Washington, D.C.

[furcafe]

Ben's is an institution & worth a visit your 1st time in DC. It gets busiest in 2 shifts: (1) lunch = mostly tourists & some city gov't workers; & (2) drunk o'clock (2am is last call in DC) = people getting out of bars. While the front counter & booths have the best people-watching, they also have tables in back w/waiter service (parties of 4 & up, though, IIRC). They've also opened a fancier, sit-down, restaurant/bar next door that has a liquor license.

Further east on U is Oohs & Aahs, which is a good soul food carryout (they do have an upstairs seating area).

There's a good Greek carryout, The Greek Spot, on 11th, right above U, that also has limited seating (doesn't stay open as late as the above places).

If you want more Latin American, Miami-style, sandwiches, there's Fast-Gourmet, in back of the gas station (don't worry, the restaurant part is nice) at 14th & W. Though it now has different ownership, it's the place that introduced the chivito, the Uruguayan national sandwich, to DC a couple years ago. They do a good Cuban & have salads, etc., too.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

If you're looking for something a little nicer in the eating department, heading south on 14th from U there has been an explosion of places to eat in the last several years. The area also makes for nice walking and people-watching. There's Matchbox for gourmet pizza, Masa 14 for tapas, El Centro DF for high-end tacos (yes, there's such a thing as high-end tacos, and these are worth it), Rice/DC Noodles for Thai, Le Diplomate is a brand new French bistro that I haven't tried yet, Posto for Italian. Next door to Rice is Pearl Dive oyster bar, which is quite popular, and their bar windows swing out of the way to become open air, and there's always some interesting people hanging out on the outside. Miss Pixie's is a second-hand furniture boutique with some really cool stuff in the windows all the time, and well worth a browse. On U Street, between 14th and 15th there's a similar-minded store called Goodwood that has funky furniture, artwork and decorative objects. Across the street from the 10th Street/Vermont Avenue exit from the U Street Metro is the African-American Civil War museum. It's small, but very well put together, and worth a visit. Continuing on on U Street/Florida Avenue going east from 10th, there's The Brixton, a British pub with some really good food, and then the recently re-opened and restored Howard Theater. I wouldn't go past the Howard Theater if you're not a local and don't know where you're going, as the neighborhood can be a bit dicey. It's gentrifying, but not there yet.

If you go up 14th to Columbia Heights (my neighborhood), there's a really busy intersection at 14th and Irving where a lot of development has just happened, and it attracts a very diverse slice of the city. If you continue north on 14th there are some good restaurants and some urban grit. Another good tortilla place, very authentic, insanely cheap, and blink-and-you'll-miss-it, is Distrito Federal Taqueria (three tacos, beverage, and flan for $11 with tax!). It's in a street-level basement of a rowhouse, and their dining room has maybe 10 tables next to the open kitchen. A couple blocks further up is Mad Momos, a Himalayan restaurant (disclosure: the owners are friends of mine). I wouldn't go much further north past Mad Momos as the commercial area ends and the purely residential area begins, and again, that gets a bit dicey.

Back down at 14th and Irving/14th and Park, head east over to 11th street. There's a neat little area from Irving going up to Monroe. You'll see Wonderland Ballroom, which is now a hipster bar with outdoor seating and some decent food, but was the oldest continuously operating African-American gay bar in DC until it closed about four years ago. Across the street is another cheap tortilla place, El Chucho. Room 11 across the street is a tiny little restaurant with a very small but delicious menu. Red Rock Pizza makes outstanding wood-fired pizzas. Meridian Pint is a rather large brew pub with decent bar food. Kangaroo Boxing Club serves some really good barbecue. There's a new place I haven't tried yet across from KBC that looks interesting, with organic fare IIRC.

 

[KoNickon]

One place that's a very interesting museum and spectacular for indoor shots is the National Building Museum, right by the northern end of the Judiciary Square stop on the Red Line. A five story atrium, with huge columns floor to ceiling. Really quite impressive. This isn't a Smithsonian museum, however, so you will need to pay an admission fee.

If you have a car, or are willing to pay for a cab, go to the Lincoln Cottage, more or less due north up North Capitol Street. I forget the exact address. This is where Abe escaped to whenever he could; I think the family would stay there in the summer. Besides being intrinsically interesting, there are nice views down toward "monumental" D.C. and the Potomac.

And of course Arlington Cemetery is well worth the visit.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

http://lincolncottage.org/

Drive north on 16th Street NW, 14th Street NW or Georgia Avenue NW. Turn right on Upshur Street NW. Upshur Street terminates at the gate to the Armed Forces Retirement Home; continue through the gate.

