20 years of Mexicali Blues

This August 25 Mexicali Blues will be celebrating their 20th year in business in Clarendon! The colorful casual Mexican restaurant has popular happy hours and is lucky to enjoy a great location on the corner of Wilson and Garfield Street. They will be having an anniversary party that Saturday from 11am to 1:30pm with food and drink specials.

Ms Peacock's Lounge Cocktail Making Class

This Tuesday, August 21 Ms Peacock's Champagne Lounge is hosting a Summer Sparklers Cocktail Making Class starting at 7:30pm. Located next to Boardroom in Clarendon, you will learn the techniques of making four summer cocktails, drink them, and go home with recipes. Appetizers accompany the cocktails. $45 per person plus tax, tickets here.

Goodbye Clarendon Grill?

ARLnow recently reported the possibly of long time nightlife staple Clarendon Grill closing soon as its address has been listed up for rent. This would be an incredibly sad development if it comes true that the Grill is leaving us, as it has been a major late night venue in Clarendon for over 20 years. The Grill holds a special place in this blogger's heart as well, since my very first Clarendon Nights post was of an 80s cover band there in 2008.

Clarendon Grill offers something for everyone, with a wide variety of events including Salsa class Mondays, trivia Wednesdays, and touring cover bands playing every Friday and Saturday night. With a central stage, multiple long bars, a renovated interior in 2010, a large outdoor rear patio, and situated in the center of Clarendon with plenty of foot traffic the Grill seems to have all the makings of a successful bar and restaurant.

Owner Peter Pflug opened up Clarendon Grill with its iconic vertical CLARENDON neon sign in 1996. He even lived in Clarendon just down the street from his venue for a while. It's hard to guess at what could cause the Grill's demise, as it could be the rent, or stiff competition from newcomers like Don Tito or the GOAT, or possibly the decline of interest in live music after the closing of Iota.