The Howard Theatre

Stage Presence

Tequila Cocktails, Apple Pie and Chuck Berry

None 5 Photos The Howard Theatre
Nothing against the founding documents, but today we’re going to tell you where to drink in some alternative history.

Nope, not a vampire-hunting Abe Lincoln or anything like that. We mean the 100-year-old DC spot where the Supremes played their first gig and Ella Fitzgerald won an amateur-night contest.

And how you can take in a show there again.

So take your first look at The Howard Theatre, all restored and selling tickets now for shows beginning on Monday.

Paneled floor to soaring ceiling in walnut, with giant plush booths climbing up the balconies, this looks like a combination symphony hall and supper club. Where you can see a Bad Brains show.

You’ll find a bar downstairs and another way up in the rafters, where you can gaze at giant backlit photos of the likes of James Brown. Jump back, kiss yourself, then order up a black-tea-infused bourbon or a Miles Away (tequila, tamarind syrup, lime).

But some shows will be all-seated (Chuck Berry, Esperanza Spalding), so you’ll want to get there early for a prime table and nosh on braised short ribs and apple pie with cheddar from the full menu by NY chef Marcus Samuelsson. Or gather up a larger group and reserve a whole section in the balcony, where you can pick your own preshow menu.

It’s like a rock-and-roll skybox.

Elsewhere on the Daddy

More Nightlife in Washington DC