by Ana Garcia, Dining Traveler Washington, DC Contributor
Brunch at a bowling alley? “It can’t be interesting”- I thought. I like bowling but besides having a burger, sandwich or finger food, I haven’t known bowling alleys to be places of culinary interest. I arranged to meet four girlfriends to catch up on our lives at Pinstripes Georgetown early on a Sunday morning. Figured this will be unique way to indulge in one of the favorite Washingtonian pastimes: Sunday brunch!
The Scene: Upon entering Pinstripes Georgetown, I spotted an open kitchen and a chocolate fountain. The bistro and bar area were close by the entrance and the Bocce and bowling alley were in the back through a corridor not directly visible. The brunch spread was inviting and I was starving. The open kitchen displayed crates of fruits and vegetables, pizzas were being baked in a large oven, and omelet and waffles stations were ready to serve. As my party was complete, we headed to the bowling alley where we were made aware we only had an hour to bowl and eat and were not going to be able to go back to the bistro for brunch. None of us had anything to eat before arriving, yet, we decided to bowl first and brunch after. Mimosas asked the waiter?
“Not on an empty stomach”- exclaimed my friend Christine, the wise voice of the group…. I settled for juice.
The Bowling: The place is nicely set up and not dark. Although we started off with low energy, our shared joie de vivre rose above. Between striking and comical bowling poses, commenting about the food we were yet to eat, giving each other tips about bowling, keeping track of the clock and laughs, we really had a blast! There were several families with children bowling and some had small kids who ventured to the front of the lanes and whose parents thought it was cute, taking their time to move their kids out-of-the-way but hey, it was Sunday morning, something you would consider when going in matinée hour. We were very relaxed and took it all in.
Dining Traveler Tips: The bowling alley offers couches facing each other and a table between them for every two lanes. This is great setup for a group to share. If you have brunch at the lanes, you do have to walk out of the alley to the restaurant section, not a major walk but something to consider. You could reserve lanes to bowl for two hours and brunch in that area, but if you are bowling for one hour only, it may be best to separate the activities.
The Food: As the clock gets closer to zero usually you wish you had more time to bowl but we were excited to head to brunch. Since we changed the setup of our reservation, we had to wait to be seated. At this time there were more people in the restaurant. We were told we had to wait 30 minutes for a table in the bistro so we asked to be seated at a booth in the bar area which was equally close to the brunch buffet. We all quickly dispersed to the buffet tables and my first stop was the omelet station which had bowls of ingredients ready to create the perfect omelet. I paired my omelet with salmon then went back for servings of pasta salad and halves of baked potatoes with cheese. The spread of the buffet was varied and suitable for any tastes which included bacon, sausages but also prime rib, fries, pasta, medley of vegetables and salads. I indulged in dessert: mini waffle with banana and Nutella with a small strawberry on top, strawberries dipped in chocolate sauce and a brownie. I enjoyed that we did not have to wait long at every station. The flow was pretty good. We were certainly glad we bowled before eating as we felt more relaxed. If it would have been sunny and warm, it would’ve been a great opportunity to continue our Sunday outing onto the patio.
The Verdict: Overall the food was great. the mac & cheese was not popular in our group but the salmon, the rib, baked potatoes, omelets and dessert really sealed the brunch experience. Staff was friendly and helpful.
Tips: Decide whether you wish to bowl and brunch at the lanes or do each separately and in what order and reserve accordingly. While the staff was accommodating, one can’t always expect last-minute changes will always work out. If you end up eating in the bar area ask for the booth in the corner to the left of the bar which can accommodate five comfortably.
I am always looking for different experiences and bowling & brunch is an excellent occasion to spend a Sunday with friends or family. I will definitely be returning.
As it was printed on the coasters, Pinstripes Georgetown was “Strikingly Good“.
Ana