The opportunity to photograph is somewhat limited at the Lincoln Cottage. The interiors of the cottage are basically empty, and I don't recall if they allow photography inside in the first place. You can take exteriors of the building, but they ask you very specifically not to photograph the Old Soldiers' and Sailors' Home immediately behind it or any of the residents.

 

[furcafe]

Good recommendations for a 1st-time visitor.

Yes, places continue to open on the Logan Circle stretch of 14th St.: Ghibellina, another Italian place, & Black Whiskey, a whiskey bar w/performance & arts space. If the kids need pizza, there's a branch of our local Matchbox chain not far from the new Le Diplomate. I highly recommend Peregrine Espresso for coffee.

Small correction for Columbia Heights: Nob Hill, the bar that preceded Wonderland, closed in early 2004. The place across from Kangaroo Boxing Club is the Coupe, which is a diner (same owners as The Diner & Tryst on 18th St. & Open City on Calvert).

South of the Brixton (overpriced like other Hilton Bros. establishments, IMHO, though it has a nice decor & big roofdeck) below U St., there's a stretch of Ethiopian restaurants, the best in the city. For non-Ethiopian, 1905 is a nice bistro w/a great little roofdeck bar & DC9 is 1 of our finest small rock venues.

There are also a cluster of restaurants & bars near the Howard Theatre on Florida Ave.: Thai X-ing (very good veggie-centric Thai in a cozy setting), Bistro Bohem (Czech), Shaw's Tavern, etc. The area near there is actually already gentrified & really isn't that dicey. Ledroit Park, for example, is very nice.

If you're looking for something a little nicer in the eating department, heading south on 14th from U there has been an explosion of places to eat in the last several years. The area also makes for nice walking and people-watching. There's Matchbox for gourmet pizza, Masa 14 for tapas, El Centro DF for high-end tacos (yes, there's such a thing as high-end tacos, and these are worth it), Rice/DC Noodles for Thai, Le Diplomate is a brand new French bistro that I haven't tried yet, Posto for Italian. Next door to Rice is Pearl Dive oyster bar, which is quite popular, and their bar windows swing out of the way to become open air, and there's always some interesting people hanging out on the outside. Miss Pixie's is a second-hand furniture boutique with some really cool stuff in the windows all the time, and well worth a browse. On U Street, between 14th and 15th there's a similar-minded store called Goodwood that has funky furniture, artwork and decorative objects. Across the street from the 10th Street/Vermont Avenue exit from the U Street Metro is the African-American Civil War museum. It's small, but very well put together, and worth a visit. Continuing on on U Street/Florida Avenue going east from 10th, there's The Brixton, a British pub with some really good food, and then the recently re-opened and restored Howard Theater. I wouldn't go past the Howard Theater if you're not a local and don't know where you're going, as the neighborhood can be a bit dicey. It's gentrifying, but not there yet.

If you go up 14th to Columbia Heights (my neighborhood), there's a really busy intersection at 14th and Irving where a lot of development has just happened, and it attracts a very diverse slice of the city. If you continue north on 14th there are some good restaurants and some urban grit. Another good tortilla place, very authentic, insanely cheap, and blink-and-you'll-miss-it, is Distrito Federal Taqueria (three tacos, beverage, and flan for $11 with tax!). It's in a street-level basement of a rowhouse, and their dining room has maybe 10 tables next to the open kitchen. A couple blocks further up is Mad Momos, a Himalayan restaurant (disclosure: the owners are friends of mine). I wouldn't go much further north past Mad Momos as the commercial area ends and the purely residential area begins, and again, that gets a bit dicey.

Back down at 14th and Irving/14th and Park, head east over to 11th street. There's a neat little area from Irving going up to Monroe. You'll see Wonderland Ballroom, which is now a hipster bar with outdoor seating and some decent food, but was the oldest continuously operating African-American gay bar in DC until it closed about four years ago. Across the street is another cheap tortilla place, El Chucho. Room 11 across the street is a tiny little restaurant with a very small but delicious menu. Red Rock Pizza makes outstanding wood-fired pizzas. Meridian Pint is a rather large brew pub with decent bar food. Kangaroo Boxing Club serves some really good barbecue. There's a new place I haven't tried yet across from KBC that looks interesting, with organic fare IIRC.

