Eats in the City

As I write this, I’m already enjoying my next destination but I couldn’t leave off my D.C. travels without one final update.

The best thing I did in D.C. was dining at Bresca. This Michelin-star French-inspired bistro is artful, intentional, and delicious. Even if you can only try two courses on their price fixe menu, it’s worth the visit. Growing up, my Sunday family dinners were always an experience from grocery shopping to wine selection to sitting down together. Eating at Bresca reminded me of those meals and the beauty of enjoying food as an experience. And of course, food is always best shared in good company.

My cousin came into town and we enjoyed three courses at Bresca, starting with an amuse-bouche, a light confection of sweet salty bacon over toasted bread. For our first course, I had the poached scallops and my cousin had the duck a la pressé. Each plate had a unique sauce or puree that complemented every bite. At first, I thought I’d ordered a tuna steak because I’d never seen such a large scallop. The flavor was mild but tender and the duck was crusted with seasoning and paired with a lovely hickory sauce à la royale. Neither of us could pass up the Australian Wagyu (bottom left) for our second course. They paired the wagyu with a stuffed shishito pepper and balsamic sauce. Everything was perfectly balanced and thoughtful.

I didn’t realize I was getting full until our dessert course; a raspberry semifredo with a layer of sponge cake, raspberry ice cream, and a toffee-like layer that I had to crack with my spoon. It was covered in a lemon verbena glaze making a sweet tangy, citrusy complement of all my favorite flavors. My cousin enjoyed a cocoa banana cake with a chocolate sponge covered in a rich chocolate mousse nestling a decadent banana ice cream. Our last bite was a trio of handmade dessert bites not pictured here. Overall it was a ten out of ten experience and I would highly recommend a visit. If I had to give one note, I’d say the espresso martini would be improved with Kahlúa but that’s splitting hairs.

In my last few days, I revisited the Alma Thomas exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s not often I find artwork that really makes me pause. Even as I added the pictures to this post I found myself reliving the emotion of viewing it for the first time. Alma Thomas began painting after thirty-five years as a teacher. If you ever feel behind in life, her exhibit is a beautiful reminder that everything in life is right on time, and it’s never too late to begin again. Maybe that’s why I connected with her work. She drew inspiration from the stars and her use of color filled each room with emotion and depth.

Here are a few additional pieces that I enjoyed throughout my time at the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum.

After planning this nomad trip for so long, it felt strange that my first destination was already coming to a close. Who knew two months would go by so fast? I found myself wishing I had more time in D.C. My last restaurant was a TikTok recommendation, Dleña. This wood-fire Mexican restaurant has an organic modern Mexican decor with fiber chandeliers that emit a soft dim light and cozy curved booths where you can imagine sipping a smoky mezcal.

Its ambiance matches its social media vibe but I found the drinks were just okay. Dinner options were better overall. I had the short rib al carbon over bib lettuce with pickled veggies, and my cousin ordered the branzino in a charred marinade served with coleslaw and an avocado stuffed with corn salsa.

My biggest takeaway from my time in D.C. is that Boston has truly robbed me of my nightlife stamina. Just kidding, mostly! D.C. definitely lives up to its fun reputation, people work hard and play harder. Between the happy hours, nightly events, and hanging with friends, I never ran out of things to do. So where does the city rank as my future Home Base? I’m giving it a solid 7 out of 10 right now.

I loved the free museums, the vibrant salsa scene, and the incredible food. The area felt familiar as an East Coast city, there was a lot of nature to explore, and I had supportive connections here. I didn’t feel that special something that makes a place home but it’s still early in my nomad journey, so I won’t count D.C. out yet.

As I close out my first chapter in this journey, I wanted to say thank you for following along so far! This blog is my most public writing in a long time, and it’s been a fun experience to share my travels with you. Stay tuned for my next post which will be from a sunny beach in Belize.

Thanks for reading! If you liked this update and want to support my travels, consider buying me a coffee.

Bites & Sights

My time in D.C. has been flying by and I can’t believe I’ve already been here six weeks. D.C. has more than welcomed me, and I somehow seem to know even more people here than I do in Boston. Here are a few snaps of what I’ve been enjoying so far: drinks at Destino, hangs with coworkers & friends, dinner at Mr. Braxton, and cocktails at Lucha Rosa.

I admit, I landed in the city with some trepidation about how I’d feel adjusting to a new environment but it’s been easier than expected. One of the things helping me ease into D.C. has been the Latin dance scene. I’ve been dancing salsa for a year now, and I just finished taking Bachata classes at Salsa with Silvia in Northwest. 

A few weeks ago, my best friend and I checked out La Consecha for their Baila Thursdays. La Consecha is a Latin American Marketplace in the Northeast neighborhood with several bars and restaurants inside. At the center, they host cooking classes, dance classes, and this particular Thursday was Salsa Night. 

On a culinary note, I had my favorite meal thus far at Lapis, an award winning Afghan restaurant in Adams Morgan (highly recommended by Padma Lakshmi, thank you Padma!) The ambiance was cozy with each snug table lit by a candle.

My friend and I split the afghan dumplings, mini beef patties that looked more like kebabs, zardak, a dish of carrots, peas, and pitted plums, and lamb shank marinated in a herbed tomato sauce. This was one of those experiences where pictures don’t do the food justice. The lamb was tender and falling off the bone. And the next day, I was incredibly grateful that my friend gave me the leftovers to take home. Downstairs, Lapis also has two additional bars which I’d recommend if you can only stay for a cocktail.  After this dinner, D.C. is winning a lot of points with me.

My favorite activity was my visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Just wow. You begin your journey in the museum three levels down as the curators describe the development of African civilizations and the threat of slavery. As you ascend through the museum levels, you’re taken on an experience through the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and the struggle for Civil Rights, into modern times and the growth of AfroFuturism.

You can walk through a segregated train car (pictured below) and they have an interactive lunch counter where you can choose to participate in different civil rights demonstrations. It’s obvious the level of care and intention the creators put into the displays and education. The museum is a marvel. I was there for 4 hours and it still didn’t feel like enough time. On my next visit, I plan to stop by the Sweet Home Café (which has rave reviews).

I’m feeling really grateful for my D.C. experience so far. There’s an endless list of restaurants, museums, and things to do every weekend. I have a few weeks left to enjoy the city and I’m honestly wishing I’d given myself a little more time to explore. I’ll have one more update from D.C. before I’m off to my next destination, Belize!

Thanks for reading! If you liked this update and want to support my travels, consider buying me a coffee.

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!

Thanks for reading! If you liked this update and want to support my travels, consider buying me a coffee.