Taste and Tell

 

At the end of week three here in Washington and I can’t help but look at my bank account and ask myself what has happened? It is quite easy to come up with a brief and reasonable answer…food.

There are many wonderful aspects about being here in Washington, DC that my other fellows and I have and will encounter outside the office such as tours, museums, monuments, and new people, but we must account for the dining as well. When accepted into the WAIP program I did not think that this would be a city where food would be a major perk, but I was mistaken.

In only three weeks the group as a whole, sometimes only a few, and occasionally me alone have found some of DC’s affordable but wonderful dining experiences. I am a fan of many cuisines, but affordable is perhaps my favorite!

If some of you DC visitors or incoming fellows feel like an inexpensive breakfast I would definitely head to Pete’s Diner right near the Capitol Building. Although, it may look a bit small and sketchy, don’t let that deceive you. You will be pleasantly surprised to find out that you are spending practically nothing on a great breakfast. This is somewhere that we will most likely become weekend regulars at!

We have also experienced some wonderful meals at Good Stuff Eatery and We the Pizza. Both are owned by Spike from the show Top Chef and happen to be just a short walk from our humble abode at The Congressional. But perhaps one of my two favorite meals in DC came in the form of BBQ this week near Gallery Place- Chinatown. If you are looking for karaoke, live music, meat straight out of the smoker, delicious tea and lemonade in a mason jar, and a whole lot of people, then Hill Country BBQ is the place to be! This was the perfect restaurant to enjoy a night off of papers and studying.

There are many more that I could mention, according to my bank account, but it would be a mistake to leave out the dessert. Cupcakes do not just come in short supply here in DC and are not limited to the name Georgetown Cupcakes that so many are familiar with. I have not had this famous cupcake due to the line that curves around the building, but I have had Sprinkles also located in Georgetown and indulged in Red Velvet Cupcakes near down town. Being a wannabe baker myself, I give these two cupcakeries two thumbs up!

I am sure I will experience more great tastes of DC in the coming weeks, but so far I am far from disappointed.

-Shannon Ryan