WASHINGTON — Go for the music, stay for the pinball. One of D.C.’s most beloved venues is revamping its small eatery and replacing dining booths with pinball machines. The Black Cat nightclub debuted its new Lucky Cat room over the weekend. It is packed with five machines, three video games, a claw machine and a shuffle bowler. The club’s Food for Thought Cafe, next to the entrance, has been downsized to just two dining tables. Stools at the counter and along the front window will stay in place for people chowing down, but the real attraction will be the games. “I’ve played pinball since I was quite young, and we have two or three more people here that are more serious pinball junkies,” says Black Cat owner Dante Ferrando. “It’s just a fun thing to do.” The new machines include “Twilight Zone,” “Addams Family” and “The Wizard of Oz.” They join the existing “Star Trek” and “Whodunnit” machines, which have been moved from the Red Room bar. Pinball is making a comeback of sorts, and has gained popularity in cities around the country such as Los Angeles, <a href=”http://www.pinballnyc.com/”>New York and <a href=”http://www.pinballchicago.org/”>Chicago. While D.C. has a relatively small scene, Northern Virginia boats its own <a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/with-sterling-location-pinball- league-lights-up-northern-virginia/2013/02/07/49fc5e08-6f0f-11e2-aa58- 243de81040ba_story.html”>league. As a lifelong pinhead, Ferrando sees the uptick in interest as part of a natural pendulum swing. In the 1990s, for example, pinball and other games were regularly incorporated into bars and venues, he says. That trend leveled off in the early 2000s before enjoying the current resurgence. “People are much more into games than they have been,” he says. “They have games at home, on their phones. It’s more a part of the culture.” But pinball, like pool, is a social game that can be enjoyed with friends. Instead of burying your face into online poker or “Fruit Ninja,” you can get a group together for beers, music and pinball, Ferrando says.

Arcade and pinball central <a href=”https://twitter.com/BlackCatDC”>@BlackCatDC <a href=”http://t.co/z64JiIZvPX”>pic.twitter.com/z64JiIZvPX — Barred in DC (@barredindc) <a href=”https://twitter.com/barredindc/status/537812232021999617″>November 27, 2014

 

“It’s a fun group game,” he adds. “And there’s some real skill involved.” In the 20 years Black Cat has offered pinball, the machines have changed drastically, Ferrando says. Once wooden and relatively simple, today’s games feature LED lighting, electronic displays and bright, vivid colors. “Games are being made now are really well thought out,” he says. “I used to be pretty good, but now I’m going to have to practice.” Are you a pinhead? Here some are other places in the area where you can find machines:

• Satellite Room — Northwest D.C.

 

• Rocket Bar — Northwest D.C.

   

• Lyman’s Tavern — Northwest D.C.
• Mighty Mike’s — Sterling, VirginiaFollow @WTOP and <a href=”https://twitter.com/WTOPEnt”>WTOP Entertainment on Twitter and <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/wtopnews”>WTOP on Facebook.