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Word is spreading; Town Hall now in session

By Ryan Gallagher
The Montgomery County Sentinel Nightlife Section
September 7, 2005

“We’re five Adams Morgan guys. We shared a lot of late nights, a lot of laughs and a lot of what ifs,” said Jeremy Carman of his longtime friends/co-workers. He along with Tim Walsh, Paul Holder, Hank Shields and Darrell Green worked for together for years in various D.C. bars before they decided that instead of working for someone else, they should gather together their forces…

…The eager group recently seized the opportunity to put their plan to work and opened Town Hall, their version of a neighborhood bar that offers something different from the usual trap of the overcrowded D.C. scene. …

… As one of D.C.’s growing hot spots, Town Hall is not easy to classify because it embodies the characteristics of a bar, lounge, and restaurant all under one roof. Town Hall offers the setup of a traditional bar, with the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of a lounge accompanied by the diverse and distinguished menu of a quality restaurant…

…Town Hall’s Executive Chef Paul Madrid is not new to the business and was given creative control over his kitchen. Madrid let his intuitions take over and developed a specific vision for his menu, even bringing a little taste of home from southern California. Popular items include the grilled andouille sausage quesadillas, the classic Delmonico as well as the Ahi tuna, which is served within 24 hours of being pulled from the ocean…

The Talk of Glover Park

By Fritz Hahn
Washington Post Weekend Section
Friday, October 7, 2005

Even in the anything-goes world of nightlife, this sounds unlikely: Five guys who've worked at such riotous bars as Tom Tom, McFadden's and Adams Mill Bar and Grill -- favorites of students, interns and kickball squads looking for a post-game pitcher -- join forces to open their own place in Glover Park …

…It's an unlikely scenario, especially because Town Hall is not a nightclub -- at least the way most people think of one. It's a pleasant enough modern American restaurant during the day: Huge plate-glass windows let in a lot of natural light. Soft yellow walls are decorated with arty photos of alternative Washington landmarks such as Ben's Chili Bowl, the Albert Einstein statue and a hand bearing a blurred, inky stamp from the 9:30 club. A heavy dark-wood bar takes up one side of the room, with a long leather banquette along the other. Wide, high-backed booths are an inviting place to sink in, grab a drink and gossip with friends.

Those high, round bar tables and chairlike leather barstools are in place and in use after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays…

…Up a short flight of stairs, there's another dining room with another bar, more chairs and more tables…What surprised me most about Town Hall is that it doesn't have a dance floor or a DJ ... No matter what's playing, the large crowd is clearly here to socialize… We wanted it to be implied in the name Town Hall that this is a meeting place without the pretensions that you find at D.C. nightlife establishments."

Besides dancing, Town Hall avoids a number of other usual trappings -- there's no cover charge, no list, no dress code. (Unofficially, at least; most guys are sporting polo shirts with the optional popped collar or have their oxford shirts tucked into stonewashed jeans. The women, on the other hand, have made an extra effort to look good, with satiny tops, plunging necklines and trendy bags that would fit in at most clubs.) Of course, you can also stop by on Saturday or Sunday afternoons to watch football games on one of the high-definition flat-screen televisions. During the week, a mix of regulars -- again, twenties and thirties with a smattering of older clients -- nurses beers or glasses of white wine at happy hour…

…Despite the weekend bar business, Holder says "the restaurant is a priority. We wouldn't have gone out and gotten an executive chef [Paul Madrid of Paolo's] if it wasn't." Though I haven't had a full meal at the restaurant, I've explored the small plates and found it pays to stick with the spicy -- chicken wings with jerk spices and a crispy golden crust, quesadillas with andouille sausage and sharp cheese. Another nice touch: The full menu is available until 12:30 on Friday and Saturday and 11:30 during the week…

…For such a new establishment, Town Hall is doing a lot of things right. It knows its crowd, it delivers what they want, and they're flocking in droves to take advantage. Soon, we may even start wondering which bar is going to be the next Town Hall

GLOVER PARK: LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
Source: Washington Flyer, Nov/Dec 2005

Just a few steps off the beaten path brings discerning palates to this hearty north-of-Georgetown neighborhood, where denizens are going gaga over the newest kid on the block, the American brasserie Town Hall. What makes this space special is its gung-ho, family-friendly feel, and what keeps locals happy is its soul-satisfying menu. Crispy chicken wings with mango-honey sauce and the grilled andouille sausage quesadilla with Manchego cheese may not be your mother's appetizers, but they give off a home-style, happy vibe. Entrées such as turkey pot pie; Delmonico steak with a gorgonzola crust; pan-roasted pork chop with goat mac-and-cheese and caramelized apples; or a Prosciutto with Fontina cheese and fig spread sandwich sure hit the spot on a cool autumn evening.

TOWN HALL BUSHIES AT THE BAR, AMERICANA AT THE TABLE

…Still, the neighborhood is giving the new place, in the former Saveur space, a chance. On a recent Friday night at dinnertime, empty-nesters and families with young kids supped on trendy comfort food in the yellow-and-brown dining room ... the pan-roasted pork chop with mac and cheese and caramelized apples was the only one that made us sigh. But what a sigh: A forkful of the elegant cream-and-goat-cheese-laden mac with a chunk of salty pork and a wedge of sweet apple was close to bliss.

We’ll be back for another round…
Town Hall (2218 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-333-5640) is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch, Sunday for brunch, daily for dinner. Appetizers $6 to $11, main courses $8 to $23, desserts $7.