SCENE By Kelly A. Magyarics
SAX's mixologist Ryann Deering tends to the bar program.
Capitalizing on Bubbles The capital city unveils its inaugural sparkling wine bar.
it wasn't until recently that the fi rst ode to eff ervescence opened in the District's happening Penn Quarter neighborhood. Co-owners Errol Lawrence and Nancy Koide used the Palace of Versailles as the
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inspiration for SAX, the two-level, 9,700-square foot bubble lounge that melds classic French with a modern twist. To get to the space, guests fi rst pass through a velvet rope outside and then a plush, crystal-adorned vestibule. Reclaimed church doors lead them to the main dining room, which boasts one hundred and fi fty seats, gilded columns, damask banquettes and inlaid medallion tabletops. Th irty
| OCTOBER 2011
ith all the requisite lobbying, campaigning and miscellaneous politicking that goes on in Washington, D.C., you'd think that there would be ample spots to uncork a deal with a bottle of Champagne. But
wall sconces and nine outsize chandeliers, all antique and covered in gold leaf, lend a swanky and sexy feel to a lounge that seamlessly straddles turn of the century with contemporary.
SPARKLING APPEAL D.C.'s fi rst sparkling wine-centric bar
off ers fi fty bubbly options by the bottle and thirteen by the glass, organized by region, and priced $35 to $10,000 by
www.cheersonline.com
JUAN CARLOS BRICEÑO
