Posts Tagged ‘dupont circle’

Snowtorialist

Title: Snowtorialist
Photographer: Patten Wood
SIT-uation:  Dupont Circle. Morning after the BIG snow. But no worries. Nothing’s keeping this guy from Sunday’s ritual: looking good in the park.

Patten snapped this a few weeks ago, but somehow I think this photo is a proper way to start our Monday. Happy start of the week!

Sitting for Justice

Title: Sitting for Justice
Photographer: Patten Wood
SIT-uation: We were walking home from Sakana last Thursday night and saw this candlelight vigil for Iran. The Dupont fountain was covered with people, many of whom were dressed in black. Demonstrators were passing out plastic cups with candles inside. Tea lights and newspapers (their fronts pages covered with violent photos from the Iranian protests) encircled the fountain. There was a somber air about; we stood quitely on the periphery and watched.

Tour of Europe

After our success last week, we braved Saturday’s heat to visit more embassies. We fit in ten: UK, Finland, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Romania. Highlights included the architecture of Finland (and the Helsinki exhibit displayed within); the hazelnut chocolate and beer tasting at the Belgium Embassy; the gorgeous photos inside the Embassy of Lithuania, and the tour through the Czech Ambassador’s Residence. We were disappointed that all activities at the UK Embassy were outside; that Italy charged for every little goodie (surprisingly, there was no charge for the use of toilets); and that Romania ran out of their famous (according to Stefan) wine by the time we arrived. Here’s the day in pictures:

European Union Open House

Garden at the British Embassy residence.	The Ambassador’s Residence at the UK Embassy	Grouse tasting at the UK Embassy	Grouse and ginger ale. Yes, we started sipping at 10 a.m.	Interior of Finnish Embassy	Glass enclosed pillow patio at the Embassy of Finland
Italian Embassy	Interior at Italian Embassy	EVERYTHING was for sale here. No freebies.	Hillary Clinton’s house, across the street from the Danish Embassy	Yes, the Dane’s are the happiest people in the world.	Embassy of Denmark	Belgian chocolates at the Embassy of Belgium
Learning about the industry of Belgium. Umm, is this really a way to sell a country?	Who knew Looza was from Belgium? The banana juice is delicious.	Beer at the Embassy of Belgium.	More beer at the Embassy of Poland.	Room inside the Polish Embassy.	Lithuania knows how to sell itself. These gorgeous photos had us all saying, "I want to go to there!"	Exterior of the Lithuanian Embassy.
Chimney Cakes available for $2 at the Hungarian Embassy.	More free beer. Guess where?	Inside the lovely Czech Ambassador’s Residence.	Pool at the Czech Ambassador’s Residence	Exterior of Czech residence	The Embassy of the Czech Republic.

Clams and Chocolate Salami: Our Cheesy, but Delicious Valentine’s Date

Tucked in the basement of a row house along P street—just a block west of Dupont Circle—Al Tiramisu wins the “most romantic date spot” in City Sifting opinion, if your idea of a romantic date spot includes tiny tables for two with bow-tied men serving you pasta and red wine. The place is intimate—to such a degree that if this weren’t Valentine’s Day or our Christmas dinner together (the two occasions on which P and I have dined here), I’d probably be uncomfortable. This is not the place for business dinner or girl’s night out. Don’t come here unless you’re with a date, particularly one that your comfortable enough with to enter such an ultimate cheesy realm. Valentine’s was the epitome of cheese, and the clientèle relished in it: the couple one foot to our left oggled over a new ring the man had presented to his wife (”I really like this one, honey,” she said), the table behind us was covered in rose petals (apparently orchestrated by the man before they’d arrived), and the two to our left could stop fondling one another’s fingers.

Gooey lovebird disclaimer aside, I really love this place. The food is excellent, and classically Italian. I’m a big fan of their linguini vongole (pasta with fresh clams; seen above in the horribly dark photo—I promised P I wouldn’t disrupt the others with a flash); at only $16 a plate, if this weren’t the kind of date spot I’d just described, I’d consider coming here once a month. Patten had the expensive ($23), but delicious Filleto di Manzo al vino Aleatico (beef tenderloin in a wine reduction). The highlight of the evening was dessert. Their tiramisu is excellent, but if you go here, you MUST order the salame al ciocccolato con gelato vaniglia (chocolate salami served with vanilla ice cream.) It’s this absolutely divine dark chocolate/pistachio concoction that I’ve been thinking about for days.

