighborhood Restaurant Group!

Chime is a new on-demand babysitting service that connects you with a select group of sitters who parents in your neighborhood already love. Handpicked from the top 1% of Sittercity’s national database, Chime works with sitters who are highly rated and get glowing reviews from local families. It’s perfect for parents looking for an occasional date night sitter, since the screening process is, essentially, done for you.

You can try it out for FREE now through Labor Day. All you have to do is sign up for the service, and the first time you use it, enter the code NRG to receive four hours of babysitting credits — that’s a $60 value! There’s no charge to register, and it’s subscription free. When you use the service beyond the first time, you just pay a flat hourly rate based on the average cost of babysitting in DC ($15).

And if you need ideas on what to do with that time, consider Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s collection of award-winning restaurants or bars in DC and Virginia*. Current businesses include Iron Gate, Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, EatBar, Evening Star, Vermilion, Rustico, Red Apron, Buzz Bakery, Planet Wine, Bluejacket, Columbia Firehouse, B Side, The Sovereign, and Hazel. (I highly recommend Iron Gate, where we celebrated the launch of this awesome partnership!)

*If you first read about this in my Facebook post, note that you do not have to eat at one of NRG’s restaurants to get the babysitting deal. But they’re all fantastic options for a night out!

Now, go sign up and get out for an evening of KidFree fun!

Some of the spread at the Iron Gate

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Filed under Date Night, DC, Deal, Eats, Free, Parents, Professional Service, Virginia, Weekdays, Weekend

Tagged as Babysitters, Babysitting Service, Chime by Sittercity, Date Night DC, Date Night Maryland, Date Night Virginia, DC Kid Free, Free Babysitting Deal, KidFree, National Restaurant Group

October 7, 2015 · 1:39 pm

Night Out at National Harbor

Considering the vast range of the DC-Metro area I explore with my kids, it’s kind of funny how close to home I tend to stay on kid-free nights out with friends. That’s probably a testament to how great my neighborhood is for an evening on the town — and how infrequent those occasions seem to be these days. But I do enjoy eating, drinking, and being merry beyond my nearby haunts; sometimes it just takes an extra something to get me there.

That’s exactly what brought my friends and me to National Harbor on a recent Friday evening. The folks there invited me to enjoy a night out to share my experience with the KFDC community. And after a great a time there over the summer with the kids, I was excited to see what a visit sans children would be like. Packed with dining and entertainment options, plus located right on the water, it was bound to be a good time.

We caught an Uber taxi from DC to National Harbor, then began our evening at the Walrus Oyster & Ale House — and this was a fantastic place to start. The drinks and food were delicious, the staff extremely friendly and attentive, and the whole place had a fun, relaxed vibe. We devoured starters including oysters, deviled steak and eggs, tuna tartare, and mussels then went on to consume entire entrees of scallops, crab cakes, and lobster mac ‘n cheese. It was all accompanied by tasty cocktails and a nice bottle of wine.

After dinner, we headed to Bobby McKey’s, where a reservation was set up for us. I hadn’t been to a dueling piano bar since my early 20’s, so was interested to see if I’d find it fun now.

The verdict: So much fun! So, maybe singing drunkenly along to nostalgic tunes being played on piano by guys making lewd jokes isn’t what I’d opt to do every weekend, but on this occasion, it was a blast. Those guys are pretty talented (they know, like, every classic song!) and funny (after several drinks, anyway), plus it was fun to recall lyrics to old tunes (..he’s just a poor boy from a poor family spare him his life from this monstrosity…) and dance and let loose. We didn’t even mind what my friend Jody called the Gatorade margaritas, so you know it had to be fun.

We closed out the place along with many other dueling piano-goers, then got another Uber taxi for the ride back to Capitol Hill. Unfortunately, it was rainy that night, so we didn’t get to take advantage of the riverfront location, but a walk on the boardwalk or drinks by the water would probably be great on a nice night. No complaints from any of us, though — the food, drinks, and entertainment were thoroughly fun, and we all had the hangovers Saturday morning to prove it. :-/

Ready for a night out at National Harbor? Here are some details to help you plan:

* The Walrus Oyster and Ale House is located at 152 Waterfront Street in National Harbor. Hours are Monday – Saturday 11am – 11pm for food and the bar is open until midnight, Sunday 10 am – 10 pm (brunch served 10am to 3pm). Even though this was a grown-up night out, the restaurant is family-friendly with plenty of dishes that would appeal to kids, plus young diners are welcome to watch the oyster shucking.

* Bobby McKey’s is located at 172 Fleet Street in National Harbor. Hours are Monday – Thursday 6pm – 12am, Friday & Saturday 5pm – 2am. Be sure to check the calendar for special events or specials. (FYI: They occasionally have kids shows during the day on weekends.)

* Keep in mind you can make this a date night or an evening out with a big group.

* Read about more restaurants and entertainment at National Harbor on the website.