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Freshly sworn in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was spotted (and captured in a grainy video by a FOX camera) celebrating with friends and family at Chinatown's Irish Channel Pub on Monday night. That Sotomayor went out dancing and sang karaoke in a local bar makes us supremely happy. We have high hopes that the justice will quickly become a visible fixture in our city. But Sonia, sweetheart, the Irish Channel? The last resort of visiting hockey fans and tourists staying at the Red Roof Inn who have no better ideas of where to go? DCist will admit to knocking a few pints back at the Irish Channel in emergency situations, but nearly every time we've been chased out by the unmistakable ambiance of lonely desperation (or a painfully bad cover band). We have to give props to Sotomayor for looking like she made the best of things and had a great time on Monday, but hopefully after she settles in we can help steer her in the direction of some better bars. What say you, commentariat? Where should the justice hang out?
Sonia Sotomayor Parties at the Irish Channel
Freshly sworn in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was spotted (and captured in a grainy video by a FOX camera) celebrating with friends and family at Chinatown's Irish Channel Pub on Monday night. That Sotomayor went out dancing and sang karaoke in a local bar makes us supremely happy. We have high hopes that the justice will quickly become a visible fixture in our city. But Sonia, sweetheart, the Irish Channel? The last resort of visiting hockey fans and tourists staying at the Red Roof Inn who have no better ideas of where to go? DCist will admit to knocking a few pints back at the Irish Channel in emergency situations, but nearly every time we've been chased out by the unmistakable ambiance of lonely desperation (or a painfully bad cover band). We have to give props to Sotomayor for looking like she made the best of things and had a great time on Monday, but hopefully after she settles in we can help steer her in the direction of some better bars. What say you, commentariat? Where should the justice hang out?
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I've never been to Irish Channel, or ever wanted to go, but an "unmistakable ambiance of lonely desperation"? I'll see you there this weekend, ladies!
She seems like a Rumors kind of gal.
Why is everyone knocking the Irish Channel?? First Reliable Source calls it a dive bar and now you spew contempt. I can't stand most DC bars full of fake people especially those fauz Irish Pubs that look like Disney does Ireland. I like places that are chill, unpretentious and allow you so drink beer, watch sports and talk to real Irish people. The channel is a great lunch time place and has some great bartenders!
But does it have an "unmistakable ambiance of lonely desperation"?
Part of the "unmistakable ambience of lonely desperation" is because Irish Channel is the Red Roof Inn's hotel bar. Hotel bars exist for the sole purpose of getting exhausted, lonely, transient visitors stinko and for no other. It's kinda like a $h!ttier "Lost in Translation" minus the snarky dialog and Scarlett Johannsen's rack.
That said, it's a lot less pretentious and irritating than, say, a certain nearby hotel bar whose staff make it a point to put their friends' drinks on your tab.
Agreed. While the Irish Channel doesn't necessarily have a booming crowd every night, it usually has a decently-sized mix of locals and visitors dropping by for a pint or some food - hardly a lonely place. I live close by, and it's nice place to stop off for a beer because of the draft selection and friendly bartenders - more than you can say for a lot of more popular places.
Maybe she's not such a wise latina after all
yes she does have something to celebrate FoxBot, the DEATH OF FREEDOM and LIBERTY!!!!!!!!!!!
My guess is that Sotomayor learned about Irish Channel through her prosecutor connections. Irish Channel is extremely popular with the police. For at least the last 3 years, it's been the go-to spot during Police Week for out-of-town cops who want to drive drunk in small circles, pee on each other's windshields, and in general act like the sort of people they'd arrest any other week.
Well it sucks during police week and no it does not have an air of lonely desperation. It is also best for weekday lunch. :) And it's also popular among the Judiciary Square crowd, police, lawyers etc.... :) Oh and people who work at the GAO.
I love a good dive bar, but Irish Channel just plain sucks.
The Irish Channel is all right as far as dive bars go, but I think you mistake the smell of chlorine wafting in from the pool for the "unmistakable ambiance of lonely desperation".
Irish Channel is a great hotel bar, but a poor regular bar.
She was probably just meeting her KGB handlers at the hotel and wanted to do some Stoli shots and sing "The Internationale." Who hasn't done that?
As for dive bars, she could do a lot worse than Tune Inn and Trusty's.
Now, now, Sommer. The Irish Channel is *really* not that bad of a bar. I can list about 10 other places off the top of my head within a 2 mile radius of the IC that are far more "depressing."
This warrants Fox News? While I understandably didn't think any of the Supremes were capable of singing OR dancing, much less doing it in a public forum (gasp), this is hardly newsworthy. It merely demonstrates that she's a human being, albeit one with an eclectic taste in watering holes. What I'll be curious to see is whether she goes out with this level of visibility again.
Who's going to be joining me for the inaugural Sonia Sotomayor Sexy Salsa Night at Lucky Bar?
Is this going to become a pattern now? Will Sonia be hitting Trivia Night the day before a search and seizure test case? Or maybe hitting 15 cent wing night with Bryer and Thomas the evening after a long eminent domain hearing? I really hope so.
