Live Q&As

If you want to mix up the usual bar meet-up, what about darts and pool? Or bowling?

I'm going to start with a non-NYE question, simply because I love the premise. (But seriously, what's wrong with celebrating 1/11/11, 11/1/11 or even 11/11/11?)

If you don't sweat the address, I think Room 11 is the natural destination here, and they're open with no cover on New Year's Eve. Eleventh in Clarendon is another prime idea.

Address wise, try Brasserie Beck (1101 K Street) or Capitol City Brewing Company downtown (1101 New York Avenue). Not perfect, but the best I can come up with.

I bet they're talking about the Brightest Young Things NYE party at Bohemian Caverns, which has DJs Chris Burns and Mike "Italians Do It Better" Simonetti spinning house and disco upstairs in Liv, local bands (inc. the Dance Party, Laughing Man and Bellman Barker) playing covers on the main floor, and a gay dance party with DJs from Mixtape and Homo Hotel Happy Hour in the Caverns basement.

The event's sold out, though I'm told they may release a few more tickets; watch the @byt twitter stream for info.

If you want a "normal" night, I think your best bet is Penn Quarter. You've got Iron Horse Tap Room or Rocket Bar for skeeball, pool and darts, or R.F.D. for beers -- all open with no cover charge or minimums.

Here are our favorite skating rinks in the area. As for hot chocolate, I'm partial to ACKC, but Lavanya has a whole slew of suggestions for you here.

Less crowded? On New Year's Eve? Ain't gonna happen. I'd say stick with lower-key spots like Bedrock, Toledo, maybe Bourbon or Pharmacy, none of which has a cover. Bourbon has some killer deals planned, though, including half-price wines, half-price Willett bourbon (my favorite) and happy hour prices on beers all night.

I may not be the best person to answer this since I'm totally averse to fashion rules (navy and black is like my favorite color combo, for example), but Holly is out so you're stuck with me! I love white jeans in winter, and I've seen more and more people doing it, so I say go for it.

For a nice cocktail in NOVA, you won't beat the PX or the Majestic in Alexandria, both of which will be open tomorrow night. The PX is almost booked, but ever-reliable bartender Clinton Terry tells me that they will have some barstools available for walk-ins, and he'll be pouring some special sparkling drinks for the occasion. The Majestic down the street has turned into one of my favorite watering holes in Virginia. Reasonable prices for some fantastic seasonal cocktails.

That depends....are you planning on bringing veils, candy necklaces and anatomically correct straws? Or are you a more low-key crew?

When are your parents coming?

There are actually a few opera groups in the area including Bel Cantanti Opera (with performances Jan. 2, 8 and 9 in Rockville) and Wolf Trap Opera Company.

And if you are willing to try other venues in the city, I'd suggest checking out the Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program performing Jan. 28 at Georgetown U. Best part? It's free! Also, the In Series is presenting Ernesto Lecuona’s "Maria la O" beginning Jan. 8 at the Source.

Busboys and Poets should fit the bill. All locations are doing a pajama brunch (yes, PJs are encouraged) starting at 9.

Wow. You do know how hard that's going to be, right? New Year's Eve is the night when people who don't usually go out, so bars are twice as packed as usual. A group of 20 showing up at once may overwhelm most bars, and you could wind up with some people inside while some people wait in line to get in.

With that many people, your options are going to be Iron Horse Tap Room or Rocket Bar. I'd lean towards the latter, since it doesn't feel as claustrophobic, and it can hold around 200 people on both floors. (Realize that the bar would have to be at only 90 percent capacity for your group to have a chance of getting in together without busting fire code.)

Not sure where you guys are, but I actually ran into a 16-year-old celebrating his birthday last night at Monster Mini Golf in Columbia. He had maybe a dozen friends and they were having a blast.

I'm pretty big on the Ultimate New Year's Eve Gala, which features comedian Donnell Rawlings (the versatile actor who played Ashy Larry and one of the Player Haters on "Chappelle's Show") and the Spur of the Moment band, plus other comics and musicians, for less than $50.

