Washington D.C. is such a beautiful city.
I've always been captivated by it because if its poise. If any city were to be called 'proper' or 'classy' I think that D.C. fits the bill perfectly. It has the breathtaking monuments, it's shockingly clean subway system, and is it just me or is literally everyone wearing a suit? I have to admit that I always picture Olivia Pope and her gladiators behind the scenes fixing the scandals and accidental (or not so accidental...) murders that always seem to happen.
Side note / she is so awesome. Is it bad to say that I secretly hope D.C. is really like that behind the scenes? (... oh and New York, it would be nice if you were just like you were in Gossip Girl...)
Michael and I have played a lot of concerts in the D.C. area, but for whatever reason we've never really explored until this weekend, and it was a blast.
We were passing through the city after picking up our newly repaired car...
(we had wrecked it on tour in Connecticut at the end of last year... not the best feeling at 3am in the 20 degree weather to realize your car is smashed and un-drivable)
...so we decided to make this trip fun and stop in D.C. before we drove the rest of the way home. We spent the day on a mission to find the best food, drinks and sights that we could get to in one day, and I had the time of my life.
If you find yourself with a good excuse to stop through D.C. for a day, try out a few of these spots /
COFFEE + BREAKFAST / THE LITTLE RED FOX
Amazing coffee and food. They have a rotating daily menu and always have several of their favorite coffees available. Try this place out, it's adorable.
lunch / founding farmers
Probably D.C.'s most popular restaurant right now. It's always packed, its menu is farm-to-table style, and everything they make is absolutely delicious. One of my favorite restaurants I've ever been to. If you want to avoid the hour-long wait you might want to try it for lunch. Michael and I didn't make it in time for lunch, so we wound up waiting at the bar for an hour before dinner, but that wasn't half bad because their bartenders are some of the best in the city. I ordered the salmon, and Michael had the pot roast. YUM.
drinks + small plates / copycat co.
This place absolutely blew me away. It's in a really cute, up-and-coming part of town and the bar is tucked away upstairs. Walk up and order at the bar. Their specialty is the "Dealer's Choice" for your drink. Tell them a favorite drink of yours and they'll whip you up something sort of like it especially for you. It's so fun. But this place is definitely not just a bar -- this was some of the best Asian food I've ever had. The plates are small so we tried a little of everything from the buns to the pot stickers and skewers. You have to try this place.
DESSERT / ICE CREAM JUBILEE
For those of you who have heard of Jeni's Ice Cream - it's amazing. But Michael and I realized that Jeni had met her match when we had the caramel popcorn and the cookies + cookie dough from Ice Cream Jubilee. This was literally the best ice cream I've ever had. They have homemade crumbly waffle cones that are to die for and will whip you up some homemade european style hot chocolate if you request it. Woooooow, so good.
sights / the national mall
I had walked through parts of the National Mall before, but while I was walking through with my camera on this trip I noticed so much more detail. The monuments, the layout-- it's all so incredible and majestic. If you've never been, you should go walk the mall, see all of the exhibits and even go to all the museums (they're free). Next on my bucket list is to go to the National Zoo (which is also free!)
