A Taste of The District

After landing in D.C. on a very empty stomach, and riding around in a Super Shuttle for about an hour and a half, I arrived at Jill's place in Glover Park in a ravenous state. Not to worry! Jill greeted me with open arms, fresh Goldfish and a magnum of Pinot Grigio, which held me over quite nicely until we ventured out to a local watering hole. I needed some serious sustenance, and BreadSoda hit the spot. BreadSoda, a bar with an impressive selection of both beer and sandwiches, is one of the many great bars in the Glover Park area. Jill assured me that the reuben was one of the best in town, so I took her up on it and was pleasantly pleased. And since Rose is my obsession of the moment, we ordered a bottle of that too. Somehow, the tanginess of the reuben, and sweetness of the rose went really, really well together. Who would have thought? It was a great way to start my weekend!

The next morning, I ended up having to check in to a hotel thanks to Jill's cat, Dot. After a wheezing spell and bloodshot eyes, I had to pack up my stuff and move in to the Savoy Hotel, down the street. While relieved to escape Dot's lethal fur, I was sad to leave Jill's apartment. However, after settling in, I met up with her and pal, Hope for lunch. I was overwhelmed by the delicious burger I had at Five Guys, a local fast food, but fresh chain restaurant. My custom burger soaked up all of the previous night's exploits, and made me a little bit jealous that we have nothing like it in Miami. I was now ready for a full day of sightseeing, and set out for the Mall and Natural History Museum.

That night, I was in for the culinary highlight of my weekend -- gruyere mac & cheese at Cafe Delux with Jill and Phil (Felipe). While everything on the menu sounded great, Jill and I both decided to go ahead and order the "Four Sides" as our meal -- doubling up on the mac & cheese. Indulgence is an understatement. The saltiness and creaminess of the guyere was complemented perfectly by the acidity and sweetness of the roasted tomatoes, which I also ordered. Following our luxe meal, I was also treated to some hard core hip hop -- Washington & lee Style. I had so much fun with Jill and her friends at Skye Bar, making it rain all night to the Dolla Crew's lyrical stylings! ;)

After another raucous night, I awoke Saturday morning with an invitation to homemade pancake's at Jill's. Over breakfast, Jill, Pat, James and I, contemplated a night in Atlantic City and a pool party in Middleburg, among other activities. We decided, however, on a cocktail party at home. Thanks to recent inspiration from Marcela, we were kept cool and content all day, sipping "Watermelon Madness" cocktails and laying on the front lawn, in the hot DC sun.

Again, another night in DC. This time, however, we headed to Dupont Circle to a Karaoke Bar called Cafe Japone. I didn't try the sushi, but I did get my karaoke fix, by belting out an Old School version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart." After several sakes later, I headed home and "crushed" the remains of my room service club sandwich.

After a delicious brunch of huevos rancheros with Jill and crew at Town Hall, I repeatedly hugged my old friend goodbye, and traveled to Dulles via Taxi. The ominous weather should have been a sign of what was to come. Optimistically, I ignored it -- until I checked in to my gate. Finally, after waiting for close to 10 hours, and two failed boardings, I made it home to Fort Lauderdale Airport. It was a disappointing way to end such a wondefully fun weekend, but I would do it all over again. I would hang out with Jill at any opportunity, and I look forward to getting to know DC even better next time.