Capital Spice

There is a moment in the life of every DC resident when you realize the hordes have descended. It’s typically a different cue for all of us, depending on where we live and our regular schedules lead us. For BabeBQ, it’s when the sidewalk in front of her Connecticut Ave building are clogged with tourists heading to the zoo. For Mike, it’s when the Capitol South metro entrance is jammed with a sullen teenagers in matching shirts. My observations are less kind but also involve a kind of uniform. You’ve likely spotted your personal cue by now. Cherry Blossom season is DC’s version of opening day for tourists. This isn’t all bad. Not only does it support the economy but having tourists around can be a great reminder of what a cool city we get to enjoy round the clock.

This isn’t a post for the locals. This is a for all those friends and relatives of yours musing about a trip to DC. Inspired by Concierge’s recent write up of Ten Things Not to do in Paris, Mike and I have compiled our own PSA of 10 Things *NOT* to Do in DC. Please do your DC-duty and send this to those you know are visiting soon. Add your two (or ten) cents in the comments. Some of this may seem a little harsh but really, we do this because we care. We want visitors to get to know and love DC for the great city it is. And learn how to live, commute, and eat like a local.

Ten Things Not To Do in DC: A Public Service Announcement

Do not…

1. Stand on the left. This is no f’ing joke. When you are on the escalator heading into or out of any DC metro station, you stand on the right and pass on the left. Think of it as a two lane highway. You may be enjoying a leisurely vacation and spring weather but residents caught up behind you may be late to a meeting or desperately trying to catch a train.  Most DCers are pretty polite and will give you a quick “excuse me!” to scoot over. This is the biggest area of frustration for locals and it’s an easy trap to avoid.

2. Get Chinese food in Chinatown. This is an epic food fail and a total disapopintment to many a visitor hoping that Chinatown (Chinablock, really) = good quality Chinese food. It does not. I’m sorry.  I wish it did, too. If you find yourself in the Chinatown and staring down some hunger pains, head a few blocks into Penn Quarter for a plethora of options. Some of our favorites are the bar menu at Poste, small plates at Zaytinya, and hefty, creative burritos at California Tortilla.

3. Eat the hotel’s breakfast. Because honestly, there are a dozen great breakfast options in town. Why stock up on yesterday’s danishes? Those staying near the Hill or kicking off morning activities there will feel like insiders at Jimmy T’s Place, a hidden, hole in the wall institution serving breakfast 7 6 days a week. If you’re willing to head a little farther afield to Eastern Market, your sense of adventure will be rewardedwith Market Lunch where both the crabcakes and buckwheat pancakes are the stuff of local legend. From there you can amble the beautific side streets of the Hill, making your way back to the Capital Building or the Mall with a full and satisfied stomach. Staying one of the tourist towers of Crystal City? Make a quick trip to Alexandria for Buzz Bakery where you can ease into your vacation morning with a delicious breakfast pastry and fresh coffee in one of the bakery’s plush leather club chairs, surrounded by charming vintage kitchen appliances.

4. Drive. It may seem like it will be more convenient. But you’re probably wrong. GPS or not, driving inevitably heightens frustration about the city – the parking! the traffic! all the one way streets! and still with the parking! – without any real convenience payback. The city can be confusing. You want to find parking right in front of that one Smithsonian you’re so excited about but guess what? So do the 50,000 other visitors driving into town that day. You have several options in your favor here. DC is an inherently walkable city. It’s pretty flat with only the occassional sloping hill. The streets are easy to navigate. Our public transportation, specifically the metro, is clean and (pretty) efficient and can deposit you very near just about every major attraction. DC is a wonderfully bikeable city, too, and a great way to take in the sights. Our fair capital isn’t terribly large and you could find yourself biking down the Mall, past the Jefferson Memorial, and into Arlington cemetary in no time. Or pedal your way down the insanely charming Georgetown side streets before heading toward DuPont to check out the impressive embassies on Mass Ave.

5. Limit your dining options to The Mall or your hotel neighborhood. This is directly related to #4. The Mall is a notorious restaurant dead zone. Central is a nearby option that is delicious but a bit pricey for a quick pick me up. When it comes to meal times, do yourself a favor and explore new neighborhoods. If you’re already taking the metro, your own two feet, or a bike around the city you have a great advantage.  Head up Pennsylvania Avenue for a burger and shake at Good Stuff Eatery near the Capitol. Metro to DuPont or U Street and explore any number of delicious options that may catch your eye. But for God’s sake just avoid the chains and fast food restaurants. You didn’t travel all this way to have the same #4 value meal, did you?

The final 5 after the jump! (more…)

When you wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the crack of noon on a Sunday, there’s nothing that says “Thank God it’s still the weekend” quite like brunch.  Whether it’s just you and a significant other or a big group outing, brunch has a certain cache that breakfast and lunch never quite attain.  Maybe it’s the fact that it’s socially acceptable to drink before noon at brunch…

Last month, we received an invitation to a bloggers’ brunch to introduce Birch & Barley’s new brunch menu.  We joined our fellow bloggers from Adventures in Shaw, The Arugula Files, Brunch and the City, and Mango & Tomato for an epic tour of the various sweet and savory offerings on the menu.  Although we didn’t get a chance to experience an average brunch service, we definitely had the opportunity to sample a wider range of dishes than we otherwise would have.

