Greg Otto, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – There is a quote attributed to Alexander Hamilton that reads: “The power over a man’s subsistence is power over his will.”
The people at Clyde’s Restaurant Group may have misread that quote, substituting “sustenance” for “subsistence.” It may be the only reasoning behind “The Hamilton,” a massive, 24-hour restaurant-cum-music hall set to open its doors in downtown D.C. later this month.
The 37,000-square-foot space, which previously housed a Borders, has been fitted to attract foodies and music lovers to an area of the District that is normally desolate once office hours pass.
“There’s no entertainment in this part of town,” says Tom Meyer, president of Clyde’s Restaurant Group.
Instead of becoming a feature of a burgeoning neighborhood, Meyer may have condensed a neighborhood social scene into one building.
Upon entering, customers will filter into a grandiose main area, filled with custom-made chandeliers and a large mahogany bar fitted with 20 beer taps, which will feature bar staples like Guinness and Miller Lite along with local beers from Charlottesville’s Starr Hill and Baltimore’s Clipper City.
The first dining room is lined with banquette tables surrounded by meticulously framed photos of birds from a limited edition Audubon collection the group purchased specifically for the restaurant.
The rest of the room is flanked by seating Meyer calls “snugs,” booths that come with a set of swinging doors that diners can close to create their own cozy dinner space.
Another room back will have patrons surrounded by another finely crafted wooden bar (this time made of oak) that sits near the restaurant’s sushi station, where former Zentan chef Jason Zheng will be serving up everything from the usual California roll to pieces of sea urchin sashimi.
Stepping through yet another corridor brings diners to a massive main dining room decorated by a number of large bird paintings, including an enormous toucan mural painted by Hunt Slonem.
A stairwell leading below the dining area turns into an intimate concert space, complete with its own seating and menu. If seating sells out at an event, there are two standing areas flanked by bars where music fans will be able to enjoy a show.
Meyer expects the venue to host all kinds of acts, from jazz to R&B to rock, evidenced by the large portraits of Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Tupac Shakur he plans to hang throughout the concert space.
Meyer beamed about the possibilities within the music space Thursday, speaking about the previous night’s test of the light system, which he called “over the moon.” The lights will be done by the same company that tours with jam band Widespread Panic.
Despite his wanting to fill the calendar with all sorts of acts, Meyer expects The Hamilton’s music lineup to attract a different set of music fans than clubs like the 9:30 Club or The Black Cat.
“Those places are great, it’s a great experience,” Meyer says. “But when you get to be my age, standing up for three-and-a-half hours is not so attractive to me anymore. I mean I’ll do it, but I would kind of like a chair and someone bringing me a drink.”
The fourth bar housed in The Hamilton is tucked away on the third floor and will house a piano, filling the room with a speakeasy vibe. Meyer expects this room to be a late-night haven, hosting various after-parties and private events.
The menu mimics the size of the space, with 14 pages covering every meal period of the day and listing breakfast and lunch regulars like omelets and burgers. However, the late-night menu may be the most adventurous, featuring roasted bone marrow with mushroom-onion marmalade and sea salt or ramen noodles with pork belly, poached egg, scallions, enoki mushrooms and nori.
Or you could just jump to the dessert menu, which features items like “Chocolate St. Louis Gooey Cake” and sticky buns the size of an iPad.
Meyer, who has been a D.C.-area resident for 30 years, is excited about bringing a fresh, fun idea to the town he loves.
“There’s nothing like (The Hamilton) in town,” Meyer says.
“We’re having some fun. Sticking the venue with the 24-hour thing, with sushi till 2 a.m., it’s just a different thing going on in town right now. It’s not just another restaurant that opened.”
The Hamilton opens for dinner Dec. 18. The first musical act will be Mavis Staples on Jan. 19. Tickets and menus are available on The Hamilton’s website.
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