I just returned from the Executive Women International Leadership Conference Annual Meeting (LCAM) held in Arlington, VA just outside Washington D.C. We spent two days prior to the conference at a hotel on Embassy Row near Dupont Circle and checked out the local cuisine.
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe & Grill
1517 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036
Ph: (202) 387-1400
Washington DC is a great place to have brunch on the weekends with many restaurants serving brunch both Saturday and Sunday. Daughter #1 recommended Kramerbooks for brunch so we took her advice. We both ordered the Crab Salad ($19), which consisted of fresh greens, avocado, tomatoes, red onions, and a fat crab cake patty filled with a generous amount of crab. The dipping sauce for the crab cake was not needed because the balsamic vinaigrette was sufficiently delicious. The bonus was the fresh mini pastries and fresh fruit that accompanies every brunch order. What a great way to start our vacation!
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| Crab Tomato & Avocado Salad |
1612 20th Street NW, Washington DC
Ph: (202) 387-8555
We didn't have a chance to try Zorba's the last time we visited our daughter who lived in the District at the time. She referred to Zorba's as "the good Greek place" so we made a point to try it out. There is no table service and diners must order at the back of the restaurant then seat themselves. Your order number is called out over a loud speaker since most of the diners were seated on the patio in front of the restaurant instead of inside despite the ample seating indoors. My husband ordered Zorba's Combination ($15.25) which consisted of slices of yero meat, a souvlaki skewer, a small kefte pattie (similar to a mini hamburger pattie), rice, 2 dolmathakia (grape leaves stuffed with rice), hummus, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce. I ordered the Souvlaki Platter ($13.50) which consisted of 3 pork (or chicken) skewers with fries, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce. Both orders came with a small green salad topped with feta, tomatoes, red onions, and a yummy Greek dressing. Both dishes were absolutely delicious! The weather was balmy as Washington's searing summer began to transition into fall. It was a great dinner, topped with gelato from nearby Dolcezza Gelato.
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| Pork Soulvaki Platter |
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| Zorba's Combination Platter |
Dolcezza Coffee & Gelato
1704 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Ph: (202) 299-9116
Unfortunately, there are no photos of the scrumptious gelato we had at Dolcezza. We were walking back to our hotel after dining at Zorba's and stumbled onto this place. The flavors are eclectic and the price a little steep, but all doubt disappeared with the first bite of the Butter Pecan gelato I ordered. My husband sampled the Chocolate Classico and immediately ordered the large size. I think we paid $14 for two large gelatos, but it was worth it! Dolcezza has 4 locations in and around the DC area. Give them a try!
1739 N Street NW, Washington DC
Ph: (202) 331-8528
This was our second visit to Tabard Inn, having dined there with Daughter #1 a couple of years ago. This historic Inn features a great restaurant that is very popular for weekend brunch. Reservations are highly recommended since those without reservations have to fight for a seat at the bar. We opted to dine indoors this time and were taken to an upstairs room that looked like a former bedroom. To start off, we ordered a couple of Tabard Inn's famous Freshly Fried Donuts ($1.75 each) which were rolled in sugar and cinnamon and served with vanilla whipped cream. (They taste like a refined version of malasadas.) My husband ordered Belgian Waffles with a side of crispy bacon. I ordered the House-Smoked Salmon Hash with Chimichurri sauce, topped with 2 sunny side eggs. I didn't realize that a basket of mini pastries was included with our brunch so we walked out of there really full. The menu on the restaurant's website is entirely different from the menu we were offered last Sunday. I didn't keep my receipt so can't report the price of the dishes we ordered. However, I do remember paying about $42 for our entire brunch, including coffee. I highly recommend Tabard Inn for Saturday or Sunday brunch. Don't forget to make reservations!
