We’re rerunning Fitsum’s 10 year annivesaire piece to remind you of why you should come and celebrate the best bar on 18th street at their birthday party tonight.
Hard to believe that it was way back 1998 when I first overheard some folks talk up a new bar in Adams Morgan. European labels and microbrews were mentioned, at prices ranging from pretty cheeep to for real?
First of all, Adams Morgan?
I was in high school the last time Adams Morgan didn’t blow. I figured I’d take my cynical ass over to get a taste of the oasis before it got turned out like the rest of the neighborhood cheap tricks.
Friends who beat me to it went on and on about the decor. One of my friends, who let’s just say never met a buzz he didn’t like, loved to bug out over the pills encased in the tables. He would pick at them the same way my little sister once scratched at a t-bone steak on tv when she was 2 years old. The drug theme and the cryllic signage are due to owner Kristaps Kreslins‘ latvian heritage and his pharmacist grand dad. The latvian shout out extends to everything from half of the jukebox selection to the semi-giant flag chilling by the entrance. I was having a Guinness once, after work, while Kreslins was at the next table filling out an application for some latvian summer camp in Wisconsin or something for his kid(s?)
That was some jukebox tho. The only one of consequence in D.C. Might still be. It contained a rotating hodge podge of latvian pop (I can’t tell if that stuff is contemporary or some eastern euro Serge Gainsbourgh old school appeal type shit), local independents and all types metal. Nuff metal. This wonder machine gave me the solid work experience I needed for composing $20 setlists at DC9, Palace of Wonders and elsewhere. Unlike the others, the Pharmacy’s box never had a “play your song first” feature, not that there were many skip-worthy tracks.
Kristaps also gave a name to my preferred pour of Guinness draught; straight with no settle time. “Detroit-style”. Fuck yeah.
I made a point of either eating lunch or dinner, in or take out, at the bar, working my way through their catalog of giant club sandwiches. Loved how the juice from the hot peppers on the side would leak all over the potato chips and onto a bit of the sandwich bread. In 2000, I actually lost a tongue ring eating their titan roast beef club. It happenned just a few hours after a successful job interview, so I was doubly psyched. Employment. Sandwich. Mmmmmmmm.
“I 86′d the kitchen, man”.
There.
The low point of last monday night’s packed 10th anniversary party at the Pharmacy Bar. For me, anyway. Something about the cost of staying up to spec. Even as Kristaps walked away to hug old friends goodnight, I was feeling the bad news pretty deeply.
Quickly. Another pint. Detroit
It was also the second hot monday night party in a row.
April 2, 2008 at 6:44 pmJesus crap. When I left DC in 1990, this place wasn’t even a gleam in anyone’s eye, and Adams Morgan was much more dungeon-like. Since I’ve been back (3ish years), I’ve walked by this place a million times, on my way somewhere, and always vowed to get my ass in there NEXT TIME. It just vibes of something better than the neighbors.
April 2, 2008 at 7:17 pmYou usually can’t argue with a jukebox that has a constantly rotating selection of local artists and also a really good metal selection. I’ve played High on Fire and Darkest Hour songs countless times here….
Plus, I’ve discovered rad Latvian bands like Skyforger because of that juke. I love you Pharmacy Bar.
April 3, 2008 at 7:13 amYou all should invest in an application with spell check.
March 31, 2009 at 9:24 am
This place rocks, good report meng.
I love going somewhere in AM that sucks with people from out of town or that are generally clueless, and then about 11:45 when everybody’s bored of the BS we go to Pharmacy and it’s pitchblack, cold, cozy and relaxing. It’s like methadone.
April 2, 2008 at 3:57 pm