You definitely do not need to buy a ball gown. Theater-goers (even at the Kennedy Center) will wear all kinds of things, from jeans to nice dresses. The after-party should be a good time, too, especially if you're looking for something on the classy side.

Sassy!

The other big -- read "sponsored by the Caps" -- party is at Union Jack's in Ballston, with Slapshot, giveaways that include a stick signed by the team, etc. They're saying they're going to have the game on all TVs.

But you've identified a real problem -- many places that are ostensibly Caps bars near the Phone Booth, like Redline or the Penn Quarter Sports Tavern, are going to be showing bowl games on Jan. 1. I'd expect them to turn a TV or three to the Caps, but not give it the attention that the Drafthouse or Union Jack's will.

No need to freeze outside! Go to the Frostival at Dulles Expo Center and celebrate a bit early. And if you are willing to drive to Baltimore there are kid-friendly parties at Port Discovery and the Maryland Science Center.

Quarry House is going to be open with low or no cover, and McGinty's has live music and a champagne toast for $15. But I have to say that if I was spending NYE in Silver Spring, the only place I'd be would be Sidebar -- $65 for an open bar from 8 to 2, free bar snacks, and some of the best cocktail bartenders in Montgomery County mixing my drinks? Yes please.

Thanks for sharing!

Well, there's Annapolis....

But no, no fireworks in D.C. officially this year, but I'm sure the good people of Columbia Heights will shoot a few off anyway.

You can also go to Baltimore!

A carefully thought-out argument for white jeans in winter.

Red Palace has a burlesque show this year with artists from New York and D.C., though there will also be some sideshow business -- fireeaters, sword swallowers, etc.

Town's big party opens with a special drag show featuring Tatianna (from "RuPaul's Drag Race") followed by dancing until 4 a.m.

My favorite Adams Morgan brunch is still Bourbon's -- the Kentucky Hot Brown is brilliant at soaking up all the booze from the night before. They're serving brunch all day on Saturday.

Justin and I have a big blog post on New Year's Day brunch and bowl options going up tomorrow, but my favorite has to be the brunch at Firefly: $3 bloody marys and mimosas from noon to 6.

You could try adding a visit to the Willard Hotel, where they had some spectacular Christmas decorations up,   near tjhe White House. And for a parent-proof restaurant, how about Old Ebbitt Grill -- it has American food, hearty portions and a warm feeling. And if I could tack on one more stop -- I'd say the American Art Museum (yes, totally out of the way in Chinatown). The Norman Rockwell show is very much in keeping with the spirit.

My pick for an event would be Soul Monkey at Sticky Rice -- an all-star DJ lineup (Meistro, Deep Sang, Joe L., Juan Zapata, etc.) spinning house and funk tunes for a crowd that winds up dancing on the bar and the booths by the end of the night. $5 cover, and the place fills up very fast (doors open at 9:30).

For no-pressure NYE, Biergarten Haus is open as usual. The outdoor fireplaces/fire pits aren't ready yet, but the back patio is tented and heated and was pretty nice the other night. Fruit Bat is going to be open, and you may get a sneak peek of the upstairs spot, Church and State, that's opening in January. Argonaut has DJ P.Vo with no cover and a champagne toast. Pug is open, of course.

Bars with $$$ open bars include Little Miss Whiskey's, Jimmy Valentine's, Star and Shamrock and the Rock and Roll Hotel.

Sorry friend. That's rough. But 2011 is a new year, and there are all kinds of fun things to do this weekend. I was actually just chatting with some ladies from the Phillips Collection, and they were telling cute stories about couples meeting while looking at art. Bonus: they currently have a terrific photography exhibition. You should really just do the things you love, though. If you like comedy, spend some time with Washington Improv Theatre; if you're into music, catch some jazz at 9:30 Club. Or just enjoy the warmer weather and go for a stroll.

It's all over the area, with cab companies in all counties participating.

