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The best part of the Tibetan Freedom Concert was going to the "secret" Radiohead show at the 9:30 Club that night.

We may be experts on all things D.C. but we're really experts on hockey games. At least three of us are or have at one point been Caps season ticket holders. 

There are no assigned cheering sections for home and away fans like there are in college or European football, but rest assured: You can cheer as loudly for the Carolina Hurricanes as you or your boyfriend would care to and you're not going to be bothered beyond being told to, you know, kindly shut up.

Keep in mind that it's the season opener for the Caps so tickets are in short supply, so you may need to consult Craigslist for more than a pair of seats together. 

I always love festivals for a date -- maybe it's the combination of walking around, people-watching and the  chance to actually talk.  Taste of DC is this weekend, kicking off Saturday (it goes pretty late, too). Here's my guide to the fest, with highlights for where to eat (yes, it's still kind of dinner and drinks);  be sure to get tickets in advance online, they'll work out much cheaper that way. The alternative might be to check out the Artisphere party, which will be brimming with 20-somethings and 30-somethiings, but that doesn't mean you can't go, see some art, and have a great time.

I went to an evening performance of Les Mis, and (as always) the attire really ran the gamut. I saw a guy in a tux and a couple of evening gowns but also a few people in jeans. Most were somewhere in the middle. For a matinee, you wouldn't be alone in jeans, but if you want to dress it up a bit, you won't feel out of place.

Forget the Occupy DC crowds. What's really going to mess up your weekend is Metro's track work schedule.

PSA: the Shaw, U Street-Cardozo and Columbia Heights stations are all going to be closed from Friday at 10 p.m. through Tuesday morning, so if you were planning to take Metro to the Black Cat, stick to the Red Line and get off at Dupont Circle. 

This would be an ideal time to remind y'all of last week's Weekend cover story by Steph and Jess on the best ways to get around town via Capital Bikeshare. This itinerary might be of particular use to anyone headed out to the 14th and U Street corridors. 

Hi, Holly is out today, but I know what she'd say: Corrective Shoe Repair in Dupont. I've trusted them with reviving some of the most expensive things I own (sadly, I'm talking about my shoes), and they're great, if a lil' pricey.  Just make sure you're really specific about what you want, so everyone's clear, just as you would with a tailor.

Thanks for the kind words.

Fiola, the new relatively new place by Maestro's Fabbio Trabocchi, is right on Pennsylvania and has private dining spaces that sound right for your group.

701 would be another fine option in the area. They even have floor plans on their website that show exactly what you are getting with their private rooms.

That's a great two-part memory: Camping out to buy concert tickets! What novelty!

RFK has certainly hosted some big shows over the years; it'd be nice, in a way, to see a show inside the stadium again one of these days, and not just in the parking lot. Don't know if that's in the cards, or who would would opt to play there given more modern options.

One downside: the line to get back into the Stadium-Armory station after a sold-out show. Brutal. 

Riot Act has a great lineup over the next week -- Joe Recca of Def Comedy Jam starts a three-night stand tonight, and Dick Gregory's celebrating his birthday at the club on Sunday night. (Honestly can't believe there are tickets left for that one.)

Dave Attell is at the Improv later in the month if you're looking to plan ahead.

And while it's not straight-up comedy, Mortified -- a night where strangers tell embarrassing true stories from their past -- is often sweetly and strangely hilarious. It's tonight at Town; Tickets are here.

RFK actually had a proud soccer tradition before DC United -- the Dips, the Olympics and, of course, Holland vs. Saudi Arabia at the 1994 World Cup.

Ha! They all run together for me, too.

Pearl Dive seems like a no-brainer, both in terms of ambiance, cuisine and neighborhood. Have you been? Tom Sietsema had plenty of good things to say about Jeff Black's latest. They don't take reservations, however, so plan accordingly. 

How about the bar at Bistrot du Coin? It'll be like a Parisian stopover on your way to dinner. Not great if you want to get lost in conversation with a dining companion because it's so boisterous, but perfect for pre-dinner glass of wine or cocktail. 

I'll second Alex's suggestion -- BdC is right around the corner -- but here's one other idea:

Urbana Restaurant (in the Palomar hotel) is running a special menu to celebtrate the Phillips' new Degas exhibit. I haven't tried it yet, but I like the sound of the Degas' Dance cocktail, which includes vodka, peach schnapps, muddled plums and cranberry juice.  They're running a deal where Phillips ticketholders get a free drink when they purchase an entree. You probably don't need this if you're going to Nora, but just putting it out there.