I couldn’t help but laugh as Elizabeth and our fellow writers prepared for the feast.  Each one in turn reached into her bag and pulled out…the exact same camera.  Someone needs to alert the folks at Canon that their DSLR Rebel is THE camera of choice among the DC bloggerati.

We arrived a little early for the gathering and settled into a pair of stools at the bar.  This being a beer bar, first and foremost, I decided to check out their version of the michelada.

The drink is basically a Bloody Mary with the vodka replaced by a lighter beer.  Not surprisingly, Birch & Barley’s version hit it out of the park.  The bartender was liberal with the spices and the beer’s carbonation gives the drink an effervescence that a Bloody Mary lacks.  The combination of the two makes for an easy-drinking start to brunch, and it definitely highlights the bar/restaurant’s commitment to quality beer.

From there we made our way to the table, where a veritable feast was laid before us.  Check out some of the images after the jump to decide for yourself if brunch in a beer bar is a brilliant must-do or just another positive addition to DC’s brunch scene. (more…)

Congratulations to Trummer’s on Main’s Executive Chef Clayton Miller, named as one of  Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2010! Trummer’s on Main was also a semi-finalist for a James Beard Award. If you haven’t made the trek out to this Clifton restaurant, it’s time you gas up the car.

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On a recent weekend, I busted myself on having a borderline case of That Girl. As in, That Girl who complains that she can’t find good Mexican food in DC but doesn’t go out of her way to actually look for it. Someone with a more serious case of That Girl is also known to dress like a $2 skank and complain “all the guys in this bar just stare at my boobs, gawwd.”  This isn’t company I wanted to keep any time soon. I needed an antidote, stat.

I think part of the challenge of finding a favorite taqueria is there are so many damn hole in the wall places to choose from. I know – what a horrible problem to have, right? DC’s outskirts are overflowing with small counter shops dishing out the authentic food of their homeland. There are some definitive opinions on the best Vietnamese and Ethiopian places for the most authentic just-like-moms-kitchen flavors but I hear very few people rave about authentic Mexican outside of Disitro Federal and Taqueria Nacional. Surely there are more taquerias to love?

For years, Mike and I drove past El Charrito with little more than a second glance. But after several casual recommendations paired with a serious soft taco craving, we decided now was the time to give it a shot.

Our experience – and horchata! – after the jump. (more…)

Image courtesy Muppet Wiki

When you think of Swedish cuisine, the first words that come to mind are most likely “Bork, bork, bork!”  Once you get past the image of the Muppets’ Swedish Chef, you’ve got little meatballs, herring, and cafeteria food from IKEA.  At least that was pretty much the extent of things for us until we first heard about Marcus Samuelsson.

Image courtesy of Bravo TV

Samuelsson was adopted by a Swedish couple from his home in Ethiopia, and his adopted grandmother instilled in him a love of cooking.  His story really gets good after he came to America and made a name for himself as the chef (and now co-owner) of Aquavit.  He’s won multiple James Beard Foundation awards, published several popular cookbooks, cooked at the White House and guest judged on Top Chef (he’s about to compete in the second season of Top Chef Masters).

The combination of the chef’s mystique and the fact that we knew next to nothing about Swedish cuisine was too much to resist.  When it came time to plan a trip to New York for Mike’s parents’ anniversary, we suggested dinner at Aquavit.  Fortunately, everyone else was as intrigued as we were, so they agreed.

Aquavit offers two different meal experiences.  In the Dining Room, guests select either a chef’s tasting menu ($105 per person) or a select-your-own-courses prix fixe menu ($78 per person).  The Bistro, on the other hand, allows diners to choose from an impressive menu of Scandinavian classics with some modern American dishes thrown in.  With appetizers in the $10-$13 range and entrees running from $14 to $29, the Bistro’s menu makes for a more economical way to sample Aquavit’s fare – and the one we opted for.

What the heck is a smorgasbord?  Find out after the jump. (more…)

It’s that time again – the first Wednesday of the month, time for the DC Food Bloggers’ Happy Hour!

You’ve joined us in Penn Quarter.  You hit Columbia Heights.  You’ve done U Street, Adams Morgan and 14th.

This time, we’re taking you to a real hot spot.  Capitol Hill.

…

Wow.  That’s still not exciting, even after all of the great new spots that have opened along Pennsylvania Avenue and near Union Station, is it?

Thankfully, the happy hour location is exciting: Art & Soul, executive chef Art Smith’s homage to down-home Southern cooking.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out their signature items like “put-ups” (pickled vegetables) and cornmeal flatbreads known as hoecakes, you won’t want to miss this.

Additional details – including some happy hour specials in case you’re still not convinced – after the jump. (more…)

If ever there was a day to muster up your best fake cough and “I’m siiiiick” voice, it’s today. Time to play hookie from work. The cherry blossoms are in bloom.  The weather is glorious. And dammit, you’ve worked hard all winter for The Man and I bet he doesn’t give a crap about your commute or how you managed to show up on time during the 19 blizzards since your office didn’t choose to close, despite the arctic conditions.

But I digress. Spring is the season of new and fresh. Daffodils have been waving to us for weeks and anyone who hasn’t flung open their windows to let the stale winter air out is a fool. A FOOL. Or lives in a rental where the windows are painted shut. Sucky.

Of course, being a DC resident you would never dream of showing up unprepared, even for a picnic. So where should you stop to build the ultimate DC picnic basket?  We’ve got your back.

Our tips on building the best picnic basket with food, beverages, and reading material after the jump. (more…)