Funny man Big Al Goodwin

NOTE: We thought the food was cooked by Riot Act’s own chefs, but we noticed the items weren’t on their menu so we double-checked with them and later learned the food that night was catered by a third party to not overwhelm the kitchen staff.

Upon walking into the establishment, you’ll notice the layout of the first floor is open, with a stacked bar and tall tables on the far wall. However when walking downstairs, the flavor of Riot Act changes from open clean bar to best friend’s hangout. Though the change in scenery is obvious it doesn’t take away from  the impending show. While we wait, we sample the food and drinks.

The wines are full flavored and pleasant but the specialty cocktail is nothing special. Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay are not cheap wines: the Cabernet is dry and good with food, the Chardonnay has a mellow flavor, and the Blanc is sweet with a nice dry finish; it avoids the cheap and fruity flavor you find at some bars trying to save a buck.  The “Summer Riot” cocktail (vodka, sprite, cranberry, dash of pineapple) has a strange initial flavor because of the pineapple; we want to try it with mango juice when we go back.

There’s a decent selection of draft beers, including a specialty “Riot Act Red” that could either be a pun or the statement foreseeing the rise of this potential hot spot.  The crowd that night was young, business working people with a yearning for the popular, which could help the Riot Act become a hip place for today’s late 20 to early 30s crowd.  One way Riot Act distinguishes itself from other comedy clubs is with their food.

One guest we talked to noted that compared to DC Improv, “this place has much better food.  DC Improv is just California-tortilla plus a dollar surcharge.”  After trying all the Hors D’oeuvres and interviewing other guests, we have to agree.  The marinated sun-dried tomato on the antipasto skewer was excellent, and paired with good cheese.  Beef hibachi skewers were the highlight of the evening, made with a thin-sliced shard of beef delicately wrapped around a gooey seasoned ball of mouth-watering savory yumminess.  Unfortunately, the chicken hibachi skewer was nowhere near as good; skip the chicken.  The duck potstickers were flavorful and the chili soy dipping sauce paired with them is just the right amount of sweet and spicy; we loved it.  We had mixed feelings about some of the other appetizers, though.

Brie with raspberry in phyllo dough was delicious, but there was too much phyllo dough and the whole thing was inconsistently baked (phyllo top almost burnt while the filling down below wasn’t cooked enough).  Mini Quiche were good solid performers but unexceptional.  The Fig with Marscapone cheese was better than the brie with raspberry.  It was a big opening night with a huge crowd that had to be fed at once, so the food wasn’t perfect or consistent.

But there’s definitely hope.  The chefs have some hits on their hands, and consistency should come with practice.  When we visit again, we’d like to sample the dishes on the main menu, and visit we should.  Big Al Goodwin, one of the comedians we saw that night, is HILARIOUS!  He’s coming back on August 24th through the 27th, and you don’t want to miss this guy.  There’s impromptu seating (tables and chairs) where the comedians perform and if you like sitting near the stage, you can.  Take a date—you’ll both have a blast.

-Mark Feghali (MFF) and PJ Naber

Disclaimer:  I know something to this effect is stated in our “About” section, but (as sometimes happens), we received freebies.  That said,  our words are our own.

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