Washington, D.C
The Ultimate Guide to Fun in DC Without Booze
Non Alcoholic Wine and Non Alcoholic Drinks in DC
Non-Alcoholic Wine Pairings
Various Locations
Once known to many as being overly sweet, mocktails have really upped their sophistication and profiles in recent years. So too have NA wines, and there are some memorable spots around the city calling to you to pair a fabulous meal with some alcohol-free varietals. Irregardless, the H Street wine-focused restaurant pours non-alcoholic Riesling (Leitz’s Eins Zwei Zero) by the glass, but you would be forgiven for ordering an entire bottle. The elegant and unpretentious French dishes at Lutèce in Georgetown pair beautifully with a glass of NA sparkling rosé from Germany. And to really splash out, the opulent tasting menu at José Andrés’ Minibar can be complemented by a “virtue tasting” of NA wines.
H Street
Binge Bar, H Street’s hip, subterranean bar exclusively serves NA beverages, so if you haven’t been, make this your month (or season, or year) to stop in. The spot has planned a diverse and exciting line-up of sober events this January, like a happy hour networking event for women (January 11), a NA bottomless brunch (January 20), and a guided meditation workshop (January 28).
Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
Multiple Locations
NA cocktails have come a long way in recent years, so whether you’re looking to recreate the taste of a perfect martini sans vodka, or perhaps something that just whets your whistle, there’s plenty to choose from. Restaurants around the DMV tend to add more NA options in January when more people are cutting back from booze. We love the grape and date Jallab at Yasmine in Union Market, the tropical-themed Storm Brewing at Michelle’s, the matcha coladas at Nama Ko, and the NA gin-based cocktail, Frostbite at Wilson’s Hardware.
U Street Corridor, $50
Looking to manifest a fabulous year and intrigued by picking up a new creative outlet? Consider making a vision board this winter. Essentially a collage of hopes, goals, dreams, and aspirations, vision boards have gained somewhat of a devoted following. It’s not just about pretty pictures, there’s some solid psychology behind this craft, like the self-efficacy theory, which posits that those who believe in and envision their goals, are more likely to achieve them. In honor of National Vision Board Day (January 13) head to El Secreto de Rosita. The Peruvian and Pan-Latin restaurant will be hosting a brunch focused on manifesting your big and small dreams for 2024. Reserve a spot for unlimited brunch dishes and guided vision board creation in a welcoming and positive atmosphere surrounded by other goal-seekers.
Coffee
Multiple Locations
Winter is definitely the best time to bring a book or a friend to a coffee shop and tuck in for some caffeine and coziness. The city is teeming with options and some of our favorites include the Blue Bottle in Georgetown, Sidamo on H Street, Big Bear Café in Bloomingdale, and Ellē in Mount Pleasant.
Brunch
Various Locations
Waking up for an early (or earlyish) brunch is decidedly easier when you haven’t been sipping cocktails the night before (iykyk). Take advantage of your new take on mornings by treating yourself to brunch. Bistro Du Jour in the new Hotel Sonesta is a fresh take on a classic French brasserie; Unconventional Diner serves creative spins on morning favorites; Yard Bird satisfies with mouth-watering comfort food; Stable transports you to the après-life of the Swiss Alps; and Yellow will have you dreaming of pastries until the foreseeable future.
Your Apartment
Three of the city’s top-tier restaurants: Little Pearl, Rose’s Luxury, and Pineapple & Pearls, have teamed up to help you up your dinner party game this winter. The in-home dinners are designed to serve between 8 and 12 guests and come with all the things you could possibly need: the dishes and glassware, linens, food (duh), a dinner playlist, and even the chef who prepares everything to perfection onsite. These dinner parties will set you back a pretty penny (dinners start at $300 per person), but you can save on drinks by curating your own home NA beverage menu.
Washington, D.C
Veteran court reporter Lynn Els taking her skills to U.S. Capitol
Coshocton court reporter talks about her new job in the US Capitol
Lynn Els, who has been the court reporter for Coshocton County Common Pleas Court for 40 years, has a new job with the U.S. House of Representatives.
COSHOCTON − Court reporter Lynn Els has always wanted to see the cherry blossoms in bloom in Washington, D.C., and she’ll get that chance this spring thanks to a new job.
Starting Jan. 12, Els will work as a court reporter for the U.S. House of Representatives on the floor in the Capital building in Washington D.C. She’ll write for 10 to 15 minutes before a new reporter comes on.
The 62-year-old will then go to the downstairs office and enter what she wrote into the official Congressional record before going back to the floor, or what they call the well. One might be able to spot Els during hearings aired on C-SPAN.
“It’s not verbatim like I’m used to taking in the courtroom. Because of parliamentary procedures, things are supposed to be worded a certain way in the Congressional record. So, you have to clean it up or insert special language,” Els said of what she’ll be doing. “Now I always have transcripts hanging over my head. I won’t have that backlog of transcripts, because you’re continuing throughout the day building the Congressional Record.”
Distinguished duties
Els has been a court reporter since 1984 and and started with Coshocton County Common Pleas Court in 1986. She can type up to 300 words a minute. She was one of the first people in the nation to obtain a Certified Realtime Reporter designation in 1995.
