I’ve always had this internal guide that I use should I need a good excuse to go out for drinks on almost any day of the week.

Monday – it’s the beginning of the week, must drown sorrows
Wednesday – hump day…halfway through!
Thursday – unofficial start of the weekend, since nobody does anything but clock watch on fridays
Friday-Sunday – it’s the weekend, that’s what it was made for

But what about Tuesday, you ask?

Well, with the exception of Fat Tuesday, I’ve never been able to come up with a good reason to justify going out for drinks on a Tuesday night. So my hard and fast rule has always been: If you’re out drinking on a Tuesday, you’re officially an alcoholic. That’s it. End of story.

That is, until last week.

Feeling snacky but not totally hungry, my friend and I decided to head to Django this past Tuesday around 9pm to have a bite. Django, which is billed as a ‘gypsy kitchen and saloon’, is an homage to famed jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. The restaurant is divided into 3 areas: the main floor - which has an eclectic, earthy vibe punctuated by hanging sheers and a collection of art lining the exposed brick wall; the mezzanine – which has a more exotic loungy feel; and the rear patio – with a tinge of tiki to it.

After finding a seat on the main floor next to the bar, we perused the menu and settled on three small plates: fried calamari, gingered butternut squash soup, and Cuban mojo chicken wings. The soup had a pleasantly sweet flavor kicked up with ginger, but the texture wasn’t to my liking – I think it could have used another run through the strainer. The calamari were near perfect. Nice crispy exterior, still tender not chewy inside, and drizzled with a sticky sweet chili glaze. The wings – drenched in a citrusy-garlicky-peppery mojo sauce – were delightfully tangy, but I would have preferred them fried or at least oven-crisped since I’m not a fan of ‘wet’ wings.

Just as we were slowing down on our nibbling, one of the floor managers stopped by our table to inform us of the night’s drink special: ladies drink free at the bar from 10p – 12a. “Um…wait. Did I just hear that correctly?” After checking what I’d heard with my friend, and checking the time to make sure that it was indeed just past 10 pm, we quickly settled our bill and migrated 3 steps to the bar.

The special only applies to well drinks, and the free drinks aren’t served in the nice glasses that the others are. But I ain’t picky, and apparently I ain’t alone. The bar - which was previously rather light on patrons, quickly began to fill up. Almost out of nowhere a live DJ appeared on the mezzanine and started spinning standard club and radio tunes that seemed fitting for the mostly 20-something crowd. It goes without saying that the bartenders stayed busy as the growing crowd kept coming back for round after round.

So ladies, if you happen to need a Tuesday night excuse for drinking, check it out for yourself. But don’t expect stellar bar service or sophisticated cocktail recipes. Expect drink. In plastic cup. For free.

Tuesday. No longer just for alcoholics. Now, also for cheapskates.

cheers,

k

Django
495 Peachtree St.
Atlanta, GA 30308
404.347.8648
http://www.djangoatlanta.com