Esteemed Cocktail Bar Columbia Room Adds a Spritz Garden in Blagden Alley

High-end cocktail bar Columbia Room is opening a new, Aperol-themed outdoor setup in Blagden Alley it’s calling the Spritz Garden. Starting Wednesday, April 7, the bar will offer Italy’s iconic drink in various forms (read: frozen and low-proof Cynar varieties), with reservations accepted Wednesdays to Saturday. The drinks list includes a Negroni and watermelon Americano (Campari, Dollin Blanc, and watermelon soda). For food, there’s reliable subs from Columbia Room’s pandemic-era pop-up Your Only Friend, plus a short list of drinking snacks. Adorned with bright umbrellas, the alfresco addition aims to conjure European alleyway vibes with greenery and a mural from local artist Kathrine Campagna. Four dedicated tables on the street sit below its rooftop, which also opens at 5 p.m. To whet palates, there’s a virtual cocktail class ($75) on Saturday, March 27, led by Bourbon Steak alum Duane Sylvestre.

In other news...

• Tiki dive Whitlow’s on Wilson will close at the end of June after a 26-year run along its eponymous Clarendon strip after lease renegotiation efforts fizzled. The brand is on the prowl for a new home, the team adds on social media.
• There’s a little time left to vote for FishScale co-owner Brandon Williams in an online competition for “Favorite Chef” competition. The prize: $50,000 and a featured spot in Bon Appétit.
• Adams Morgan brasserie Mintwood Place rounds out Women’s History month with a three-course collab with Catoctin Creek Distillery, Loudoun County’s revered whisky maker led by Becky Harris. The two-night boozy dinner ($50 per person, $75 with cocktail pairings) on Friday, March 26, and Saturday, March 27, donates a portion of proceeds to House of Ruth.

Holly Barzyk/Mintwood Place

• Navy Yard’s Puerto Rican all-day cafe La Famosa rolls out a special pre-game menu when the nearby Nationals play at home this season. The affordable lineup ($3-$8) includes drinking snacks like adobo-seasoned pork rinds and tamarind-glazed pork shanks, plus mini piña coladas and Medalla beers by the can.

General Design Co./La Famosa