Seventh Heaven

Even if 7 isn't your lucky number, there are still plenty of reasons for you to head over to PS 7's in Chinatown. Upfront I am going to let you know that I haven't eaten a full meal here in years. I have found that there are far better upscale restaurants in the general vicinity. Yet, this is still a place that deserves your attention. I can say without question that PS 7's has one of the best happy hours in the city.

Peter Smith's kitchen (formally of Vidalia) has created a lounge menu that is worthy of praise. The Chicago hotdogs aren't quite traditional (they aren't Veinna beef and they aren't served on a poppy seed bun) but they are house-made, giving them an air of sophistication. The burger is well made and is served on a warm brioche bun that has just the right amount of crunch. During the 4-7pm happy hour it would behoove you to try one of the 1/2 priced flatbreads. The ingredients are proclaimed to be untraditional, but they are always well rounded with just the right amount of unexpected. My personal favorite is the Nutty Goat which combines a few of my favorite ingredients including goat cheese, arugula ad shallots and it finished with a flavorful walnut butter that just knocks you off your feet.

DC young professionals not only flock to PS 7's for the food, but they stand 4 deep at the bar just to get one of Gina Chersevani's drinks. Through the years Chersevani has worked at some of the best known restaurants in the area including Rasika and Arlington's EatBar. She is known for using seasonal ingredients to create unusual (but wonderful) drinks. Currently there is a drink called the bitterSweet which contains fresh grapefruit, cinnamon and rosebud tea. At the Taste of the Nation (an annual event to benefit Share our Strength, an incredible organization) Gina was behind the bar making fizzy lifting drinks a-la Willy Wonka. It combined vodka, fresh clementine juice, pomegranate tea and soda water with some sodium bicarbonate for extra fizz. This is the type of creativity that is brought to every drink that comes from the behind the bar. If you head over to the lounge at PS 7's you are in for some upscale but creative cuisine and clever libations. And really, how can anyone complain about that?

image: ohgo.sh