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I've also seen food and drink deals at Red Derby, which is offering its usual $2 bloody mary and mimosa specials. Other options include ChurchKey/Birch & Barley, Cafe Saint-Ex, Bar Pilar and, of course, the Tune Inn...

So I wouldn't head to Hill Country unless you're planning on being in the inauguration parade, or heading to the Mall -- you'll officially be in the security perimeter, and just a few blocks from the parade checkpoints. No problem if you ARE headed that way. But if you want to watch from afar, you could try Ben's Next Door, which will do brunch, the BYT party, or Cause bar, which opens at noon. That's my PSA for today.

The only Burns Night dinner I've seen this year is the annual formal gala put on by the St. Andrew's Society. Cocktails, a formal haggis dinner, music -- and a $95 ticket.

First, let me point you to our recent list of great first date ideas, most of which could be used for a second date, too. The influx of new outdoor skating rinks -- Washington Harbour and Canal Park -- could work, especially given the chilly weather. (Or, conversely, you could play bocce indoors at Black Jack.) For live music, I'd suggest trying a place you haven't been before. Bluegrass at Tiffany Tavern in Old Town, country line dancing (with lessons!) at Nick's in Alexandria, classic rock at JV's, dancing to rockabilly in the back room at Quarry House Tavern. 

I think the reputation inauguration has earned is directly connected to 2009's overflow crowd, which some have estimated as more than 1.5 million people (in a city that usually houses about 600,000). This time, we're going to see a third to a half of that crowd, so I think there's no better time to try to be a part of things. There are going to be a lot of cool events that are inexpensive, and nightlife that will draw celebs.  If you're headed for the Mall,  here are some things to know, including which food trucks to look out for, and which museums will have bathrooms open and cafes you can visit.  Print it out, because even we're not sure wifi and cell service will be working once you're in an area with a crowd that large.   And, because you'll need it: How to stay warm.

Throw in late-night drinks at Chez Billy (the only place in the neighborhood on D.C.'s official 4 a.m. list) and you never have to leave the neighborhood.

It's not new, but you and your mom might like Kafe Leopold, especially if you think you'll be having dessert -- no meal at the out-of-the-way Georgetown spot is complete without pastries.  New(ish), and also a little more expensive: Bandolero. Though Tom Sietsema's review cautions against the noise, that probably wouldn't be as big of a problem at lunchtime.

Yes. It was really cold last time, and everyone still got glammed up. Lavanya and Maura put together this guide to staying warm and looking good. Personally, I'm going to be shivering in my tux jacket. Coat checks at parties in 2009 were a ... zoo. Trying to avoid that as much as possible.

Hill Country is right in the security zone, which means no vehicular traffic will be allowed anywhere near it. Seventh Street (at D Street) will also be an entry point for people bound for the parade, which begins at 2:30 p.m. So you'll definitely be in the middle of a pretty hectic area -- plus, with the Archives and Mt. Vernon stations closed on inauguration day, there will be a lot of extra people coming out of that Chinatown Metro station.  Hill Country should be a blast, but I would absolutely give yourself extra time to get there. And also, if you're mildly claustrophobic, to consider walking.

Sure thing! Here's the tentative schedule: 4 a.m.  Metro opens.
6:30 a.m., p ublic entry points open on parade route.
11:30 a.m.  inaugural program begins at the Capitol.
Noon, swearing in, inaugural address
2:30 p.m. parade begins.

This is a handy pocket guide you should print and take with you, since cell service could be limited.  Hate to be Debbie Downer, but there is one thing to note,  since you're planning on grabbing the Metro to the train station. There are very heavy restrictions. No suitcase, no backpack and pretty much no bag larger than a purse is allowed into the perimeter (the parade has checkpoints). Here's where you can see the list.  I think if this is your plan, you should try to find some place to stash his things outside of the perimeter (a locker at a gym, if you're coming from a hotel, at the hotel...).

Ah, Harbor East. The huge and popular Wit and Wisdom bar is right at the hotel -- it's a Michael Mina restaurant, like Bourbon Steak in D.C., but with happy hour, so it's worth a visit even if your company's not picking up the tab.

You're not far from Fells Point. I was just up there a few weekends ago. Rye is the cool new cocktail bar. (Baltimore-based friend walked in and said, "Oh, we're in D.C. now.") Pretty decent drinks with house-made infusions. It's next to Max's on Broadway, one of the best beer bars in the country. (And it's across the street from the Blarney Stone, a neighborhood bar with cheap shots and cheap bottles of Natty Boh, for when you feel like making bad decisions.) 

