Best of: Venues

Trivia Bar
WINNER
Ireland’s Four Provinces
“When I think I make it average, people say I’ve made it too hard,” says Ireland’s Four Provinces pub quiz manager, Amy Smith. Couldn’t have anything to do with the abundance of competition, could it? Smith’s 30-question quizzes, held Wednesdays at 9 p.m., attract about 40 five-member teams a week, although she says the most they’ve ever had is 92. There are prize giveaways in the vein of beer cozies and key chains, but Smith suspects the quiz’s eight-and-a-half-year run is driven more by a sense of vengeance. “There are hated teams that win quite a bit,” she says. 105 W. Broad St., Falls Church; 703-534-8999; www.4psva.com—SA

RUNNER-UP
Ireland’s Four Courts
2051 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-525-3600; www.irelandsfourcourts.com

HONORABLE MENTION
Ri-Ra
2915 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-248-9888; www.rira.com

Dive Bar
WINNER
Ashburn Pub
“Ninety-five percent of the people we know already. The other 5 percent we’ll know before they leave,” Ashburn Pub bartender Tor Cristofano says. That seems to be enticement enough, since management of this minimalist hole in the wall otherwise keeps things simple. Burgers and “Beaver” chicken wings—named after a regular with the last name who years ago invented the secret ingredient—are the most requested items on the American pub-style menu. “When you come in to have a drink, you wind up staying for four or five and something to eat,” Cristofano says. 44110 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, Unit 196, Ashburn; 703-724-0755—SA

CO-RUNNER-UP
Galaxy Hut
2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-525-8646; www.galaxyhut.com

CO-RUNNER-UP
Jay’s Saloon & Grille
3114 N. 10th St., Arlington; 703-527-3093

Comedy Club
WINNER
Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse
On nights the Drafthouse isn’t showing a discounted second-run release, it’s showcasing a blend of local talent and national headliners in a room featuring elevated seating, comfy office chairs and tableside service. Recent big names have included Kristen Schaal from HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords” and Jennifer Coolidge (aka, Stifler’s mom). 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington; 703-486-2345; www.arlingtondrafthouse.com—SA

Music Venue
WINNER
Birchmere
Passing by, if you blink, you’ll miss this outwardly nondescript music venue housed on Mount Vernon Avenue. The Birchmere has long held a spot on the radars of those who know their folk, blues and jazz artists—like Ray Charles, who played his last-ever show at the venue’s dinner-theater-style hall in 2003. “Sometimes our ticket prices are high but you’re right there sitting 20 foot from [the artists],” says owner Gary Oelze, who opened the venue 44 years ago. “If I’d planned it, it never would have happened.” 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria; 703-549-7500; www.birchmere.com—SA

RUNNER-UP
Wolf Trap
1645 Trap Road, Vienna; 877-WOLFTRAP; www.wolftrap.org

HONORABLE MENTION
Iota Club & Cafe
2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-522-8340; www.iotaclubandcafe.com

Billiards
CO-WINNER
Bungalow Billiards
While the Chantilly establishment boasts the most with 13 tables, all the Bungalow locations’ turfs “get a lot of real estate, and they get a lot of play,” according to CFO Daniel Bishop. Leagues swarm the Chantilly location on Tuesdays and the Franconia establishment on Wednesdays. Otherwise, anyone can cue up for about $5 an hour, depending on time of day. Multiple NoVA locations; www.bungalow4u.com—SA

CO-WINNER
Carpool
A happy hour watering hole that doubles as a rentable party space, Carpool’s 10 billiard tables and four shuffleboard cost between $4 and $6 hourly but bump up to $5 to $10 Thursday through Saturday after 7 p.m. 4000 Fairfax Drive, Arlington; 703-532-7665; www.gocarpool.com—SA

Happy Hour
WINNER
Dogfish Head Alehouse
Word got out on Dogfish Head Alehouse some time ago, so space at the bar for the 4-7 p.m. weekday happy hours ($1.50 off all wood-grilled pizzas and appetizer, $1.50 off all nine to 14 Dogfish draft beers, $1 off all mixed drinks and wine) can be scarce. That said, the deals carry throughout the entire Fairfax and Falls Church locations—owner Martin Bryan insists it would be unfair to confine them to the cocktail areas. Multiple NoVA locations; www.dogfishalehouse.com—SA

RUNNER-UP
Ashburn Pub

HONORABLE MENTION
Hunan Number One, Clarendon
3033 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-528-1177; www.hunanone.com

HONORABLE MENTION
Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge
11927 Democracy Drive, Reston; 703-437-0800; www.greatamericanrestaurants.com

Museum
WINNER
National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Space and flight buffs gladly fork over the $15 parking fee for a 3-D look at hundreds of sky-craft artifacts, engines, entire jet bombers, helicopters and space shuttles at this 10-story-high Smithsonian site. Three levels of corridors allow visitors to walk the length of vessels, hung mid-air, as well as beneath them for a belly-up view of cockpits and wings. Following a free tour, an Airbus IMAX Theater, flight simulator and observation tower for viewing Dulles Airport traffic round out any given daytrip. 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly; 703-572-4118; www.nasm.si.edu—SA

Karaoke
WINNER
Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant
A rotating cast of four K-jays take the mic each Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9 p.m. When they do, it’s a shot of vocal adrenaline to a drinking establishment that already makes something of a loud statement. Decked out in disco balls, shore kitsch and Barbie doll decor, Freddie’s lays claim to “a really high caliber of karaoke singers,” manager Ray Martin says. “We have some really good singers in here, and of course we have some really bad ones.” 555 23rd St. S., Arlington; 703-685-0555—SA

