Tag: Food

Sights,Biking, Foods- Washington DC

DC denizens-

Its March, time for  march madness in some ways but its for me the hump month. A hump from the white side to the green side.And for me there’s not a better place for spring to arrive and so much so that the Cherry Blossom is getting here ahead of its schedule. The arrival of the Cherry Blossoms brings renewed kind of enthusiasm and while I am not complaining about the DC winter, just feeling the optimism in the air that accompanies the Cherry Blossom is something known only to those that live here and those who love DC.

Spring cleaning is not even a chore, there is something about it that makes you tick, get prepared for the azure skies, the perfect sunshine ahead. Get out there and do what feels right in this crisp spring time and carry this on through the summer. What do I want to do?

DC marinaMt Vernon

The Dawn-

I love to get myself out there and do my walk and jog trails. Rock creek park, Mount Vernon, C & O Canal, here I come!

And my bike is obviously not going to ride itself. Every trail in the area has its charm. For biking aficionados, a start with the fresh paved trails would set them up well for the rest of the season. Some of my tips-

1- Mount Vernon Trail- 36 mile, all paved, pretty and scenic but you could always start off at 10, may be 20 miles.Park at the Theodore Roosevelt Island. The other good part is just 8 miles from the island on the trail,you get into Alexandria, charming Alexandria. Just stop here and smell the roses, the cooking smells as you ride through town, the citizens moving at leisurely paces in no hurry whatsoever. Its an experience.

2- Rock Creek Park- You may want to until early summer to do this. An experience through the lush greens of the Beach Road, by the DC Zoo,Rock Creek park and then depending on how far you want to do, you could bike all the way to Georgetown while catching sights and sounds of the Tidal basin and all those fantastic monuments. Park at the beginning of Beach Road on the MD side.

3- Georgetown- After parking at the island, enter DC from the Georgetown side over the key bridge and get down to the river. You could go either side. Makes up for refreshing ride. The other good part about this trail is you get to go through the heart of Georgetown on M St. Smell of fresh brewing coffee, the cup cakery, the little quaint stores, the small eateries, I cannot see a better place to spend your Saturday morning.

The Dusk-

Not that winter ever stopped me, but the spring gives me even more. Any cuisine, any place, and if the temperature stays like its been past few days around 75, I would absolutely prefer being out where I can get some spectacular views of DC across the river. A few locations for sure are worth the drive, but Alexandria, M St/Wisconsin Ave are just some that come to mind. And then of course getting right onto Dupont circle and its like being in a candy store of foods.

The writing is on the wall- Make the best of it and for sure when DC gives you lemons, squeeze every drop of it!

 

Bon Appetit- Washington DC

I am no critic, I do not belong to Zagat nor do I claim to have any special taste buds extraordinaire. But as an avid foodie, bent on exploring international cuisines in the DC region I present to you what’s yum and what’s not.

Washington DC has for sure, a lot to offer to tickle taste buds of someone who has limited meat eating abilities, not necessarily  finicky but certainly limited. Speaking from the perspective of someone who grew up in middle class cosmopolitan India, there was absolutely zero exposures to anything outside the traditional north Indian cuisines. Well may be Indian version of Chinese may have crept in towards the mid 80s. That’s about it. So with that as the backdrop, I am freely experimenting anything that DC has on offer. Indian food or curry houses are dime a dozen and have spawned across the region and even sordid looking places which actually could be sorry excuses for food are seen around the several strip malls in the area.

Indians as stereotypical as they may be lend credibility to this word. The only “eating out” is getting all excited at the sight of an Indian restaurant and of course when the weekend buffets are on offer, the trails of saliva have been known to resemble a Mumbai monsoons.

Getting out of the box and willing to venture out takes some doing, a bit of daredevilry accompanied by some adventure. Having done this for over 12 years now, I am going to stick my neck out and offer my opinions. Opinions as they they say is free but my only underlying message to people who have not been too exposed to some rather exotic cuisine is “just try it”. It may not turn on your palate but the trip and ambience are most certainly worth the efforts. And eating at the food courts do not count.

Italian- Maggiano’s, Chevy Chase- Awesome ambience, great wines and great value for your $$

Thai- Mai Thai, Georgetown- Great variety of dishes for the veggies too, with that warm Saki to wash it all down

Indian- Rasika, Westend (Dupont circle)- You need to plan for this, you have to book weeks in advance if you want to get in for prime time dinner slot. A little on the expensive side but this place blows me away all the time

Ethiopian- Try Das, M St, Georgetown- Its not too dissimilar to some version of Indian grub. Spicy for sure and the townhome settings makes it for an amazing experience.

Turkish- Zaytinya, 9th St NW, DC- Small portions, great wine selections and some super mouth watering appies and entrees. Its a lively place and brings cheer to the inner self. Still have to book a few weeks in advance to get in at a decent hour.

Peruvian- The spice levels of the food at the Cochina is a place for a special occasion.Not too much for the veggies though.Bit pricy, I suppose.

Asian fusion- Banana Leaf, Florida Ave- A nice informal townhome setting, the array of choices from a fusion cuisine of Malay, Indonesian, Thai and Japanese is an absolute must for the curry munchers or the not not so curry inclined too.

Now if you were to decide to go for a mean steak or lobsters, your options grow exponentially.

Bon Appetit!