 

[alienmeatsack]

One of the "hidden gems" on the Natonal Mall is the Natl. Botanical Garden. It's in front of the South Wing of the Capitol, next place over from Smithsonian's Mus. of the American Indian. An architectural gem, inside or out, the NBG has plenty of plants (obviously), in several habitats. Neat-o feature: walkways at several levels so you can see things growing at various heights. Any lens from wide-short tele is good. Paradise for a DR Summicron, too.

I agree with this. I was in DC this past weekend and we visited the Botanic Gardens and it was really amazing.

My only suggestion for it is to make sure to have plenty of time and patience. It was quite busy this weekend. Almost all of the aisles are pretty narrow and there are a LOT of people all trying to take photos, standing around in the way, etc.

There were places where it was barely wide enough for a person and there were strollers in the way, people standing and talking etc. So like I said, patience.

Also note that some of the areas are lit naturally and some are semi-dark depending on the time of day and sun position so make sure you have appropriate speed film at the ready.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I didn't realize how long ago it was that Nob Hill closed - probably because I was never a patron 🙂 I guess there was a longer transition between Nob Hill and Wonderland Ballroom than I thought.

Another sight in the neighborhood worth noting is Madam Evanti's house (it is still owned by her family, and not open for tours, but worth a peek on your way in/out of the AACWM).

http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/th...bbs-residence-african-american-heritage-trail

There are half a dozen alleged residences of Duke Ellington in the neighborhood, so instead of hunting them down, check out the Ellington Mural on the side of the True Redeemer building on U Street (across from Ben's Chili Bowl).

For a little shopping, there's also Pulp (greeting cards, puzzles and games, t-shirts, etc), Home Rule (funky household goods), Cork (wines and wine paraphernalia), Current Boutique (clothing), Muleh (very trendy mens' and womens' fashions and high-end modern Asian furniture), Vastu (high end modern furniture, plus some artists studios in the basement... ask at the desk if they're open. One of them is Colin Winterbottom, a fantastic local photographer specializing in architectural work). Across the street there's another art gallery Arts@1830 (I believe that's what it's called).

Good recommendations for a 1st-time visitor.

Yes, places continue to open on the Logan Circle stretch of 14th St.: Ghibellina, another Italian place, & Black Whiskey, a whiskey bar w/performance & arts space. If the kids need pizza, there's a branch of our local Matchbox chain not far from the new Le Diplomate. I highly recommend Peregrine Espresso for coffee.

Small correction for Columbia Heights: Nob Hill, the bar that preceded Wonderland, closed in early 2004. The place across from Kangaroo Boxing Club is the Coupe, which is a diner (same owners as The Diner & Tryst on 18th St. & Open City on Calvert).

South of the Brixton (overpriced like other Hilton Bros. establishments, IMHO, though it has a nice decor & big roofdeck) below U St., there's a stretch of Ethiopian restaurants, the best in the city. For non-Ethiopian, 1905 is a nice bistro w/a great little roofdeck bar & DC9 is 1 of our finest small rock venues.

There are also a cluster of restaurants & bars near the Howard Theatre on Florida Ave.: Thai X-ing (very good veggie-centric Thai in a cozy setting), Bistro Bohem (Czech), Shaw's Tavern, etc. The area near there is actually already gentrified & really isn't that dicey. Ledroit Park, for example, is very nice.

 

[furcafe]

The initial transition between Nob Hill (of which I was not a patron either, not that there's anything wrong w/that 😉) & Wonderland was all in 2004, so not really that long in DC terms (probably because the 'hood wasn't gentrified enough for anyone to complain about the transfer of the liquor license). Like Logan Circle w/their Whole Foods, Columbia Heights really started gentrifying once they started building the DC USA/Target in 2006-7 & accelerated after it finished in 2008.

Additional 14th St. shopping possibilities (& plugs for friends 😀): Treasury Shop (vintage clothing, mostly ladies) & Crooked Beat Records (vinyl), both between Cafe Saint-Ex & Bar Pilar.

I didn't realize how long ago it was that Nob Hill closed - probably because I was never a patron 🙂 I guess there was a longer transition between Nob Hill and Wonderland Ballroom than I thought.

Another sight in the neighborhood worth noting is Madam Evanti's house (it is still owned by her family, and not open for tours, but worth a peek on your way in/out of the AACWM).

http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/th...bbs-residence-african-american-heritage-trail

There are half a dozen alleged residences of Duke Ellington in the neighborhood, so instead of hunting them down, check out the Ellington Mural on the side of the True Redeemer building on U Street (across from Ben's Chili Bowl).