You cannot plan a ride ahead of time -- they dispatch a cab when you call. The caveat is that when I used the service last year, it took about an hour for the cab to arrive because of delays.

I just went to Lyon Hall for brunch and would definitely recommend it, especially the poached eggs with autumn squash. Delish.

Yeah, options really seem limited this time of year, but I think it just requires more inventiveness. I like your ice-skating idea, you could always follow it up by swinging up to Oyamel for some spiked (or not) Mexican hot cocoa; a lot of folks also bundle up and go practice their swing at Top Golf in Alexandria -- it's open year round and actually is pretty cool-looking in the winter.  Comedy is popular with a lot of people on a first date; if you can get to a Speakeasy storytelling show early and get a good seat, they're a ton of fun (the next one is January 11). And art openings are a cool way to begin an evening, before you head off for a glass of wine; next Thursday, there's a good one at Sova Espresso and Wine, which kind of kills two birds with one stone, no? I like a good walk if the weather is nice enough, because you can actually talk; you could always visit a memorial you've always meant to visit and haven't, or explore  Rock Creek Park in the winter, maybe even take cameras. Then, if all goes well, go grab a bite to eat. 

Sure, you can always send us your event at events@washingtonpost.com.  Be sure to include Web sites, contact phone number, price and all the other essentials.

I'm not doing it this year, but my all-time favorite New Year's was grabbing a low-key dinner in Dupont followed by darts at Buffalo Billiards. No cover, fun games, good company and champagne at midnight.

I am going to be in Pittsburgh for the Winter Classic. All I want for New Years is for the Caps to win! Well, no rain would be nice too.

Good friends, good drinks, good music. It seems pointless to ask for anything more -- unless it means I could get a cab home at 4 a.m. without having to fight fir it.

How about Dodge City for Soul Call Paul's mix of '60s soul/girl groups/R&B? It's free, though I dunno if it will be crazy packed. (This is their first NYE, so I have nothing to base it on.) The Sticky Rice party I mentioned earlier will get its share of late 20s-early 30s. I'd be shocked if Lucky Bar is overrun by 22-year-olds. (They'll all be at Midtown next door.)  It's a little divey, though. And I am willing to be the Vicars and Tarts party at Commonwealth will be a blast -- free admission, late-night food and drinks, plus a DJ.

Sorry -- hit send too soon. But my big pick for you would be the Passenger, which is cooking up special cocktails for the occasion and turning the adjacent Warehouse Theatre into a DJ'd dance party. Only $5 to get in, too.

Friday and Saturday are free according to the nice people at the Department of Public Works. As someone who once lived on Capitol Hill, I can promise you that once you head into the neighborhood you won't have any trouble finding a spot.

How about dancing? The Swing dancing might be too vigorous, but Glen Echo's annual New Year's Eve bash fits the bill in all the other ways -- family friendly, no alcohol, and totally festive. 

Room 11 comes to mind. Wisdom is doing a Mad Men themed-party with marini and gin specials, which should be fun. The bar at Rasika will be open.

The Gibson, too, though that's now a $130-per-person open bar party, so that might be more than you want to spend.

Awww, don't cry. Besides, those types of comments are not limited to the fashion chat.

Churchkey ($150, all the beer you can drink, plus hors d'oeuvres) and the Gibson ($130, open bar cocktails and food) are probably top of the list.

If you want to keep it neighborhoody (along the lines of Duffy's), I would mind doing the open bars at Tonic ($40 for beer and wine only, $60 for top-shelf liquor), 1905 ($70, open all night), or the Star and Shamrock ($70 in advance, $80 at the door)

You seem to echo what a lot of people are realizing this year: It's really easy to get let down when you pour hundreds of dollars into one amazing night. You might have a lot more fun at one of the free parties listed in today's NYE blog post. Some, like Science Club, will even let you buy open-bar access for a pretty paltry $25.

This is so sweet! I can't think of any specific event, but a good starting point would be your county's volunteer web site. Just about every county has one (example: Fairfax) and they are great resources.