I want to be on Sonia's Pub Quiz team! That would be awesome. :)
The Honorable Justice should go to Nick Cho's Wrecked Balls Coffee Shop and demand a iced double esspresso. Maybe then we could finally get some resolution in the long-delayed People of the United States vs. Junkpuncher Coffee case.
Sonya, girl? You can do a lot better. Meet me at Remingtons and wear your leather.
D'oh ... That's Sonia!
Get back in the DeLorean Liz.
Family friends of mine run the Irish Channel, and if you're just by judging on its location and atmosphere, I think it's pretty dumb to judge the place as being undistinguished. Good friggin' queso, too.
You're better than this Gawker-esque elitism, DCist. Much better than that.
Phil. Snark lives here.
Five years later and we're still so misunderstood!
So if we can't judge the place based on location and atmosphere, upon what are we supposed to judge Channel Inn? Because nobody goes to Channel Inn for the food. The loudness of their karaoke maybe? The quality of the friggin queso? Because I'll agree with you, their friggin queso is pretty good. It comes in a 30-gallon white drum with the phrase, "FRIGGIN QUESO" stencilled on the side. I use it all the time when I'm feeling romantic and I've run out of Jergins. Ain't nothing wrong with spending a little time with yourself. I put on a little soft music, maybe the Bauhaus classic "She's in Potties (It's in the Can)" and I slide over real nice and say, "I think you have something in your eye." Well, usually around 2:30 in the morning, you've ended up taking advantage of yourself. Yeah, "makin the scene with a magazine" and a fistful of friggin queso. I don't get weird about it. I don't tie myself up or nothing.
Tom Waits for no man, except Monkeyrotica.
Wait, Channel Inn's restaurant has friggin queso? I thought it was just seafood-esque chow for tourists who didn't want to walk all the way to Phillips.
Ok, now I'm never gonna be able to eat the queso ever again. Thank you, monkeyrotica.
I concur, Phil. The Stacks are good folk. Not a better authentic shepherd's pie in town, to go with your Guinness. Slàinte!
c'mon, at least she didn't go to the hard rock cafe!
Actually, that's where she went after closing down the Irish Channel. I hear she was dancing on the bar and flashing people.
i think you heard incorrectly. from what i heard, that was happening at ESPNZone
Dan's Cafe: I'll even buy her a squirt bottle of SoCo and lime if she'll get supremely naughty.
The Irish Channel is an authentic Irish Pub owned and operated by Irish who come from a lineage of Pub owners. It was one of the first places to open as part of the Chinatown area revitalization. It is an excellent pub with excellent bartenders and very good food. I'll admit the music isn't always the best but if you catch a night when Brian Gafney, Andy O'Driscal, Pete Baker or Practically Einstein are playing, you are in for a real treat. Police frequent the bar as the pub is a great supporter of DC law enforcment. As for Police week, it is the closest bar to the FOP Lodge (the epicenter of the event) and a lot of them are staying at the Red Roof or another close by Hotel. As for their behavior. Cops are people to. Don't condemn the bunch for the actions of a few. I like the Channel and recommend it all the time. I like that the Judge went there and had a good time just like anyone else. I hope she and her family come again sometime.
I dont know why everyone is hating on the Irish Channel. I love that place. I always go there for dinner before concerts and games at the Verizon Center. The people there are always really nice and they have people that are actually from Ireland which I think is cool. I don't think of the Channel as a last resort having an "unmistakable ambiance of lonely desperation", that is just inaccurate. I think thats its pretty great.
I think it's really only 25% hating and 75% snark, what can you do. I agree it's a good place to eat and the staff are friendly too.
I wasn't aware that DCist was pretentious enough to verbally bitchslap a place for being what it is. It's a reliable place to get a drink if you work in the area and their fish n' chips aren't terrible.
Fair enough that it might not be the best place for a sitting Supreme Court Justice to get tanked, but I can think of worst places.
DCist is missing the Channel's most redeeming feature. It stays open til DC's closing hour every night, so when the fabulous over priced eateries downtown are long closed, cruise on over and check out the late night vibe.
Apparently our newest Justice already know where to drink all night, any night. Do u?
:-D
The Irish Channel is a great place to eat, drink, and have fun. The staff is frendly and the atmosphere is excellent. I recomended the Irish Channel and I think that Mrs. Sonia made the right decision in choosing the Channel to celebrate her nomination to the Supreme Court.
Well it's obvious to me that Sonia Sotomayor knows where to go to have a good time. I like the Irish Channel; it's a great place with friendly people. Sonia wasn't making the best out of a bad situation..she was having fun which is what you can expect at the Irish Channel - that and great food. There hasn't been a time yet that I've ordered something I didn't like. I recommend it to everyone.
Being attached to a Red Roof Inn is like putting a "Kick Me" sign on your back. It just begs for a snark attack. But I'm heartened to see so many defending this fine establishment. Superficial snark rings hollow when it is ill-informed.
+2 i think the link to 'top users' used to be 'top contributors' but as you can see, that was a misnomer.
OK clearly none of you have ever been there on a Saturday after a Georgetown game because that bar, dirtbag charm and all, can be very fun when filled with people singing ridiculous Karaoke. No one goes there on a Wednesday afternoon and neither should you, but don't knock it unless you've experienced it at its best.