Review of the Russia House

I'm frankly amazed at myself that I have never done a proper review of the Russia House.

Housed in an old DC building with a lot of character, the restaurant spans several dark, red, moody floors. It is where you take someone when you want your romantic dinner to turn naughty.

Being a Russian restaurant, they have loads of vodka. The best thing to do is get a vodka tasting. They'll bring out an iced tray of shots in whichever flavors you choose. I love the chocolate vodka.

The food is excellent, much to my surprise. My experience with borscht growing up was not a positive one, but theirs was delicious. The duck salad was excellent as well.

Happily, I live within site of the Russia House. Unhappily, I can't afford to eat there too often. That's mostly because eating there means consuming copious amounts of vodka. I don't know though. I think I might be due for a visit.

Russia House, 1800 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC

Review of Le Pain Quotidien

Dupont Circle finally has its very own Le Pain Quotidien.

Part of a worldwide chain, this bakery/restaurant manages to feel like it isn't a worldwide chain. They have a good selection of breads and pastries, very tasty lattes, and a decent menu.

Dupont Circle doesn't have that many breakfast places nearby, so I wasn't exactly sad to hear I had another option. I love Afterwords and all, but the food just isn't that great and the lines can be long.

Chris and I were famished when we arrived, so we over ordered a bit. We shared a perfectly cooked Paris Ham & Gruyère omelet. We also shared a super sweet Belgian sugar waffle and two other pastries. Oh, and then there was the bowl of fresh berries. I really couldn't complain about any of it, although I won't say anything knocked my socks off. Also, we blew about $50 before we knew what hit us.

Le Pain Quotidien, 2001 P Street NW, Washington, DC

Ramp it Up Exhibit at the NMAI

The National Museum of the American Indian in DC has an interesting exhibit right now on Native American skateboard culture.

The exhibit starts with surfing (an indigenous Hawaiian invention). It shows how surfing's land-based cousin gained in popularity and how influential skate culture is in native communities.

Different native skaters are highlighted, but the most interesting part for me were the skateboards. The artwork is really cool and I totally want to order some for my wall.

Check it out. It runs through October.

The Great Nationwide Kiss In

I thought the Great Nationwide Kiss-In was a pretty cute idea.

A same sex couple had been harassed after kissing outside a Mormon church. Protesters started going to the church to kiss in protest. That little idea germinated until someone decided we should have a big kiss-in around the country.

It could have been great. Thousands of people gathering to make-out in public was a clear message. And the more we see same sex people kissing, the less of a big deal it will be.

Although thousands signed up on Facebook, including about 800 for Washington DC, this was the sad little group that actually showed up. What's that, maybe twenty people?

C&O Canal in Washington, DC

Before eighteen wheelers, barges were used to move stuff around. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was used to bring things from Washington DC all the way up to Cumberland, MD (on the Pennsylvania border) until the 1920s.

Some of the canal isn't actually canal anymore, but the parts by Washington, DC are. In the pic you can see a tourist barge being pulled along by some historically dressed reenactors and a couple tired looking horses mules.

Bikers sometimes take the canal path all the way up to the end. There is a great website that gives you all the 411. Perhaps one day I'll be feeling very industrious. Or at least I'd like to bike up to Great Falls.

Call Box Art in DC

Before you could call 911 for an emergency, DC had emergency call boxes all over town. The call system was removed, but the boxes have remained.

Rather than spend a fortune trying to remove the call boxes, Cultural Tourism DC has undertaken a project to turn them into art.

Some of the boxes are reproductions of historic paintings. Some are designed by local artists. Many of them have little historic tidbits about the neighborhood on the back.

This particular box depicting George Washington on his horse is in Dupont close to my house. You can find out more about the Art on Call boxes on the Cultural Tourism DC website.

Kickball on the Mall

The National Mall really is like a giant yard. On weekends, people swarm out to use the space for all kinds of games.

Kickball is a favorite. I've also seen Frisbee, boccie, softball, and cricket. Afterwards, nearby bars are filled with beer-drunk yuppies in matching jerseys.