Haha, I'm with you. I like to dress up for shows at the Kennedy Center, if for no other reason because the only other opportunity to put on a cute cocktail dress is a wedding. Why not dress up for a night, simply because you can? Ticket price is a big part of this; people pay a premium to see a show such as Les Miz, and so it's a major event, a big date, perhaps the only theater some people will see all year.  

For a matinee, I think "casual but smart" (slacks or button-down, or  blazer or dress) is an excellent guiding principal.

I don't know what your budget is, but I tend to view bachelor parties as an occasion to splurge. With that in mind I am going to start off by recommending J&G Steakhouse. It's not exactly in your preferred neighborhoods, but it is the poster child for mixed steak and seafood acumen. Tom's Sietsema's 2010 Dining Guide review begins "It calls itself a steakhouse, but I'm just as apt to go fishing as hunting when I visit this designer creation in the W Hotel from celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten."

Another good alternative would be BLT Steak, which is near Farragut square. Has a steak house vibe with a great raw bar.

For something very different you could try Bistrot Du Coin. It's great for groups, a little lighter on the wallet and can get pretty boisterous. The mussels and monkfish in lemon cream sauce are great and the beef bourguignon and steak frites will fulfill your need for red meat.

Against John Elway and Denver, final score 34-3.

Those were the days. 

Deep breaths -- and a little more information. What do they enjoy? If you can give us a little intel, we'll do our best to come up with an itinerary that will get them out the door...

This sounds like a great way to spend a sunny fall afternoon. Upton Hill in Arlington is awesome, with some challenging holes -- including, they boast "one of the longest mini-golf holes in the world." Just called, and they're scheduled to be open this weekend.

Wow, you're an RFK vet! Love the memory about the Sept. 11 concert. All the concerts you've seen there jogged my memory about seeing my first concert at RFK! I had almost blocked the memory completely -- it was New Kids on the Block.

Great, thank you for the VA recommendation.

Depends on what time you were going, to be honest. My first choice would be the Dogfish Head Alehouse, since (a) the free wifi has been pretty fast for me in the past, and (b) the seasonal Punkin beer is just so good.

You are in luck, Butler's Orchard will be open for Columbus Day and is really close to you.

There is plenty going on this weekend that might work: This month's Nerd Nite sound fun (to us accordian fans, anyway). The Textile Museum is pairing up with the Japan-America Society for a little soiree that might fit the bill. And if you like live music, Juniper Lane is playing at Iota -- always a nice place for a chill evening.

You can always call the day of the show, but the general rule that David and I use for planning -- the one the Cat has been using for years -- is that the first band goes on 30 minutes after doors open and bands go on around an hour apart.

My best guess would be New York Rivals at 9:30, Shining Twins at 10:30 and Evan and co. at 11:30, with the show wrapping up before 1 a.m.

Yeah, any D.C. United game (or Caps game) has an atmosphere that's a complete 180 from, say, Skins-Steelers or Nats-Phils.

I was wondering if we'd get one of these. Certainly not one of the stadium's BEST moments, but not one that anyone will ever forget, I'm sure. 

This sounds awful, particularly because once you're at RFK, you're kind of stuck, as so many people on this chat are fondly recalling.   (I have to say, though, I'm strangely excited to learn that the soccer hooligan phenomenon has arrived on these shores, and can be experienced at RFK... ) 

A nice hike around Roosevelt Island, taking in an IMAX movie at the Air and Space Museum, visiting the National Geographic's exhibit Animal Grossology... is there anything they really like? Can you get out of DC?

And then came the movie with Keanu Reeves...

You're going to have a tough time making it to Lewes in three hours without a lot of speeding involved, which can be hard to do on some of those little one-lane Delaware roads. I'd give yourself 3:30-4. Chatters?

I'm jealous of your day off! Taste of DC could be a fun daytime event for a group.  And you can check out Lavanya's picks for what to eat.

Ah, you didn't specify a time, which is why I mentioned the depending-when-you-go clause. Dogfish can be quiet on a Tuesday once happy hour winds down, but it's more rockin' on a Thursday or Friday. Mad Fox is in a similar situation, though you may be able to grab a table in the bar area for your laptop.

How about an adults-only bon fire and storytelling at Croydon Creek nature center in Rockville?

It's looking like a perfect weekend for the Shirlington Oktoberfest -- 40 brewers, around 100 beers to sample, German food and dancing in the streets. That would be near the top of my list. (Depending on where you are in NoVa, there's an Oktoberfest in Reston, too, and it has carnival rides.)

