Searsucker - San Diego, CA

Sunday, 9/25/11, 11 am 

I had been really wanting to try this restaurant by one of my Top Chef favorite's Brian Malarkey.  Even just trying brunch I wasn't disappointed. Located toward the back of the place, the stalls stood behind simple wooden doors with traditional reading material posted on the walls for those who might have to wait (raving articles about opening night or how the place was setting a trend). 

Nothing exciting about the actual stall but it was clean and I always think a full length door is a better option. 

The sink area offered clean lines with a bit of country charm. It featured two sinks on a marble-wood vanity with chunky round mirrors. I do prefer magic-eye sinks (I never understand why places put magic eye on the toilet but not the sink and vice versa) but maybe it didn't work with the faucets. 
 

Searsucker is in downtown San Diego. 

Kushi - Washington DC

Friday, 7/8/11, 1 pm - Chinatown

I don't know what I was expecting from Kushi but after a lot of hype, I guess I was expecting more from the whole experience. As for the restroom, the two unisex single stalls were understated and subdued. Bathed in black with white porcelain accents, the streamlined room had some extra touches with a flower/plant. The most interesting part of the bathroom for me was the hot and cold handle which moved vertically as opposed to right and left to turn on the water.


What you don't see in this picture is the urinal across from the toilet. Not being male, I see those types of things in a unisex stall as unnecessary, but I'm sure others would beg to differ. Also not pictured, the free standing toilet paper roll holder, which often strikes me in a place that's trying to be informal as they didn't have time to put a holder on the wall.

Here's more on Kushi - no website yet but a tumblr.

Clyde's Tower Oaks Lodge - Rockville, MD

Monday, 7/4/11, 1 pm - Rockville, MD

This restaurant is a part of the Clyde's restaurant group, so I'm not sure if it's technically a Clyde's. And certainly I have never seen a Clyde's like this - talk about grandiose! Set in back of a corporate park, this place had sprawling rooms in hunting lodge style. Some a bit cheese but quite a structure. So I had no idea what to expect for the restroom. But it was quite a nice surprise!

First there was an entry way. A beveled mirror complimented a sitting area which was a nice touch (though not entirely necessary). I'll get to the color in a minute.


Moving into the main section and apropos of the restaurant's size, there were plenty of stalls. Always a big plus in my book. The stalls had slotted wooden doors but the white painted brick (or blocks) added a modern touch. Behind the door was a sturdy purse hook (a must). Nothing special about the toilet.

The best part of the bathroom was the sink area. Welcomed natural light - a rarity in bathrooms -made it one of the brightest rooms in the restaurant. The green walls really worked to give a natural feel to the room along with the plants in the sink area and the wicker baskets for the paper towels (much nicer than wall-mounted paper towel holders) and trash. I was a big fan of the oval mirrors surrounded by sconces. The marble-like counters worked well even with the more rustic touches and while the industrial look of the sink stands might seem odd, I think they were just meant to be minimal and not get in the way. Overall, I was a big fan of this restroom.


Here's more on Tower Oaks Lodge. There are some pictures of the restaurant itself which might offer the big picture.

Oceanaire - Washington DC

Saturday, 7/2/11, 7 pm - Downtown

This wasn't my first visit to Oceanaire but taking a quick look, I guess hadn't posted anything on it before. As the quintessential seafood place, the bathroom is classically designed with the whimsical quote adoring the entry wall.

Clean white tiles covered most of the walls with the classic black subway tile accent. The nice touch in the stalls were individual lights, which didn't really offer much brightness, but I'm not sure what it would be minus the fixture. Good sturdy hook behind the door.

The sole sink in the wash area seemed very formal for the bathroom. A nice pedestal sink might have worked better and not shown off the pipes. Nice that there was still counter space on either side, though I guess that accounts for the stray hairbrush. I'm also a big fan of the mirror. The simple, clean brushed metal works for me (not sure about the more traditional space though).

Here's more on Oceanaire, which is in fact a chain.