Review of Surfside

You all are surely aware that I have been on a quest for decent Mexican food in Washington, DC. It is an impossible task, but I am an optimist.

I had gotten word that Surfside had the best tacos in town. Naturally, I had to put that to the test.

The line was long when we arrived, which is always a good sign. While you wait in line, you fill out a little order form. You can chose one of their pre-designed concoctions or make your own.

Chris and I went with the Cuba (carnitas on corn tortillas with pineapple jalapeno salsa, lime sour cream and cilantro) and the Maui (grilled fish on corn tortillas with black bean and corn salsa, guacamole, cilantro and lime sour cream). All of which was chased down with perfectly iced cold Pacifico from their fridge.

It was great!

I wouldn't go so far as to call it authentic Mexican. It is more like Californian. But it is so much better than most of the faux tex mex crap you get served around here. And it is inexpensive (under $10 for two generously heaped upon tacos).

We took our tacos (and some not-so-great salsa and chips) upstairs to their adorable rooftop patio. It was the perfect place to kick back with those beers.

We will definitely be back. In fact, dinner isn't too far off...

Surfside,2444 Wisconsin Avenue Washington, DC 20007

Washington DC Style

There is a certain segment of the DC population (particularly centered around Georgetown) that likes the most unbelievably tacky clothes.

The pants in this Georgetown shop window are salmon colored with little whales all over them. And lest you think this is a joke, let me assure you that you will see people wearing these kinds of things.

Oddly, it is often people with obscene amounts of money that dress like this. I think it might be some secret code. The tackier you dress, the richer you are?

Cyprus Protest

You never know what you are going to learn just walking around DC.

Chris and I came upon this little vigil the other day. The sign says "We Demand Justice, Stop the Denial." Underneath it has a link to the Cyprus Action Nework.

I am ashamed to admit that I know nothing about Cyprus. So it came as a surprise to find out that Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and has since been occupying the northern part of the island.

And so ends today's history lesson.

Sad Ignorance at the Museum of American History

So, as I mentioned yesterday, we went to the National Museum of American History a couple weekends ago.

The museum has the Woolworth's lunch counter where Ezell A. Blair, Jr. , Franklin E. McCain, Joseph A. McNeil, and David L. Richmond sat down in 1960.

Hopefully, most of us have heard of how these four African American students set off a protest that ultimately desegregated Woolworths. But I don't think most of us know any more than that.

Well this poor kid at the museum was (while in character from the era) trying to educate the museum crowd. He kept asking questions and getting no response. You just know he goes home every day and marvels at our collective ignorance.

On a happier note, the crowd watching his performance was about as diverse as any I've ever seen. They just didn't know much about how they got that way.

The Scurlock Studio Exhibit at the NMAH

The National Museum of American History has an incredible photography exhibit through February of 2010.

The Scurlocks were local photographers who chronicled African American life in Washington DC. The exhibit covers about eighty years of DC history.

The photographs are beautifully done. Particularly impressive was an overhead shot of a ballroom from the thirties or forties. I don't know how they got that shot with that old equipment.

Of course, there were plenty of pictures of famous people (Martin Luther King to Marian Anderson), but it was the shots of everyday life that I really loved.

Also, there is a spot in the exhibit where locals can write down their DC memories and they post some up on a board. My favorite was the woman who talked about how nylon stockings used to last six months when they first came out, but how they make them like crap now. (My words, but the sentiment is the same.)

If you can't make it to the museum, you can see quite a few of the photos online.

Iran Protest in Washington, DC

So I inadvertently missed the big Iran protest this past weekend. But I did catch this smaller protest the weekend before on my way to the museum.

Not exactly bowling you over with numbers eh. You want to know the funniest thing about it? There were like four or five cop cars keeping an eye on them.

I mean really. It was totally family - all ages, lots of kids running around. What the hell did they think was going to happen. Why do police have to be everywhere all the time.

Review of Thomas Sweet

So Thomas Sweet is not my favorite ice cream place in DC. In fact, I almost always head across the street to Dolcezza.

