Besides the multitude of free museums and important people, Washington has transformed itself from the Bad Boy of the Capital Beltway to a dining destination.
For those visiting the city for its sights, make sure to check out the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution. However, if you're willing to pay a minimal price for admission, the Newseum is well-worth it. One can navigate the museum the front pages of national newspapers for hours and still miss something.
Front-Page Bonanza
After doing your civic duty of visiting every single free sight, now it's time to eat.
Potenza, 15th and H St. NW
If you haven't noticed, I'm somewhat partial to Italian restaurants. However, I'm also very critical of them, too. Potenza is a somewhat more trendy than Nino's on Staten Island, but the quality of the food is there. The restaurant also doubles as a bakery on its other side so an obligatory cannoli should be added to anyone's bill.
One of the litmus tests for authentic Italian restaurants is to check its spelling of the following word: parmigiana. Any other derivative of it is a poor excuse. Of course, Potenza passed the test with flying colors and offered quite a creative Italian menu.
I do recommend the Rigatoni al Ragu Della Domenica. This is Wal-Mart of Italian dishes due its ingredients: meatballs, sausage, brasciole, and ricotta (pronounced like "ri-goat"). The portion was decent; however, I always enjoy leftovers when I'm shelling out $21.00 for an entree.
Ciao!
Marvin, 2007 14th St. NW
If you're first thought was Marvin Gaye, then yes, you will have quite the gastronomic healing. Marvin is quite the destination for the up-and-coming DC crowd. Its upstairs has a roof-top bar that allows for spectacular views of the historic Shaw district. The ambience of the main dining room reeks of soul food. If you haven't tried chicken with waffles yet, then this is the time. This dish is the flagship of true soul food. This bistro was also mentioned in National Geographic Traveler as helping put DC back on the map for eating experiences. And you heard that through the grapevine.
What's Going On
Artfully Chocolate Kingsbury Confections (ACKC), 1529 14th St. NW
Okay, I'll admit what brought me into this delight of a cocoa bar was its free ice cream. If you want me to go anywhere on a sultry day, then offer me free ice cream and I will move mountains for you. Of course, the only caveat was the barrage of chocolate that stared me down. The owners' objective was successful and a friend and I sampled it various chocolate confections. My personal favorite was the bacon and paprika-infused piece. Take any preconceived notions what should or should not be in chocolate and try some for yourself.
Chocaholics Anonymous
No comments:
Post a Comment