“I’m excited for what’s new, but sad because I’ve done this for so long and it’s comfortable,” Els said of leaving her current court post. “The thing about this job is that I always have work to do.”
Along with serving as a court reporter for Coshocton County, Els has also done closed captioning for a variety of events. Everything from Cincinnati Bengals football games to the funeral services of Billy Graham and Whitney Houston to “Fox and Friends” to the royal weddings of Prince Harry and Prince William; all working remotely.
This has also included congressional hearings and recognition ceremonies at the Capital starting in 2013, which was the connection to Els’ new job. She worked as an independent contractor through Alderson Court Reporting.
Landing the job
With a laugh, she said living in a small, rural community was actually beneficial. Since she worked remotely and transmitted captions via landlines, the older equipment in Washington D.C. could keep up better with Els’ transmission, over digital lines from larger cities.
“They always kind of liked it when it was me. They knew they wouldn’t have any disconnection problems. So, I became their preferred writer,” Els said.
She was encouraged to submit her resume for the new position last summer. Els never dreamed she would get it, she just always wanted to travel to Washington D.C. to see what it looked like on-site.
Els went to D.C. for an interview and sat in on a committee hearing. She took notes and then typed them up back at the office. This was followed by a writing test and current events test. Els said captioning for the morning news program “Fox and Friends” helped her with that part.
“Just being there was exciting. I did it. I survived that day and it wasn’t bad,” Els said.
Els was slated to start in October, but that was pushed out due to the government shutdown. She will be living in a condo owned by a court reporter friend who works for the International Monetary Fund. Els said she’s received a lot of questions on her living situation, but she’ll be back in Coshocton when not working.
She’ll also continue to do some captioning work on weekends and her off hours, such as captioning for screens in the stadium for Bengals’ home games.
“I do want to keep my skills built up. It’s like playing a sport with captioning, because it’s fast,” Els said. “If you don’t do it, you lose that skill.”
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 18 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X at @llhayhurst.
Washington, D.C
DMV-chain Compass Coffee files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
WASHINGTON (7News) — Compass Coffee, the coffee chain founded in D.C. in the early 2010s, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on Tuesday in hopes of selling parts of the chain as it faces legal challenges from a cofounder, several landlords, and vendors.
The company, which has 166 employees and operates 25 cafes across Northern Virginia, D.C., and southern Maryland, said it plans to operate all stores as normal during the Bankruptcy process.
“Over the last decade, Compass has grown to 25 cafes across the DMV. Our original 7th Street cafe has never closed – not for a single day,” a portion of a statement from co-founder Michael Haft read. “Our spaces have been the setting for first dates that turned into marriages, interviews that led to dream jobs, and everyday moments shared over millions of cups of coffee. We have supported countless community causes, shipped coffee to all 50 states and to troops deployed overseas, and helped thousands of people navigate first jobs, in-between jobs, and next chapters.
The chain founded by Haft and Harrison Suarez said customer numbers have remained low since the COVID pandemic, and struggles remained despite also operating a roastery and distribution business. Documents showed the company began putting itself up for sale in 2021, and that the bankruptcy filing was made after reaching an agreement with a possible company.
Compass leadership has requested to end the leases on several properties, including its former headquarters and roastery on Okie Street, Northeast, which was closed in Dec. 2025. The company has seen previous legal disputes with Ivy City over the roastery location.
Suarez sued Haft and his father in 2025, claiming the pair lied about Suarez having an equal share in the company. Suarez, who met Haft in college and both served as Marines, said he was cut from the company in 2021.
Documents show the company has 100-200 creditors. EagleBank, the Small Business Administration, Square, and inKind have filed statements claiming a total of $1.7 million in liens on Compass Coffee.
Compass also owes roughly $5.2 million to over insider and outside investors on unsecured convertible notes, while about 100 others have claims totaling $4.8 million. Most of the $4.8 million comes from past due rent, unpaid purchase amounts for store acquisitions, and unpaid accounts to suppliers and other vendors, according to a statement filed by Haft.
Filing for Chapter 11 could allow Compass to pay back its lenders, both secured and unsecured, according to Haft in a legal filing.
Washington, D.C
Flu cases surging around DMV region
Flu cases surging around DMV region
Flu cases are climbing sharply across the D.C. region, with new CDC data showing at least 11 million cases nationwide so far. Health officials say a new variant now accounts for roughly 90% of recent infections.
WASHINGTON – Flu cases are climbing sharply across the D.C. region, with new CDC data showing at least 11 million cases nationwide so far. Health officials say a new variant now accounts for roughly 90% of recent infections.
FOX 5’s Stephanie Ramirez says local health departments are urging residents not to wait if they start feeling sick.
READ MORE: Maryland health officials warn of flu surge as hospitalizations rise statewide
The dominant strain this season is H3N2 subclade K, which has been circulating since September. So far, the flu season has led to an estimated 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, with older adults hit especially hard.
Maryland is currently reporting high flu activity, according to state health department data.
READ MORE: Flu cases surging in northern Virginia, health officials say
In Arlington, emergency department–diagnosed flu visits jumped from 19 on Dec. 6 to 120 on Dec. 27 — an over five times increase, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
Fairfax County, a much larger jurisdiction, saw flu-related ER visits rise from 121 on Dec. 6 to 788 by Dec. 27, an over six-and-a-half-time increase.
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