Concept Restaurants & Bars: Food for Thought.

January 30, 2011

Entry for Saturday, 1/22/11

Subject: Food & Inspiration

On Friday night, I went out to dinner and later for drinks in Arlington, VA. My friend and I had decided upon a brand new restaurant named “Sushi Rocks.” They define their establishment as a “modern take on two things that just about everyone seems to enjoy in their lives; fun music and sharing good food and drink together.” One of the first things I did before heading to the restaurant was visit their website.

Below is a screenshot for http://www.sushirockdc.com/

Located @ 1900 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201

I would never would associate “sushi” with “rock” music but upon further thought, I recalled there being a similar restaurant named Kobe, located underneath The Belvedere in Baltimore, MD. Unlike “Sushi Rock,” Kobe Cafe (no longer in business) managed to marry the new “techno” vibe and atmosphere with traditional Japanese decor and tradition. Below is a menu (autographed by actor and comedian David Alan Grier):

Sushi Rock was a rock-themed restaurant and bar with a live DJ (who essentially served as a human Rock ‘N Roll jukebox) that just happened to serve sushi. As for the menu, everything from appetizers to desserts had clever rock music names. For instance, the traditional rainbow roll was called the “Phish Train.” Witty, huh? Now for the pictures. The restaurant was incredibly dark, so I did my best when snapping shots with my iPhone 4.

Picture 1: Menu Shaped like an Electric Guitar & Picture 2: Our Dessert, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”

Picture 3: Light Fixtures Made of Cymbals & Picture 4: Guitar & Chain Decor Underneath Stairs

Picture 5: The Sink Was a Bright Work of Art & Picture 6: A Naked Lenny Kravitz Appears Peeps

The next place we went was called the Galaxy Hut, only a few minutes away by car. It’s a tiny hipster bar with brightly painted ceilings, artwork-adorned walls, and interesting clientele. Below is a screenshot of the restaurant/bar’s website:

The vibe there was very chill and accommodating, but because of its size, it was packed. We ended up finding seats at the bar and below are a couple of pictures I took.

I sat underneath an arrow directing people where to purchase drinks.

Lens: Kaimal Mark II, Film: Pistil, Flash: Cadet Blue Gel

The Hipster Staple: PBR / Hipstamatic App, Film: Kodot XGrizzled

Writer/director/hipster royalty has her own canned champagne (straw included)

The night was fun and stimulating on many sensory levels. Good music, good food, good company, and good drinks. I’m still a little shocked that Niebaum-Coppola Winery, owned by film director Francis Ford Coppola, has produced mini cans of sparkling champagne (named after Mr. Coppola’s daughter, Sofia) in pink, and specifically targeted it toward the nightclub crowd. I tried some, and I must say, it’s most certainly an acquired taste. Very interesting/inspiring design concept though – which is one of the reasons I documented it with a photograph!