For a little shopping, there's also Pulp (greeting cards, puzzles and games, t-shirts, etc), Home Rule (funky household goods), Cork (wines and wine paraphernalia), Current Boutique (clothing), Muleh (very trendy mens' and womens' fashions and high-end modern Asian furniture), Vastu (high end modern furniture, plus some artists studios in the basement... ask at the desk if they're open. One of them is Colin Winterbottom, a fantastic local photographer specializing in architectural work). Across the street there's another art gallery Arts@1830 (I believe that's what it's called).

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

From what I heard, in its dying days, Nob Hill had about six regular patrons who were all well past retirement age, so regardless of your orientation it wasn't exactly an exciting spot. I moved in to the neighborhood in 2002, so I got to watch the transition up close and personal. I remember when the DC USA shopping complex was a vacant lot with a board fence. Someone had spraypainted "Resist Gentrification" on it - I was tempted to respond beside it "Resistance is Futile - you will be Gentrified. Sincerely, the Borg Queen". While gentrification has its downsides, that neighborhood NEEDED gentrification. It was an urban war zone for two decades. At one point, they had the National Guard doing police/security duty at Clifton Terrace apartments, it was so crack-riddled.

 

[furcafe]

Oh, I remember many parts of pre-gentrified DC, not just Columbia Heights (I grew up in MoCo, MD, though I didn't live in DC until '92).

Here's Wonderland in '04:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/1275968/

And a view of the DC USA lot back in 05:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/3263024/

From what I heard, in its dying days, Nob Hill had about six regular patrons who were all well past retirement age, so regardless of your orientation it wasn't exactly an exciting spot. I moved in to the neighborhood in 2002, so I got to watch the transition up close and personal. I remember when the DC USA shopping complex was a vacant lot with a board fence. Someone had spraypainted "Resist Gentrification" on it - I was tempted to respond beside it "Resistance is Futile - you will be Gentrified. Sincerely, the Borg Queen". While gentrification has its downsides, that neighborhood NEEDED gentrification. It was an urban war zone for two decades. At one point, they had the National Guard doing police/security duty at Clifton Terrace apartments, it was so crack-riddled.

 

[nlubis]

I live in Baltimore. And I second what Vince Lupo already mentioned above.
If you need more info about anything, pm me, I'd be happy to help. Baltimore is quite manageable in one day, without getting to crazy.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Another couple items to add on the checklist while you're doing the usual tourist stuff: the Bartholdi Fountain and Mathew Brady's studio.

The Bartholdi fountain is at the foot of Capitol Hill, across the street from the Botanical Gardens greenhouse. Maybe 2 years ago they finished a major restoration and now the fountain functions, and all the illumination works properly as well. It's best seen at night when the lights on the fountain are on, but is still worth a visit in the daytime - they have a lovely garden around it and plenty of seating, so it makes a nice respite spot after hiking around Capitol Hill. And they don't shoo you off if you set up with a tripod.

Mathew Brady's studio can't be visited from the inside, but you can still see the skylight that illuminated so many of his famous clients during the Civil War. The skylight is on the back of 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, visible from the alley and the little plaza on 7th Street which contains the Temperance fountain and the Grand Army of the Republic monument, directly across the street from the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro station.

 

[oftheherd]

Since everyone is talking about food, I just heard of a couple of Korean establishments in DC. One is called Mandu, iirc, it was said to be on or around Dupont Circle. Another was called Chocolate Chocolate. Apparently started by a North Korean refugee who fled during the Korean War. I've never been to either one myself.

If you like authentic Korean food, the place to go is Annandale, VA. Any and every kind of Korean food is available there. It has a metro stop within a mile if I recall, and then it would be a short taxi ride. It essentially extends from I495, down Little River Turnpike (LRT), to I95, with most businesses close to I495. But there is a nice, if a little expensive restaurant near I495 called Hee Been (http://www.heebeen.com/aboutus.html). They do have a nice weekend buffet.

Close to I495 (the beltway), you might want to try Oe Gat Chip (I think that is how it is anglicized). It is next to the Jerry's on LRT, and serves many Korean dishes, including an all you can eat Shabu Shabu for $20. Also a several different meat types cooked at your table, also all you can eat for $20. If you like blood 'sausages' you might ask a taxi driver to take you to the Seoul Sun Dae house. You can buy them on a platter or in a spicey soup. If the thought of what you are eating starts to get to you, they have Soju (made from sweet potatoes I think, and strong) or makuli (a rice wine that is milky colored and sine think a little chalky) to help wash it down. Of course, they also have other fare. A more gentile, and not too expensive place on LRT is Mt Sorak Restaurant. It is authentic, and many westerners eat there.