If you don't mind cabbing around, I'd also send you to Johnny Rad's (a skateboarding-themed pizza and beer joint with skee-ball), and two excellent beer bars: The Brewer's Art brewpub, and Of Love and Regret, which is run by the brewer behind Stillwater Ales. Neither of them have been too crowded on my (admittedly infrequent) weeknight visits.

No, as a matter of fact. (But I totally would have.) It was Amy.

For someone who wants an informal Burns Night (ie no $95 tickets)...

I think it would be really difficult to do both, because you'll have to camp out to get your space for the parade, and wait to get through checkpoints to get to the Capitol. Personally, since you have tickets for the parade, I would do that - you're going to have a better view. Again, public entry points open on parade route at 6:30 a.m. I have not seen tickets for the parade, so I'm not sure if there are recommended entries for you.

For folks considering going to the parade, please know that Secret Service has announced that the checkpoints to the parade will stay open only as long as they determine they will stay open. When they feel capacity has been reached, the entries will be shut down. This actually happened to me in 2005, and it was a total bummer, for me, but mostly for the people who had come from around the country. So get there early!

The U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis always strikes me as a fun "pretending to buy" date. Sadly, you just missed the annual International Motorcycle Show at the D.C. Convention Center.

Chatters? Can you think of cool browsing dates? (And please, no jokers suggest diamond rings.)

Sorry - there is a lot to get in there. On the PDF I've been posting, you can zoom in on the map. I'm looking at it in Firefox, and there should be a little plus sign that pops up at the bottom of your screen. Click on that, and you'll be able to take a better look.

The only quote-unquote official Ravens bar that I know of in D.C. is Mason Inn in Glover Park. They'll have pitcher specials and plenty of folks wearing black and purple, including the bartenders.

One of Tom Sietsema's chatters asked the same thing last week, and he suggested Liberty Tavern in Clarendon, which got high marks in the Fall Dining Guide, and McLean's Bistro Vivant. Vermilion, in Alexandria, is also a pick from the dining guide -- it will have a new chef before your party  next month.  Obama ate there for Valentine's Day last year.

For big parties with no fees, go low-key. Buffalo Billiards is a huge place where no one will blink if 40 people want to hang out together. You could probably also have that many folks show up in the basement of Hill County (as long as there's no band) and commandeer a few of the long communal tables.

Worth noting: Cause the Philanthropub (on 9th just south of U) will rent its back party room for free, and you could easily get 40 people in there. Just call in advance.

You might try Saint-Germain salon - it's dependable for a hip look.  But it's getting pretty tight this time of year, so I'd expand your search outside of downtown. For example, XYZ in Adams Morgan does great event hair, and they're just far away enough from the tourist spots, that I think you'll be able to get in. I also think Karma, the Erwin Gomez salon, might have some openings. 

No, I don't think you'll be in line for hours, nor will you have to trek through the Third Street Tunnel/Purple Tunnel of Doom to get Seventh Street. And can I say that I'm so sorry that happened to you last time. It was tragic. And probably very scary.  I just wanted to warn you you'll be in the perimeter, in case you were someone who wanted to be far from the action, which, naturally, some people do.

No, you should be fine, please don't mistake me. It is open to everyone. But if you're in the city, you'll see there are bleachers and other seating set up. The Presidential Inauguration Committee did sell $25 tickets for, what, access to that seating (?!). But that will absolutely not preclude you from going.

You know, I really haven't gotten a sense yet for how busy places are going to be on Sunday night. Monday's a holiday, and there are football games on TV. 

A few ideas for keeping it lowkey, spread all over the city: Chez Billy, Hogo, Bedrock Billiards, Breadsoda, Iron Horse Tap Room, Ambar, Rock Bottom Brewery Bethesda.

Going Out Guide editor (and mom of 2) Amy Joyce offers this:

Lots always going on, even when an inauguration isn't taking place. If you're trying to avoid the Mall and its great museums, here are some ideas:

There is the Children's Theater Fest at Artisphere on Saturday. 
The Georgetown or the Yards Park skating rinks
The National Zoo is actually great, even if it's cold out. Their new seal and sea lion exhibit is pretty awesome, and there are plenty of indoor animals.
We just did a TryThis about open studio Fridays at the National Portrait Gallery (which is sort of off the Mall)
Taking in the Kennedy Center itself is always pretty fun, and there is a Teddy Bear Concert Saturday through Jan. 26. 

