Jane Jane’s New Sister Bar is a Moody Cabaret in Union Market Called Bar Betsie | Eater DC
"A dramatic neon red curtain and custom dark-wooden booths create a playful, cozy aesthetic with divey vibes, surprisingly upscale cocktails, and all-American drinking snacks in the Union Market district. The newest creation from the owners of Jane Jane, Ralph Brabham, JP Sabatier, and Drew Porterfield, swings open on Tuesday, March 18; decorative touches honor Sabatier’s Puerto Rican mother—many tequila drinks and classic San Juan-style miniature houses from his grandmother’s residence line the walls—and designers from Edit at Streetsense added red velvet-covered swooping booths and a theatrical marquee over the bar that displays not just the quintessential cocktails but their ingredients. Sabatier explained, “There’s references and echoes to who they are as as people in our lives, and we kind of do add little things in honor of them throughout the menu that are just like nods to these amazing women,” and Brabham adds that after alternatives fell through, “they’ve come to embody a little bit of their presence and personalities in a little and subtle way, of our respective moms.” The cocktail program is intentionally shorter and more celebratory than Jane Jane’s—about 12–15 signatures at a time, many on tap—and includes a rum-fueled cold brew called Cafe Caribe; the playful Let Me Just Say This (a common phrase of his mother’s) made with Angostura, rum, lemon, and Orgeat; a slightly upscale Negroni Bianco and a Negroni on tap; plus fun shooters and planned test-tube shots in flavors like tequila-blackberry, lemon drops, and a Midori-mezcal combo. Sabatier says, “I miss old school, fun bar vibes,” and explains, “It’s our little slogan for this: it’s a party, and everyone’s invited, just because we want it to be a very welcoming, cool, fun party vibe.” The food leans toward American finger foods: creamy chipotle queso, Buffalo chicken dip, lil smokies cooked down in grape jelly and barbecue sauce (a nod to North Carolina), a fried pickle dip made with local Gordy’s Pickles topped with cacio e pepe-influenced breadcrumbs, and house-marinated olives with lemon peels and whole roasted garlic cloves (a pairing recommended with the Negroni on tap). Makan alum chef Justin Chang consulted on the menu, keeping ingredients simple so snacks shine, and he advises assembling a few items into a “little dive bar girl dinner.” Sabatier maintains that, “if you need silverware, it’s a restaurant.” Every table gets a glass bowl of neon-orange cheese balls on arrival, with refills for $4. The spot is open Tuesday through Sunday (weekdays at 5 p.m., weekends at 2 p.m.) and closes at 2 a.m. nightly except Sundays at midnight; observant guests will also find plenty of hidden “peek-a-boos” from Edit at Streetsense throughout the moody interior." - Emily Venezky