Martini Bar
CO-WINNERS
PX
NoVA’s only 1920s-inspired speakeasy oozes exclusivity, with limited seating, hand-squeezed juices, house-made bitters and no address listed on its own webpage. Last March, head mixologist Todd Thrasher brought home first in the 42Below Cocktail World Cup with a lime-thyme syrup-inspired sipper. 728 King St., Alexandria; 703-299-8385; www.restaurant eve.com/eamonns/PX—SA

CO-WINNERS
Willow
Willow’s top-selling martini is the Willow Continental, a bourbon-based drink splashed with cherry juice and bitters. Going a step further, says director of operations Brian Wolken, are the bar’s “flavor profiles”—aerator-created layers of foam that float atop their liquid concoctions. If either option tickles your palate, check out their “Martini Institute” courses throughout the year. For $35, participants are treated to five tapas course and five sample-sized martinis. 4301 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington; 703-465-8800; www.willowva.com—SA

Dance Club
WINNER
Clarendon Ballroom
While Clarendon Ballroom’s wait for the rooftop bar and patio can exceed half an hour, all it takes is a $5-$10 cover charge and a bit of elbow maneuvering to enjoy stage proximity for first-floor dancing. Management brings in local bands on occasion, but on nights with DJs, expect standard Top-40 and ‘80s fare. Drinks are de rigueur, but bar service is consistent and speedy. 3185 N. Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-469-2244; www.clarendonballroom.com—SA

Live Theater
WINNER
Signature Theatre
Tickets that tend to be priced markedly lower than average Kennedy Center seats, a sweeping second-floor lobby with splashy bar, and a 2009 Tony Award win for regional theater make Signature a no-brainer “Best of.” The venue’s known for its collaborations with musical theater mastermind Stephen Sondheim and its reinvigorations of revue classics, such as the recently produced “Sweeney Todd.” Now showing is world premiere musical “Sycamore Trees” and “[title of show],” a meta-musical starring two struggling writers writing about struggling writers. ¶ Signature’s 2010 open house is scheduled for July 16. “That’s a phenomenal day for Signature,” says managing director Maggie Boland. “With free events all day long, performances outside and inside, every nook and cranny of the building.” 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington; 703-820-9771; www.sig-online.org—SA

Sports Bar
WINNER
Mister Days, Arlington
An at-times dizzying array of more than 100 flat-screens broadcast all sports, all the time during the day at Mister Days, which morphs into a thumping dance scene during the weekend evening hours. And while patrons may complain about the crowds and long wait time it can take to flag down a bartender, this place is situated smack dab in the center of Clarendon—making it convenient for its target demographic of recent college graduates, who always seem to find themselves coming back for more. 3100 N. Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; 703-527-1600; www.misterdays.com—SA

RUNNER-UP
Crystal City Sports Pub
529 23rd St. S., Arlington; 703-521-8215; www.ccsportspub.com

HONORABLE MENTION
Champps
Multiple NoVA locations; www.champps.com

Open Mic/Poetry Reading
WINNER
Busboys & Poets
Poet-in-residence Beny Blaq oversees the 12 to 15 readers who present original work each Monday at 8 p.m. at Busboys’ only Northern Virginia location of the D.C. region chainlet. The restaurant-store business hybrid creates a “feel almost as if you’re in someone’s living room,” marketing and events director Pamela Pinnock says. “So we get a lot of first-time readers who haven’t read their work in public before because it is such a welcoming and comfortable space.” 4251 S. Campbell Ave., Arlington; 703-379-9757; www.busboysandpoets.com—SA

Art gallery
WINNER
Torpedo Factory
A stroll through the three-story Torpedo Factory is a moving observation of art come to life. Artists have worked on-site in the converted government building since the early 1970s, and today 84 studios feature in-the-flesh potters, weavers and glass-throwers, to name a few. Admission is free, and the Torpedo Factory boasts the best real estate Northern Virginia has to offer—bordering Alexandria’s waterfront wharf. 105 N. Union St., Alexandria; 703-838-4565; www.torpedofactory.org—SA

RUNNER-UP
Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE)
12001 Market St., Suite 103, Reston; 703-471-9242; www.restonarts.org

HONORABLE MENTION
AIM Gallery
9601 Ox Road, Building 10, Lorton; 703-646-4020; www.aim-gallery.com

Public Grilling
WINNER
Great Falls Park
Easy access to platforms overlooking three cascading water sites makes the 800-acre Great Falls Park a popular excursion for families, cyclists, whitewater kayakers, fishers, those on horseback—even bridal parties (although alcohol is prohibited, and the $3 entrance fee for guests on foot applies). 9200 Old Dominion Drive, McLean; www.nps.gov/grfa—SA

Underground
WINNER
Ashburn Pub
If you live outside Loudoun County lines, you’ve likely never heard of Ashburn Pub. “The kind of bar we have is a neighborhood bar, a ‘Cheers’ type, a good local joint,” bartender Tor Cristofano says of the “very low-key” establishment. A handful of tables and scattering of barstools around a jukebox have proven to satisfy the needs of regulars, however—of which there is no shortage. “Anyone who’s new to neighborhood and talks to their neighbor ends up coming here,” Cristofano says.—SA

RUNNER-UP
PX
728 King St., Alexandria; 703-299-8385; www.restaurant eve.com/eamonns/PX