Washington D.C. is a very fast place to live. You’re either on your way to work, your house, or somewhere in between with a bagel in your hand and your cell phone in the other. Food tends to be a popular staple in American culture, but in a city moving so rapidly, many may ask how we have time to sit down and take the time to eat.
Well, we don’t.
The restaurants here are just as fast as the people, and convenient for short-term attendance. They all serve a very important purpose too. Whether it’s networking after work, or happy hour with your colleagues or the other interns, East Coast eateries are built for maximum comfort, service, and necessity.
A few week’s ago was what the natives in Washington D.C. call “restaurant week.” Essentially over 200 of Washington D.C.’s finest restaurants serve 3-course meals for less than half the price in order to attract crowds and win “Washington’s Best.” As a result, the streets are packed on Friday nights from everyone to college students, to 40-year old couples looking for a hot date.
It is the perfect time to branch out.
This week, instead of attending the ever-popular tourist attraction, I decided to make like a real native and get the fork out of there.
What I discovered was the Washington D.C., much like Los Angeles is a hit-and-miss type setting filled with both questionable, and amazing food options. You just have to know where to look.
International Districts: Get out of Foggy Bottom, or anywhere else you can buy an $8.00 cappuccino. China Town, and Massachusetts avenue are the places to be if you want the out of country experience. While China town is filled with predominately American food near the metro, a ten-minute walk will take you down toward the family style, hole-in-the-wall places that serve the best food. Dim sum, sushi, and pho come cheaper down here because the restaurants all serve the same food.
Massachusetts avenue is where you’ll find embassy row, a concentrated line of diplomatic lodgings. While walking down this street it’s not uncommon to see one or two ambassadors from other countries I’ve found out. You could only imagine my surprise last week when I had run into a group of rather large, suited Arabic men to find them standing guard at the gates of a middle eastern looking embassy. Later I found out that the car in front of us contained *** of ****.
The Yuppie/Hipster Lounge: Like coffee shops, accept cooler because they have happy hour. You can go at any hour of the day to these homey, living-room-type settings to grab a cup of coffee, a meal, or a drink all while sitting on a couch or carpeted floor. The restaurants are a perfect place to go on a snowy winter day or night when your looking for a quick bite to eat, or a pick me up.
The “Insert food here” stands: Uh…. I’m not too sure how safe these places are, to be quite honest. The hotdogs/cheeseburgers/UFM (Unidentified frozen meat) are all boiling in grayish water that looks all but appetizing.
Do it yourself restaurants: Because of the frequent time constraints in Washington D.C., many places retain a “do-it-yourself” type scene, where they’ll either weigh your food, or give you a meal card that you can swipe at a station of your choice. These places are the most convenient for eating great food on the go. Vappianos Italian, Nando’s Peri Peri, and the Constitution café are a few great places to get top quality eats, at a fraction of the price.
The Door: By FAR my favorite location so far. What is it? It’s a mystery! Who knows what’s behind the beat-down, scratched up, wooden door with the “Open” sign glowing in the front. Sounds sketchy, I know.
Because Washington D.C. is in a much smaller than most locations, it’s architecture is built to accommodate the massive amount of people that walk through it’s streets everyday. As such, many restaurants, malls, and drug stores are built underground—with only a door to lead you into a usually cavernous location. It’s a little like walking into the bat-cave.
The last time I did this I found myself at Carmines, a family style Italian restaurant. I was originally invited by a friend from The Washington City Paper to visit the place for a review.
I had my doubts once I saw the entrance.
Five minutes later as a shuffled through a minuscule hallway I emerged into something that I could only describe as a large, colonial-like dining hall with food displayed on every surface.
Oh yes, and it was all free.
As I walked out of the restaurant, to full to even tie my shoes I had an epiphany: It’s amazing to try new things, because you’ll never know what your going to get!