Trip to DC

Ranger

I'll be attending a NAM meeting on healthcare in Washington DC at the end of the month. Will be extending my stay a few days. Can anyone recommend some restaurants/sightseeing? My SO will be coming along, and we like "off the beaten path" places. My first trip to Washington. Thanks, everyone.

rad

I asked a contact of mine who lives in DC since some sections are very unsafe and I haven't been there since I was a girl scout. Here's her response:

"Yes, there are some pretty shady sections in DC. She has to be very careful. There is an Italian restaurant called Paper Moon in Georgetown. It's located at 1073 31st Street, NW., Washington, DC 20007. The food and the atmosphere is wonderful. They have a lot of nice restaurants down Georgetown. Northwest Washington, DC is safer than any other section in DC."

I don't know if you are a she or a he, she assumed that part! As far as sightseeing, I hate to state the obvious...

Brad Forrister

If you like "off the beaten path," you're headed to the right place. Washington has one of the most diverse collections of international restaurants in the world. The Adams/Morgan section and the Dupont Circle area have dozens to choose from - Ethiopian, Salvadoran, Malaysian, Lebanese, Afghan, ...

You might want to consult the Washington Post's listing of restaurants:

[url]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/eg/section/restaurants/index.html[/url]

Brad Forrister
Director of Publishing
M. Lee Smith Publishers

Don D

I continue to be amazed at the budget M. Lee Smith has his employees on. They travel all over, eat at all the best restaurants and have the T-Shirt from every place on earth! x:-)

ray a

Well, how much did you pay for your subscription?

Brad Forrister

Now it must be told - M. Lee's most and least favorite restaurants.

Lee is a die-hard fan of the Felix Oyster Bar in New Orleans. So give it a try, Don, and see if you agree.

On the other extreme, I don't think I'll ever be able to drag him back inside the Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant in Washington. Great food, but not his style.

By the way, the international restaurants in D.C. aren't necessarily pricy. Those in New Orleans are -- except for Old N'Awlins Kitchen, which is quite wonderful and relatively cheap.

Brad Forrister
Director of Publishing
M. Lee Smith Publishers

Don D

I question either the sanity or the sobriety of a man who would let you drag him THE FIRST TIME into the Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant! Let me rephrase; I question the sanity of the dragEE and the sobriety of the draggER. Oysters I can handle; but, who knows what the hell comes out of the Ehiopian Red Sea, or is it Dead Sea?

TN HR

Well, I grew-up outside of DC in Northern VA and spent most of my youth there. Even today, I "go home" as much as possible. I'm afraid that since this is your first trip to DC, "off the beaten path" is going to leave you way short. Here goes some ideas:

As far as the obvious, you can hit the monuments and memorials rather quickly. Smithsonian museums can be accomodated depending on your mood/taste. Air and Space museum is worth it as is Natural History. As far as "off the beaten path", Adams-Morgan is the place. It's a large, ethnically-diverse neighborhood where you can eat, shop, browse and experience the true DC. Someone else mentioned the Dupont Circle area, however, you need to be fairly open-minded to alternative lifestyles, especially if you visit after dark. Georgetown is what it is. The yuppy, trendier side of the city. If you're into sipping Cosmopolitans and discussing foreign policy with wannabe Washingtonian tourists go there The Monocle is the place to eat and drink if you want to rub elbows with politicians. Ted Kennedy is a regular and is known to regularly close the place (and pick-up tabs). It's on Capitol Hill in NE Washington (D Street if I'm not mistaken)

I would definitely go to Arlington National Cemetery and stick around for the changing of the guard (I think every 2 hours in the winter months) where you can also see Kennedy's tomb. While in Arlington (which you are now actually in VA), I would visit the South-East Asian neighborhoods for the best Thai and Vietnamese foods this side of Bangkok and Hanoi, respectively (they don't call it Arlington, Vietnam for no apparent reason).

Again, I think you are selling yourself short if you don't do the conventional tour your first time there. A good way of doing this is to take the TourMobile shuttle deal (1/2 a day) and let them ferry you around from place to place. You can then dedicate the next day or two to un-conventional sightseeing

I hope this helps you somewhat.

Gene