Congratulations on your tiny person! Love your desire to try to have great dates while you can, particularly cultural ones.  An exhibition you definitely want to see before you have to start pushing is the Corcoran's "30 Americans"  show; this Sunday is an excellent time to go, because you can stay and watch  a film, "Downtown 81," starring Jean-Michel Basquiat; its a  very rare treat.  Another date idea: Taste of DC this weekend.

And just to throw some theater ideas in there, you sould look into checking out Fela! or Lungs, which both got stellar reviews.

Speaking of Fela!, if you like live music, the Fela! band performs tonight at Rock and Roll Hotel - they're really fantastic, fun, and should be a good positive crowd. For those folks who couldn't score tickets to the musical (also, it's the budget-friendly way to *almost* see "Fela!")

Well, the first HOME game that is... they started that season up in Philly!

Joshua Tree or Pop Mart tour?

Thanks for writing; sounds like you really took a chance or two with your wardrobe, and it paid off! That leopard skirt, by the way, is a great option even here in D.C.;   tame it with a  slouchy black sweater and chunky necklace (or the in-vogue arm party), and it's totally D.C. appropriate. 

Ha, love it. I went to the opening game in Philly. The fans weren't as bad as I had feared.

If getting out of the house is priority #1, then you could always go the sports bar route, and here are some ideas for places to go, courtesy of Fritz. Our list of best weekend events might prove helpful, and if festivals are a good bet, then Taste of DC or Shirlington's Oktoberfest might be good options. Good luck!

I think Staunton would be the ideal base for a girls' weekend -- it's a cute little Victorian town with great restaurants, plentiful B&Bs and boutique shopping. (It's home to the all-woman Mary Baldwin College, which helps set the atmosphere.) It's near a number of wineries and breweries, including all the ones in our story. If you're looking for transportation, I would try calling some of the wineries you want to visit, such as Veritas or Afton Mountain, and ask them if there are any limo/van companies they recommend. (I know there are some based out of Charlottesville, but haven't used them.)

For dining -- go to Staunton Grocery. You will thank me. Delicious cooking, local ingredients. All-around great time.

You can always find some Whistler at the Freer Gallery of Art;  the Peacock Room is, of course, always a highlight of visiting that museum.

I'm not sure why they don't do those anymore.

I also remember the old O's/Mets exhibition games at RFK in the pre-Nats days, when they had the awful temporary outfield fence that was like 260 feet from home plate or something ridiculous, so they made it 40 feet high.

My lack of U2 fandom is showing, apparently.

Oh, you know it was. I'm obsessed too. I feel like she dresses how I'd dress if I had a trust fund and people sending me free Dannijo necklaces all the time. Men would be repelled all over the tri-state area. Can I say how teary-eyed i'm getting to find a fellow D.C.  Man Repeller fan?

Ah, okay. For some reason, when I think of U2 and cars, it's a Trabant... hey, and did I mention that there's a parade of Trabants outside the Spy Museum on Nov 5?

You mean the kind with the cheesecake swirl? Those are the best. You can find them at Baked and Wired. They're really special.

Wow.

That might work...

Oh, yes. Forgot about the Blackfriars Playhouse -- a replica of Shakespeare's. Fantastic way to see a play, and really affordable compared to D.C.

Thanks! Folks, the smart reader is referring to the West End Art and Wine Festival, and it sounds pretty great.

That's pretty awesome.

You know, I have friends and acquaintances in their 40s -- with kids, no less -- and I see them out pretty regularly. Not going crazy until 4 a.m. at U Street Music Hall (for the most part) or slamming back shots at the Rock and Roll Hotel, but at more loungey spots, like Room 11, the upstairs of Blackbyrd Warehouse, beer tastings at ChurchKey or Pizzeria Paradiso, the patio of U Street Music Hall... I was at standard last week for beer and currywurst, and yeah, most of the crowd looked to be in their 20s or 30s, but there were plenty of people who looked to be older, and it wasn't as if they were overly conspicuous there. (Maybe at Velvet Lounge DJ nights, but not a wine bar or a cool cocktail spot.)

This is actually something I'm interested in writing about, and I'd love to hear from any 40-something (or older) readers who'd like to share their observations/gripes/experiences. You can reach me at the usual address: fritz.hahn@washingtonpost.com.

The Historic Long Branch wine, balloon and music festival is next weekend; always amazing, great views there, and suprisingly not that far (a little past Purcellville, really).

Ah, 1997 -- when the Brothers and Crystal Method were at the peak of their powers. And I remember those WWC games. Good times.

If you were thinking about taking a road trip this weejend, this sounds like a strangely compelling destination.