Tour Eats: The Galaxy Hut in Arlington, Va.

Whenever Wet & Reckless is in the Washington, D.C., area we stay with our friend Nikhil. We love Nikhil for many reasons, but we especially love him for living above a bar called the Galaxy Hut.

The Hut, as it is fondly called, also hosts live music and serves tasty food and lots of great craft beer. There’s even a Whole Foods directly across the street. So if we happened to be the kind of women who drank beer at night and then woke up craving fresh, organic fruit and Kiss My Face peach lotion, we’d be in luck.

The Hut feeds bands on a deep discount and serves them beer for free. On Sunday night, owner Lary Hoffman and his wife, Erica, staffed the grill in the small kitchen. They’re pretty much the coolest-looking grill cooks in Arlington, as you can see from the picture. And they make some of the most golden and crispy tater tots we have ever sampled, which is likely because the Hoffmans use only fresh peanut oil.

They also make a vegan hot dog wrapped in soy bacon, which is worth ordering just for the sheer novelty of it. (In fact most everything can be modified for vegans.) The Philly cheese steak with sautéed green peppers and onions is goopy, with a satisfying amount of melted cheese, and the burgers are juicy perfection.

Eat your food on old-school video game tables, including Galaga and Ms. Pac Man. And don’t miss grabbing a pitcher of the Laughing Dog Bourbon-Barrel Dogfather Stout. It packs an 11% punch and is as dark as it is smooth and rich.

Oh, and drink it when you play, too. It helps with stage fright.

The Galaxy Hut, 2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. (703) 525-8646; www.galaxyhut.com.

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--Jessica Gelt

Photo: Erica and Lary Hoffman have fun in the kitchen. Credit: Jessica Gelt