I am really curious myself. They told me that they're limiting ticket sales to keep things comfortable, but they're not guaranteeing seats, so...

I think it will be doable because there are still tickets left, and and in the current economic climate, I think there are many people who are wondering whether spending $150 is a wise move, which should leave plenty of elbow room for the people who do pay.

I like the sound of New Year's Day Brunch at Cashion's -- $30 for pastries, coffee, an entree, a mimosa or bloody mary.

Bottomless cocktails at Masa 14 sound pretty good, too, and Birch and Barley will have a special menu as well. As I said earlier in the chat, we're posting a big list of deals on the blog tomorrow, so please check back.

I'm fairly practical, but I think you'll have a much better time if you just wear your warmest cute coat over your strapless dress and strappy shoes. Almost every place you'll go (that is nice, anyway) will have a coat check -- just bring cash to tip your friendly coat check guy/gal.

Not sure where you are, but I sugget going to the Frostival at Dulles Expo Center.

Continental, Galaxy Hut, ireland's Four Courts, Eventide and Murky Coffee all come to mind. (Continental and Galaxy Hut have video games and jukes; Continental also has pool, darts and BBH.) Rustico or Fire Works are good for pizza and microbrews. I'm curious to see how the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill is going to be in the spring. Right now, it's pretty promising.

A lot of places at National Harbor are on the pricey/overly fancy side, but I had a good Thai meal at the relatively simple Thai Pavilion (I'd call to be sure they're not booked up); Elevation Burger seems low-maintenence as well.

P.J. Clarke's is a weird space, because it doesn't have a built-in neighborhood audience the way Stoney's or Kramerbooks or Meridian Pint do, with people living all around them. Even when I've been to P.J. Clarke's on a Tuesday night at 9 p.m., it feels like it's all people who have been hanging in the bar since 5 and haven't gone home yet. I guess I'm trying to say that if enough people think, "Let's go to P.J. Clarke's," it could be kinda awesome. If not, it will be dead.

For low-key dinner and drinks, I think we've mentioned a ton of places already, but I'll post another link to today's list of free/no cover New Year's Eve parties.

Okay, that has me sold, since I just tweeted the other night about how great it was to see him behind the bar.

(Krishna Ramasundar, btw, is one of my favorite bartenders of all time in D.C. Worked at Aroma in Cleveland Park when most of today's scene mixologists were drinking Natty Light, and is fantastic at concocting your perfect drink with a couple of quick questions.)

Ah, yes, that would be a bit of a drive. In that case I would head to Baltimore and go to the Port Discovery Children's Museum or the Maryland Science Center. Both have kid-friendly fun going on all day. You can also head to the Great Kids Village in Silver Spring and check out the Grandsons Jr. who are performing for NYE.

Oh and for what it is worth, I interviewed a family whose nearly-two-year-old had a blast last year at Frostival.

1905 is super moody and cool, and the NYE dinner doesn't seem too pricey; the price-fixed 4-course menu is $65, and you can add an open bar after 10 p.m. for $35. I'd call ahead however, because it's intimate, and well, we're getting very close to New Year's.

Lavanya thinks we should send you to Glover Park for the evening -- she's from Texas and thinks you'd have a good time. Try Bourbon, which has half-price wines and bourbons and happy hour beer specials all night, and falls just in your age group. I also like Breadsoda, which is a little livelier (I think there's going to be a DJ), with pool and shuffleboard and cool people.

Just more advice for the lady in red.

It's really that small -- capacity 48 -- but there are three sit-down video games, including a '70s pinball table that I really love. Worst part of no longer being in Arlington: No sandwiches from Earl's, no happy hour at Galaxy Hut, no dinner at the bar at Liberty Tavern. Le sigh.

Dunno about anywhere tonight (sorry!) but Sam is spinning at the Little Miss Whiskey's/Jimmy Valentine's New Year's Eve party, and is at Eighteenth Street Lounge every Sunday night -- and there's no cover and happy hour prices until 11 p.m.