What $20 Gets You in Borderstan: Food, Drink, Art, Music ...

Posted on14 May 2013. Tags: 9:30 Club, DC cheap eats, Floriana, Local 16, Rachel Nania

Not hard to have fun in a budget in Borderstan. (Luis Gomez Photos

From Rachel Nania.?Check out her blog,?Sear, Simmer & Stir.?Follow?Nania?on Twitter?@rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.

Borderstan?certainly has options when it comes to an expensive night out. From wining and dining at the latest restaurants, to evenings filled with theatre and live music, Borderstan offers a little bit of everything for a top-shelf experience. Hell, even parking (or a parking ticket) will cost you a chunk of your wallet.

However, just because the price tags on some of the neighborhood?s items are higher than you?d like to pay, it doesn?t mean you can?t have a great night out at a moderate price.

Often, I put myself on a budget of $20 ? but that doesn?t stop me from going to some of the area?s best spots. Here?s what $20 will get you in Borderstan.

• Floriana:?Crepes with Meyer lemon, housemade ricotta and mission fig glaze AND a glass of pinot noir.?Nothing beats Floriana (1602 17th Street NW) for fantastic Italian food in an intimate setting. And the best news: You don?t need a Benjamin to experience it all. My secret is to order a starter and a good glass of wine. That way, you can enjoy a delicious and seasonal taste (and wine!) for under $20.
• 9:30 Club: An evening with Best Coast.?The 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW) is one of the best venues on the East Coast to see the nation?s best bands. And thankfully, most tickets are right around (or less than) $20. On June 4, California-based indie band?Best Coast?is bringing its Los Angeles-inspried rock to (what I like to call) the best coast. Tickets are $20 and include two opening bands.
• Local 16: One personal pizza and three drinks.?Local 16?(1602 U Street NW) has one of the best happy hours in the neighborhood ? and it lasts until 8 pm, which is arguably the best part. For $20, you can get a pizza (tomato, mozzarella and basil) for $5 and three glasses of wine or three featured cocktails ($5 each), like the mojito.
• Local galleries and The Pig: An evening of art, plus lentil and bacon stew and a cocktail.?Exposing yourself to culture doesn?t mean you need to expose your bank account to the negative sign. The best thing about having so many art galleries around is that you can browse various exhibits for free. Check out Contemporary Wing (1412 14th Street NW), Gallery plan b (1530 14th Street NW) and Hamiltonian Gallery (1353 U Street NW) for their latest exhibits. Then, head over to The Pig (1320 14th Street NW)?for a Lentil and bacon stew with?pomegranate reduction and?herbed cr?me fraiche ($10) and the Wilbur cocktail (redemption rye and pineapple-rosemary syrup for $9.50).
• Black Cat: Titus Andronicus and a beer. On Sunday, May 19, catch favorite band Titus Andronicus at the Black Cat (1811 14th Street NW) for $15 and score a beer before the show for $5. Opening band is So So Glos. Enjoy your night!
• Masa 14: Two appetizers and two cocktails. The happy hour at Masa 14 (1825 14th Street NW)?is very friendly toward the $20 budget. For less than $20, you can score two mojitos (or margaritas) and two appetizers (like a crunchy shrimp handroll or marinated portobello pao buns). Everything on the happy hour menu is $4 each.

Of course there are many other $20 combinations in and around the neighborhood. What are some of your favorites?

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Source: http://www.borderstan.com/05/what-20-gets-you-in-borderstan-food-drink-art-music/

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