First Stop, D.C.

I’m officially in Washington, D.C.! In my first few weeks, I’ve been busy playing tourist and catching up with friends. As soon as I touched down, I visited Capitol Hill and the monuments, and explored a few local food spots.

I went to the National Mall where I was immediately stung by a wasp. I screamed loud enough for a passing jogger to call out a belated warning. Since it was only Day 1 and I’d already been bested by an insect, I decided I needed alcohol. I checked out Bar Deco in Chinatown which didn’t impress me with their margarita. Where is the best place for a margarita in this city? (Someone please comment below if you know).

D.C. was having one of those 80-degree September days that I dream about in Boston. I stumbled upon my favorite find of the week, Flight Wine Bar. Escaping from the afternoon heat and sun inside reminded me of descending into a chill subterranean oasis. The organic contemporary aesthetic suited their beautiful menu of wines and small bites. They specialize in wine flights but since it was only 3 o’clock I stuck to a glass of rosé.

The bartender recommended the Mourvédre + Montepulicano + Tempranillo from Langhorne Creek, Australia 2022. The owners and bartender were friendly and recommended a few museums and places to visit while I’m here.

Later, I grabbed dinner with a friend at Ocean Prime and we tried the dynamite roll, ocean roll, spicy tuna, and a chef special that had fried lobster. It was all delicious and I can’t describe it much to say that I ate everything. When it comes to chains, even upscale chains, I basically know what to expect from the experience and Ocean Prime delivered. (I would love to try a local sushi spot in D.C. if anyone has tips.)

Here’s a round up of what else I loved in my first few weeks:

Daikaya, a cozy ramen spot in Chinatown that serves walk-ins at a small counter. My server recommended the spicy miso ramen which was solid all around. I think this spot deserves a return visit if you’re looking for an easy lunch near downtown.

Later in the week, my friend came to visit and took me to Laos in Town, where I tried Laotian food for the first time. This spot is located in Noma and has a lovely patio if you’re looking to dine al fresco.

We ordered the Poh Pia, a Laotian spring roll appetizer, and the Goong Sawaan with marinated shrimp on a bed of lettuce and crispy noodles. We both loved our cocktails, I ordered the Hummingbird with Hendrick's Gin, St-Germain, Cointreau, orange blossom, and lemon. My friend ordered the This Side of Noma, with Cotton & Reed White Rum, Thai basil, lychee, and lemon. I would highly recommend adding this spot to your list of D.C. restaurants to try.

Unfortunately, the mains did not make my camera roll because I was too hungry to blog.

Sometime after this point, my wasp bite started to swell and my arm grew to 2x its size. I won’t share any lurid photos but if you can imagine me as Popeye the Sailor Man, you’ve got some idea of how I looked.

Admittedly this development slowed my sightseeing down, and I needed to take it easy because my arm felt like a stuffed sausage. I made several trips back and forth to CVS until the Minute Clinic nurse told me I absolutely needed meds because my arm looked terrible.

And because nothing is easy, I broke out in a full-body allergic reaction to my medicine - and required another prescription. I’m happy to report that as of posting this, I am fully healed and my arm is its regular size!

Despite my comical infirmity, I still managed to check out the National Portrait Gallery, where I loved this painting by Alma Thomas. The exhibition wasn’t open yet so I’m planning to go back to view the rest of her artwork. In person, the colors are vibrant and you can see all these tiny details in her brushstrokes that give the painting an almost textural sensation.

I’ve been exploring the local scene here and visited the H Street Festival, a local community festival spanning several blocks in the H Street Corridor. There was a ton of live music, activities, and kids’ games. I ordered lunch from Jerk at Nite, a Black-owned Jamaican spot started by Howard students. The line was so long for this spot that the oxtail was gone by the time I got to the front but I ordered the Di Yaddie plate with jerk chicken, rice and peas, and cabbage and loved everything. I’m still new to the blog and didn’t capture the dish but I promise my next post will have more pictures.

D.C. is known for its food scene and one of my goals, while I’m here, is to try a Michelin-star restaurant. I have a few in mind but if you know any good spots worth visiting, please leave me a comment below!

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