1223 has got it all. there's the prime location (south of dupont on conn.) and the prime amount of money you gotta spend to get in. prime line? i wouldn't know, because after one trip i didn't really think i needed to return.

that is, until i become filthy rich and begin patterning my life like a well tanned european with money to burn. ooh...did i say 'eurotrash'? didn't mean to. well, maybe just a little.

the problem with MCCXXIII, or '23' as i would prefer to call it - is that there's no bang for your buck, or even a reasonable correlation. there are much better clubs, insanely better restaurants, and even mildly better lounges, so what is the appeal?

quite simply, money. MONEY. drinks are not cheap, and neither are the clientele. they are not, unfortunately, dc's hottest and youngest, but rather, dc's richest and ugliest. kinda like if you took the regular thirty something who goes to reef - put on too much cologne or makeup (or both?) and gave them enough money to buy the standard club outfit. for the guys, that's simple. dark shirt, dark pants, square shoes, and a dark tan. for the ladies - as always, it is up to you to set the standards, and 23-ites do their best to look like displaced new jersey.

enough bad vibes. the good stuff? great space. cool to eat, hang, chill, or even dance on the tiny floor. but it is definitely not cool enough. if only the people watching was good, but you have to stay up late for that, and at these drink prices - i'm heading across the street for some much better action.

ciao, 23. my german pants are getting tired of your pretension...