Food Guide to Capitol Hill

Over the past few months I've tried a lot of the restaurants and cafes around Capitol Hill. There is a a large diversity of food offerings and I haven't come close to trying them all, but I've managed to explore several eateries serving a variety of foods. Below is my guide to Capitol Hill food, from the tastiest morning latte to the best evening cocktail.

~Exterior of the Capitol Hill Starbucks~

For the best latte: visit Starbucks on the Hill.  I won't post too many chains on this list, and I wish I could say I found a local shop with a great latte, but unfortunately the coffee I tasted at other places wasn't that great. The Starbucks on the Hill has surprisingly good lattes--consistently better than at other locations in the area, in fact. The milk is always slightly foamy--in my opinion, the perfect way to brew a latte.

• Other things to try: breakfast sandwich (my favorite is the veggie, egg, and cheese)

~Le Bon Cafe from across the street~

For the tastiest sandwich: visit Le Bon Cafe. I frequented this cafe a lot this summer, and almost always ordered the same thing: the grilled chicken panini. I love a warm toasted sandwich, and the chicken panini at Le Bon Cafe is delicious: tasty chicken and pesto, served with a scrumptious serving of potato salad.

• Other things to try: daily soup offering (lentil, rice, chicken, etc)
• Avoid: cookies (lacking in flavor), quiche (under seasoned)

~Mural and menu inside Burrito Brothers~

~The burrito bowl I ordered~

For the best Mexican food: visit Burrito Brothers.  Choices included traditional offerings like burritos, salads, and tacos, and I ordered a chicken burrito bowl. It came with a variety of optional topings (the usual corn, tomato, and other veggies offered at competitors like Chipotle and Qdoba). What I really liked was the three types of salsa that were available on the counter as a self-service feature.  I tried the two less spicy options and the result was delicious.

~Screen shot from Good Stuff Eatery website~

For the juiciest burger: visit Good Stuff Eatery. I don't eat beef, but in addition to traditional burgers there are several turkey and veggie items on the menu, as well as the option to have any burger sandwich made with grilled chicken. I ordered the Michelle Melt (many of the burgers have politics-esque names), a turkey burger with caramelized onions and herb mayonnaise, and ate the whole thing. The Good Stuff Eatery also serves fries, wedge salads, and milkshakes.

~Capitol Hill Firehook~

~Firehook cookies and interior~

For the best smoothie: visit Firehook. The Capitol Hill location of Firehook, a local chain, is large and relaxing, with two cozy seating areas and a pleasant atmosphere. Firehook sells breads, pastries, sandwiches, and coffee, but my favorite thing to order is their smoothies. You can order any combination of fruit, coffee, and sweet ingredients. My favorite is chocolate banana, though I prefer mocha if I need an afternoon pick-up. These smoothies are a delicious treat!

• Other things to try: cookies (there are around 10 flavors available; the chocolate chip is very good)
• Avoid: chicken panini (mediocre, they use deli chicken as opposed to sliced chicken breast and the bread wasn't great)

~Capitol Hill Pitango Gelato~

For the best dessert: visit Pitango Gelato. Also a local chain, they offer several different flavors of high quality gelato, available in a cup or cone. I ordered banana gelato, which was excellent, though I was also tempted by the chocolate hazelnut. They'll even combine two flavors in your order!

~Bar at Beuchert's Saloon~

~Happy Hour menu~

For the best drinks: visit Beuchert's Saloon. Beuchert's is a nice bar/restaurant, with a classy interior and good service. Their happy hour menu is reasonably priced, with several beer and wine options. Though I was disappointed to see no cider offered, I enjoyed the white wine that I ordered. When I couldn't choose between two different kinds, the bartender even offered me a taste of each, which I really appreciated.

I highly recommend any of the places above, but there are many more Capitol Hill restaurants yet to be explored! It's a very food-rich area and I hope to try a few more places in the couple of weeks I have left in my internship.

Independence Day

I haven't ventured into D.C. for 4th of July festivities and fireworks since I was a kid, but this year I was ready to try again. I had a four day weekend off from my internship, so I planned a full day of activities. In the afternoon, I joined my siblings and some friends at my sister's apartment to watch Independence Day, which I unbelievably had never seen before. As a fan of adventure movies (Star Wars, Star Trek, Indiana Jones), no one was surprised that I really enjoyed it! 

A movie, snacks, and some cocktails later, we headed to the Mall--an easy walk from my sister's. Getting there was hassle-free, and that's the way to do D.C. on the Fourth: avoid public transportation entirely. It wasn't too hot, we managed to find a spot on the Mall near the Capitol, and had a great view for the fireworks show. Below are some of my favorite pictures from the night.

~The Capitol and the Washington Monument as the sun set~

~Lots of red and white fireworks against the blue sky~

~Looks kind of like an outer space shot~

~Finale!~

Movie Review: The Bling Ring

Last week I got around to seeing The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola's latest flick.

~Movie poster, from imdb~

The movie tells the true story of a group of California teens who broke into celebrities' houses and stole their expensive belongings (for more information on the movie, go here, and for information on the true story, here). Coppola's depiction of the events is really fun to watch: it's visually intense, has a great and arresting soundtrack, and is anchored by an interesting plot. The actors do well, especially Israel Broussard and Katie Chang (and seeing Emma Watson play a valley girl is fun too). There are a lot of graphic clubbing scenes which I wasn't expecting, but they add to the feeling that the world the characters inhabit is largely of their making and at times completely unrecognizable. I'd recommend The Bling Ring as an enjoyable summer movie that departs a bit from your typical teen flick.

~Still from a club scene, from imdb~

Kayaking on the Potomac

The William & Mary D.C. office has been organizing great events for students and alumni this summer, and one of my favorites by far was kayaking on the Potomac River.  One evening after work earlier in June, I made my way over to the Keybridge Boathouse in Georgetown.  The boathouse is located almost directly under Key Bridge, and also rents out canoes and paddleboards, plus they have grills and picnic tables (it would be a great place for a party!).

After a quick tutorial (I've been canoeing a few times but I'd never been in a kayak before), I settled into my bright green kayak. Though my first stroke was incredibly wobbly, I got the hang of it fairly quickly and set out to explore! It was very cool to see Georgetown, Rosslyn, and glimpses of the monuments from the middle of the river.

~All the kayaks piled up at the side of the river~

~View of Rosslyn from the kayak~

~Glimpse of the Kennedy Center and Roosevelt Island on the right~

~Pretty much the only way to get this view of Key Bridge~

~New way to watch a sunset!~

Getting to Know Capitol Hill

Though I've lived in D.C. my entire life, I'd never been to Capitol Hill until I started commuting there for my internship at the Library of Congress. Beyond the library's doors, I'm discovering that it's a really charming area with its own personality. I'm working on exploring all the restaurants and cafes in the area (I'll post my suggested food guide soon!), and I've also started wandering the residential streets that emanate from the Hill in every direction.

I found lots of shady streets, cute row houses, and great architecture:

~Residential houses just off Pennsylvania~

~St. Peter's on Capitol Hill~

~The blue, red, and orange doors remind me of the Doors of Dublin~

There are also a lot of parks and flowers in the area:

   

~Purple spring flowers~

Also, because I can't help myself, yet more perspectives of the Capitol:

~Looking at the Capitol from the south~

~Quite a to do the day the NSA hearings started~

And lastly, some views from the LOC:

~The dome of the Jefferson Building on a gorgeous day~

~View from the 6th floor of the Madison Building~