However, if I were a kid, I would probably like Thomas Sweet better than anyplace. They have all the ice cream flavors kids like and a zillion toppings. They have fudge and birthday cakes and plenty of places to sit and gorge on them.

So, if you are looking for incredible flavors, go to Dolcezza. If you want great ice cream and gruff service, go to Larry's. But if you have a troop of little ones you need to distract with vanilla wafer and m&m topped cookie dough ice cream, Thomas Sweet it is.

Thomas Sweet, 3214 P Street, Washington, DC

Review of El Chalan

El Chalan is a little Peruvian place near Foggy Bottom. It is an aged looking place - the kind of place where middle-aged male waiters wear white shirts and dark pants.

The restaurant was nearly empty the day we were there, nothing to distract from the wood chairs and slightly worse for wear walls.

The food was good, not greats, but good. The pisco sours were good. The lomo saltado - good. You get the picture.

I get the impression that this place is more happening at lunch. I can picture some dudes in business suits from the World Bank or IMF coming into this basement restaurant to discuss policy over some meat and potatoes. For the rest of us, I would recommend Las Canteras instead.

El Chalan, 1924 I Street NW, Washington, DC

Hana Japanese Market in DC

There is a new Japanese convenience store down the road from our house (on Florida). It is a snackers paradise.

It is also filled with cool looking Japanese packages - so colorful, like someplace you'd want to go on an acid trip.

They have real food too. You can get sushi grade fish, seaweed, all different kinds of noodles, and mochi. (O.k., some of you may not think mochi is real food, but I could totally eat those little dough covered ice creams for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I really hope this place manages to survive. It's not in the most trafficked area of the city. Get the word out.

Hana, 2004 17th St NW, Washington, DC

Review of Martin's Tavern

This is going to be a quick and dirty review, because I won't be recommending Martin's Tavern to anyone.

Martin's has been around for 75 years, opened by Irish immigrants when Georgetown was still a working class port. It's an icon. JFK even proposed to Jackie here.

Too bad the food doesn't live up to the historic reputation - Think velveeta and white toast for a cheese dip.

Many of the Georgetown restaurants are sub par, but I found Martin's particularly disappointing.

United States Botanic Garden

This is the U.S. Botanic Garden, just next to the capital. This picture is actually a bit old. It seems they have put up some covering since then, which is nice, cause it gets hot.

Inside, the conservatory is divided into sections - desert, jungle... Personally, I find most of the conservatory a bit claustrophobic. The paths are narrow and crowded with slow walkers.

The exhibit rooms are more spacious and more interesting than you might think. Christmas time they decorate the hell out of the place. They also have an annual orchid show.

At the moment, they have an exhibit called plants in culture that focuses on how people use herbs and flowers. You can walk around sniffing vanilla and patchouli and whatnot.

The garden also has a significant educational center where you can take classes on gardening and food. They even provide a certification class in botanic illustration (who knew).

Globes in Washington DC

These crazy globes are all over the place near the Botanic Gardens on the mall.

They are part of the Cool Globes exhibit, meant to bring attention to sustainability.

I have to say, they are all pretty cool. I wish they weren't slated to come down in October. Personally, I think we should have art like this all over the city.

But alas, you have only another few months to check them out, so go to it.

Hotel Rouge in Washington DC

The Rouge is a Kimpton Hotel and the only hotel in DC I have actually stayed in. As you can see, it is kinda funky, modern, hipster.

We got a great summer deal when we stayed there, but normally the place costs 2 - 300 per night.

The room was a decent size. They have a cool little, moody bar downstairs where you can get lovely cocktails and snacks.

On Saturday mornings, they serve cold pizza for breakfast. They also have a daily wine and beer happy hour for guests. Of course, they serve only red wine and Red Stripe. It is the rouge after all.

Like all Kimpton hotels, it has personality and the service is friendly. The fact that Kimpton is consistently voted as one of the best hotels to work for really shows.

If you have the cash or can get a good deal, you should definitely put this place on the top of your list.