I do not recommend the Han Gang Restaurant. It received a favorable review by a local well know food critic for the Washington Post. My wife and I went there and walked away convinced that all the food had been prepared using imported water from the Han River in Seoul. They also had extremely bad service. That was a little over a year ago, so things may have changed. But we have no desire to return.

Sorry for the long post, but just some other options for your short stay in the DC area.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Another bit of food for thought - if you're in Chinatown, there really isn't much in the way of good Chinese food anymore. It's passable, but nothing to get excited over. There is one Chinese place on 6th Street just south of H worth checking out, not for the food (might be good, might not - never ate there) but for the window - they have the usual Peking Ducks hanging in the window, and far better and more important, they make their noodles and dumplings in the window, so if you get lucky you can watch them making Chinese vermicelli. In that same block, there's a Burmese restaurant if you want to try something a little different.

 

[oftheherd]

Another bit of food for thought - if you're in Chinatown, there really isn't much in the way of good Chinese food anymore. It's passable, but nothing to get excited over. There is one Chinese place on 6th Street just south of H worth checking out, not for the food (might be good, might not - never ate there) but for the window - they have the usual Peking Ducks hanging in the window, and far better and more important, they make their noodles and dumplings in the window, so if you get lucky you can watch them making Chinese vermicelli. In that same block, there's a Burmese restaurant if you want to try something a little different.

Agreed that most of the food in Chinatown is for westerners. As to the shop you mention (I forget its name, even though I drive by it every work day), I did try it about 5 or 6 years ago. I tried their mandu. Not recommended. Of course they may have changed cooks. It can be very photogenic no matter. Chinatown also has a big gate that is photogenic. It is just outside the H Street metro entrance, at 7th and H Street.

 

[furcafe]

I think you guys are talking about Chinatown Express. It can be OK so long as you stick to their specialty, which is hand-pulled noodles & dishes containing them.

Inside the District, the only decent Chinese places that come to mind are both outside of Chinablock & are Sichuan/Szechuan (what my mother & her mother cooked): Sichuan Pavilion (sort of fancy) on K St. & Great Wall Szechuan (only fancy for a carryout) on 14th. If you're stuck out in Montgomery County, MD, where most of the Chinese people (including my parents) actually live, I like Shanghai Taste in Rockville (in the same shopping center as the MoCo branch of the Hard Times Cafe) for authentic pan-fried Shanghainese dumplings, which are impossible to find elsewhere in the DC area (AFAIK--I would love to be proven wrong).

Agreed that most of the food in Chinatown is for westerners. As to the shop you mention (I forget its name, even though I drive by it every work day), I did try it about 5 or 6 years ago. I tried their mandu. Not recommended. Of course they may have changed cooks. It can be very photogenic no matter. Chinatown also has a big gate that is photogenic. It is just outside the H Street metro entrance, at 7th and H Street.

 

[oftheherd]

Furcafe - you are right about the Chinatown Express as the name. I looked there last week. There are some three or four others at that corner on 7th St, one a Burmese, but I have never been in it. But my experience is that most everything is cooked with westerners in mind. Not that that is bad, since that is what most of their business seems to be.

The Washington Monument now has scaffolding all the way up and over the top. There is sometimes interesting light there of an early morning. Probably the more interesting photo would be at night. They just turned on the lights on the scaffolding as I understand. I don't know if that would be worth the trip or not as I haven't seen it.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

The Burmese place is reasonably authentic - I know the owner, and have eaten there before.

If you have the jones for Dim Sum, there's a great Dim Sum place in Silver Spring called Oriental East (http://orientaleast.com/). Go there EARLY (by 10:45- they open at 11) on a weekend to get a seat - if you show up mid-service, you'll be standing in line for a table for over an hour. They're a block and a half from the Silver Spring metro station, so even visitors from out of town can get to it easily.

 

[sanmich]

Will be in DC in december: 7th to 15th with a two day conference in the middle.

If someone wants to meet, have a coffee, or shoot together, just send me a note.
It's always nice to meet RFFers far from home. 🙂

 

[furcafe]

I should be in town for the later part (will be at Art Basel Miami through the 8th), but you might want to update this thread closer to your arrival.

Will be in DC in december: 7th to 15th with a two day conference in the middle.

If someone wants to meet, have a coffee, or shoot together, just send me a note.
It's always nice to meet RFFers far from home. 🙂