Proof - For Whom?

From the exposed brick to the wide-plank floors to the pewter bar, Proof does not lack character. As you make your way through the double glass doors you are transplanted into an interesting combination of a rural wine tasting room and chic lounge--elegant yet rustic. Here, Sonoma Valley meets New York, and it does so in a most unexpected place--Penn Quarter, Washington DC.

There is a little of everything for everyone at Proof. Wine connoisseurs can indulge in an extensive wine selection, kept fresh with the Enomatic wine machine. A vast selection of cheeses complements their collection of over 1,000 wines. If you are not a wine afficianado there is a bar and a selection of beer. And although they are not nearly as extensive as their wine list, beer drinkers can indulge in a high glass of Delirium Tremens, a Belgian strong ale that I highly recommend.

Above the bar is a series of plasma televisions that transmit images from the American Art Museum--it's neighbor. It is an odd form of entertainment, perhaps catering to it's "cultured" crowd. Personally, I feel like it offers an unecessary distraction from the Enomatic wine machine below which is far more interesting.

If you carry an appetite for more than just wine and cheese, their dinner menu includes an array of meat entrees--seafood, pork, duck, steak, and chicken, complemented by a number of appetizing sides.

The result? Proof offers a great venue for a couple with diverse tastes. Chic and elegant, it appeals to those looking for a "cultural" experience, but it is balanced with a menu offering substance for the hungry patron. Make no mistake about it--this dichotomy has been meticulously planned, and for better or worse, Proof's marketing is along gender lines. You need to look no further than the risque posters hanging at eye level in the men's bathroom. Even the restroom sign illustrates this--as a mischievous male character looks over the stall next to him where a female is perched.

The message is NOT so subtle. Men, you can bring your girl to Proof and give her the cultured and elegant evening she desires, and yet leave satiated, in stomach and spirit.