Huge Spa World fan here. Depending on how light of a sleeper you are, you could bring an eyeshade/earplugs and try to nap in the common room on one of those straw mats -- but there are often kids running around. I've noticed people napping on those big couches in the women's dressing room, where it is much quieter, so maybe you'll be able to snag a spot there? I'll assume the men's dressing room has the same comfy couches.

Ah, thank you. Forgot that I wrote about this last year. Good place for Haggis and freshly brewed Scotch Ale. More details here.

Oh, I have a great suggestion for you. Bombay Club! I love it there, because it's so formal and old-school, and because it's the same restaurateur, you'll still get to order the crispy chaat (not just with spinach, but with arugula, too!). At dinner, pianists play. Seriously, it's perfect for a celebration like this, and it's not quite as hard to get a reservation. And one more: The Oval Room. Totally different food, but again, same owners, same attention to detail, pitch-perfect service and impeccable food.

Well, there's nothing in Pentagon City. You could head up to Clarendon for dancing to a DJ at the Clarendon Ballroom (Top 40, pop and hip-hop tunes, '80s hits, etc., and only a $5 cover). Clarendon Grill also has a DJ doing the same kind of music for the same price. 

If you come into D.C., head for El Centro D.F. on 14th Street. They play a mix of club tunes and Latin pop with no cover, and it's usually not too bad until after midnight.

Whitlow's on Wilson will be serving brunch, starting at 9 a.m., if you'd like to watch the inauguration with a mimosa in hand. Also, the aforementioned Mad Fox, which is in Falls Church, but worth the drive.

Hi, sorry for the delay, we've been on inauguration, as you can imagine. Here's our guide to the area -- can we convince you to include a few breweries on your trek? The area is becoming known as the Brew Ridge Trail. If you want to stick with wineries, I'd find a way to visit Barboursville, which is on your way south. It's fantastic, and home to an award-winning blend known as Octagon. The restaurant is great, too. If you're looking for a restaurant, one of our eds just told me about his visit to a wonderful Chinese restaurant (there are two words so rarely used together): Peter Chang's Charlottesville. Peter Chang is a famous, elusive chef. The New Yorker's even written about him. Okay, that's all! 

Hi! I'll be going to the official inaugural ball at the Convention Center this year for the first time, too, so I asked Reliable Source's Amy Argetsinger and the Style section's Monica Hesse, who attended last time. Based on their advice, I'd recommend bringing cash, eating a light meal beforehand, and wearing flats, if you're a girl. "Imagine you're going to a junior high school dance," says Monica, who reported that the finger food was less-than-stellar in 2009, and included bowls of chips. Amy says that it's a cash bar, and she says you should be prepared to stand in a lot of lines for security and coat check. A friend told me last night that I shouldn't bother with a coat, and should just wear a heavy wrap instead, to avoid those lines. Monica said that the crowd last time was more into celeb-spotting than dancing.

It actually sounds kind of awesome: Kids can bring their favorite teddy bears to the Kennedy Center. The stage will feature pictures of different kinds of bears, and the NSO will play music from each bear's home country.

Hi, just talked to WMATA, and they assured me that the reason they've recommended people not bring large containers is that the system will be crowded, and more important, you won't be allowed through the inaugural checkpoints with them. If you're traveling, you're fine! Suitcases are okay on the Metro - not at the checkpoints. And I believe that by the time you land Monday at 2, you're going to be on the tail end of events on the Mall. So don't worry, don't camp out. Just go where you're going. Unless you're going right  into the perimeter :) 

Oh, boy,  you have to check out our Essential Vegetarian Eats gallery. Commit it to memory. Eat everywhere twice. There are a couple of new places that have popped up, that are doing veggie Asian very well,  including Sprig and Sprout. Just be sure to tell them no fish sauce, but it's pretty good Vietnamese, and they have several veggie dishes that would rival the meat ones. Mandu is another favorite - they just know how to feed a vegetarian.

Firefly's $2 mimosas on Sunday are fantastic, as you'd expect from a great cocktail bar. (They're offered from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

I love this question.

It's the former. It drives me nuts when people call it Ras-EE-ka. If you really want to be accurate, it would be pronounced by an Indian person as  RUS-ih-ka. But when I pronounce that way, people give me blank stares, so  RAS-ih-ka it is.