Moonstruck - New York City

Saturday, 5/14/11, 11 am - Murray Hill

There are apparently several locations of this diner so not sure if the decor is the same across the board. The bathroom for this location was a little space-ship-y (and, in typical NYC fashion "cozy"). Brushed stainless steel and silver tiles coated most of the walls, with mirrors taking up half of one wall.



















I wasn't able to get a good shot of the light fixture, it was a splash of color in this mostly monotone restroom - one of those fixture with a stainless base that has several colored shades that extend off the base like octopus arms. The sink included a raise stainless bowl with a wall-mounted faucet. The restaurant interior included a lot of mosaics, the colors which weren't followed into the bathroom. Interestingly enough, there was a good sized water fixture - a water wall directly outside the bathroom which just seems like a tease if you're waiting for the single stall.

Moonstruck doesn't have a website but they're on yelp and menupages.

Smith Commons - Washington DC

Saturday, 3/26/11, 10 pm - H St NE

After waiting forever for a table, we were finally seated. The restroom downstairs is the co-ed type: two stalls, first come first serve. The frosted glass and wooden doors simply have the WC symbol on them. Inside, the stalls are wallpapers with black and white photos of store fronts and 30s era pictures half way up the wall. The rest of the wall is gray tiles. I remember the lock on the door being odd - you're supposed to turn it to indicate that it's occupied, but sometimes it can be locked without the signal on the outside changing.

When you first round the corner to the bathrooms, you're surprised to see the open area where the sink area is communal - outside the stalls with the long troth stone sink, pebbles and two modern looking faucets. But don't be fooled - they're not motion sensor and it took a few seconds to figure out how to turn them on (apologies for the blurry photo).


Here's more on Smith Commons. With only two stalls, there's not really room to wait and the line could easily back up into the restaurant.

Medium Rare - Washington DC

Cleveland Park

I make a point of telling people I don't go to restaurants just for the restroom, but I might have to make an exception for Medium Rare. So I haven't been to this place yet (and I don't eat steak) but I might have to stop by this new restaurant anyway -

Even the restrooms sound amusing. Bucher plans to play Rosetta Stone language tapes there, dispensing French and English dating tips.

Did he live up to his plans? Has anyone been?

Potty Parity Comes to the House

Six months after the U.S. House of Representatives held hearings on ensuring bathroom equality in government buildings, the lower chamber is now getting its due. They will be converting the space currently used by the Office of the Parliamentarian into a women's restroom.

"According to an announcement from the GOP transition team, the woman's restroom will be adjacent to the House floor to accommodate the 71 female members in the next Congress, something current female members live without."

I'm going to refrain from praising the move, but I'm surprised to find out it hasn't happened yet especially since this incoming House delegation will have 5 less women than the outgoing one.

Oh, and wondering what happened to the other potty parity legislation? Yup, you guessed it. It's stalled.

UPDATE: The bathroom was apparently attempted before but was blocked because of costs. It'll run Congress $200,000.

Potenza - Washington DC

Monday, 11/22/10, 9 pm - Downtown

The bathroom seemed a bit severe for the restaurant - red and black everywhere. There were three stalls with full length red doors. Behind it was a black toilet surrounded by red glass tiles on most of the walls.

Clearly the restroom hadn't been given much attention in a while because in the sink area since one of the lower mirrored cabinets was totally shattered. Black sinks usually work well in restaurants since they hide many things and probably are easy to upkeep. Here's more on Potenza.

P.J. Clarke's - Washington DC

Friday, 11/12/10, 9 pm - Downtown

This New York staple just opened in DC so we decided to try it. The restrooms interrupted the pubby style into a subway theme with white tiles and a black and white floor. Again two single stalls for the whole place. And, like the rest of the restaurant, the walls were covered with DC-themed photos and memorabilia.


















I'm sure they're still working out the kinks since it wasn't the neatest restroom on a busy night, despite having multiple trash cans in the stall. Here's more on P.J. Clarke's.