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| Belgian Waffles |
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| Salmon Hash with Chimichurri |
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| Tabard Inn Donuts with Whipped Cream |
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| Hotel Tabard Inn and Restaurant |
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| Our excellent servers, Miguel and Seble |
1738 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC
Ph: (202) 234-6969
Daughter #1 introduced us to Bistrot du Coin a few years ago and it has become our "go-to" restaurant whenever we visit the District. It's a rustic, homey, French bistro that specializes in steamed mussels. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on the weekends. Every inch of space is utilized to try to accommodate the many patrons. It's loud and crowded but the food is heavenly! We ordered Escargot ala Bourguignonne ($9.50) to share, which is prepared in the old-fashioned way with unsalted butter, parsley, and plenty of garlic. I tried not to fill up on the complementary, fresh crusty bread to leave room for our second appetizer, a small order of Moules Marinier ($11.50) which was about 12 mussels steamed in white wine, onions, shallots, garlic, and parsley. This provided more sauce for dipping the bread! For my entrée, I ordered Homardine ($17.50) which was mini raviolis covered in mushrooms, seafood, and lobster sauce. My dish was topped with cheese and baked. It was rich and I made my husband eat some while I sampled his dinner. He ordered Le Steak Maison ($18.95) for his entrée, which came with bernaise sauce and French fries. The steak was grilled medium-rare, just as my husband had ordered, and it was juicy and delicious.
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| Small order of Mussels |
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| Homardine |
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| Le Steak Maison |
2029 P. Street NW, Washington DC
Ph: (202) 223-2964
We stopped at the Dupont Circle location of Panas Gourmet Empanadas (they have another store in Bethesda, MD) located near our hotel for an evening snack. It's a small, very casual place with a few tables and chairs. Panas offers a wide variety of empanadas and 4 kinds of savory "dripping" sauces. Upon our arrival, the friendly gentleman behind the counter offered us a free sample of the Chipotle Steak empanada with Salsa Verde dripping sauce. The empanada was warm, savory, and full of flavor. We decided to order the "Combo x 4" ($8.50) which comes with 2 dripping sauces and a small bag of fresh plantain chips. Both the empanadas and chips are baked and not fried. We selected the Carne Asada (beef, olives, peppers, eggs, onions, parsley), CubaNovo (pork, onions, cilantro, lime, Grand Marnier), BrieArt (brie cheese, mushrooms, artichoke hearts), and Chicken Melodia (chicken, Sauvinon Blanc mushroom sauce, onions, cilantro) plus 2 portions of the mild Chimi dripping sauce. Each empanada was labeled with initials on the corner (made of dough) to indicate the filling. Clever! My favorite was the BrieArt empanada, no sauce needed. Both my husband and I preferred the Salsa Verde over the Chimi dripping sauce. It's a great place for take-out since the décor is "fast food" and nearby Dupont Circle is so enticing when the weather is nice. Another customer placed a large order of at least a dozen empanadas and extra plantain chips, all the while complaining about the lack of parking. (Welcome to DC!)
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| Empanadas, Dripping Sauces, and Plantain Chips |
2331 Calvert Street NW, Washington DC
Ph: (202) 332-2331
Open City Diner is just a few steps from the Woodley Park Metro (near the National Zoo). It has become another "go-to" place for breakfast whenever we are in the District. The cool, hipster atmosphere reminds me of my college days in the late-'70's. My favorite breakfast is the Salmon Scramble ($9.50) consisting of eggs scrambled with chunks of cream cheese, tomatoes, and chives. It comes with a choice of toasted whole wheat, white, bagel or English muffin, and hash browns or grits. I love ordering coffee served in a large mug with 2 animal crackers smiling at me from the saucer. This was my third visit to this restaurant and it seemed a little more "divey" than I remembered, but the food was still good. We have only been here for breakfast, which doesn't require reservations.
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| Salmon Scramble and Americano with complementary animal crackers |
FreshFarm Markets
Dupont Circle and other locations
When we lived in the area in the early-1990's, one of the things I really enjoyed was the wonderful farmers markets. There used to be one every Tuesday afternoon near our home in Alexandria and I really miss the wide variety of fresh produce that we just don't have in Hawaii. On Sundays, FreshFarms holds a farmers market just north of Dupont Circle. We strolled between the vendors and gazed at peaches the size of softballs, a towering mountain of huge bell peppers, fresh cheese, herbs, and even empanadas. Alas, it was too early in the season for fresh apple cider. I miss being able to buy this autumn treat directly from the farmers. The next time you are in the DC area, check out FreshFarm Market's schedule to find a farmer's market near you.
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