Chili Rellenos

When I first moved to D.C., I was really turned off by Lauriol Plaza. Mexican food at home was so much better—and this place was sooo expensive. The few times I’d tried it, I walked away with a $20 bill (just for my own order) and a longing for good fiesta food. What happened to the days of Javier’s enchilada platters for $5? But the longer I seem to stay in this city, the more and more I seem to long for that food I initially hated. Like the herds that pack the restaurant day and night, I am more regular to this food establishment than any other in the city. But it’s taken quite a few visits—and a taste of many a entree—to find my bliss, er value.

While friends would argue the fajitas and chicken tacos are the star items, the best item for me is their chili relleno, stuffed with meat. The bell pepper-sized poblano is coated in a fluffy egg batter, stuffed with ground beef, smothered in a slightly sweet tomato sauce, and topped with melted cheese. It’s fatty enough to make you feel like you’re getting a good Mexican fix, but the thick, juicy pepper itself adds something to your daily vegetable intake. For one thing, I feel a lot better after eating this than I do a platter of cheese enchiladas or a heaping burrito. When I’m with Patten, we order the $11.30 Chili Rellenos platter: we each get a relleno and share the side of rice and beans. And continue to nosh on the thin tortilla chips and warm chipotle salsa served when you immediately sit down at your table. Yes, bliss.

When I’m with certain friends that don’t care for my usual meal, I just order the single relleno for $5.70. What I originally considered a ripoff of a restaurant has now become my go-to of cheap eats. We ate here last night, we ate here last week, and if you mention it to me sometime in the next few days, you’ll easily convince me to share yet another platter with you.

Long lines and free donuts at Krispy Kreme. I’ve been waiting for this day for 4 years!!!! One word: HOPE.

Approximately Good

You’re right if you presumed that my lack of posts recently has anything to do with our failing economy. Patten has taken a vow to stop eating out; I’ve been following suit and poor Citysifting’s been starving. At wits’ end with our money saving, I convinced Patten to do some dining. First up? Circa.

I’ve always liked the food at Circa, located on the corner of Q and Connecticut. And we’ve eaten here at least a half dozen times. But it’s the kind of place that never really sticks out in our mind when we’re hungry. The food is good, but not cravable. You know, the kind of place that you eat at because you see it on your walk home—not the place you drool over in your basement. On our last visit, Patten ordered a margherita pizza (pictured right; $10). I had a delicious, though small spinach salad (pictured below; $8) with red onion, hard-boiled egg, crispy shiitake mushrooms, and a sherry vinaigrette. I also splurged on a 11-dollar Pumpkin Pie drink—a mix of Pink vodka, Captain Morgan with pumpkin puree, and half and half. This tasted nothing like pie, but it was a good treat. (I rarely spend more than $6 on any sort of beverage, but I’ve had a weak spot for alcoholic pumpkin drinks ever since I tasted the pumkin martini at Hotel Helix three years ago).

Circa is a great place to please a first date without breaking your budget. It has a little something for everyone. Service is good; ambiance is nice (if you like urban chic and a people-watching patio); and the food always pleases. But it’s not the kind of dining experience I’d recommend to out-of-towners, as it’s just a little too normal compared to the other gems in this city.

Much to the chagrin of out-of-town drivers, D.C. loves its circles. Logan, Scott, Thomas, Washington… if you do a good amount of walking in this city, you’re bound to walk through one, or several, each day. When I first moved to D.C., I disliked Dupont. It seemed dirty, over-crowded, run-down. But as I’ve spent more time in the area, I’ve grown attached to the place, whether I’m munching on a pastry from the Farmer’s Market, chatting on the phone on a bench beneath the trees, or simply walking through the center to bypass crosswalks. It’s grown on me, like the green moss that grows on its marble fountain – another detail I’ve grown to love. And while I could spend this post offering tips like “go during the day to observe a game of chess” or “after an international soccer match to watch fans parade about the park,” my best advice is to simply visit the place, at any time or for any purpose of your choosing. And take a photo or two: