Hi! I am back from the East Coast where I had the opportunity to visit some great and interesting restaurants in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Among them:
American City Diner in D.C. for burgers and an outdoor movie,
Crumbs for birthday cupcakes in L'Enfant Plaza (D.C.) (chocolate dulce de leche for me--- and it was so big, I had to finish it the next day),
Graffiato in Chinatown (D.C.) for my birthday (hip Italian-style tapas-- we got the lemon risotto with rock shrimp, the flatbread with pepperoni sauce, lamb, and panna cotta for dessert-- and it was so neat sitting at the bar because you could watch them plating everything and cooking pizzas in this big wood oven),
Busboys and Poets on U Street (D.C.) for a mellow brunch-- I got the Oaxaca omelet (black beans, avocado, pico de gallo, and cheddar-- very tasty),
My Brother's Place for lunch after a visit to the Conservatory and Botanic Gardens (I got a nice chicken pesto panini),
Elephant & Castle after visiting some Smithsonians (where I also got a chicken pesto style panini... what can I say, it's one of my favorites),
Chutzpah (Fairfax, VA) while Friend was getting his hair cut (an authentic New York style restaurant and deli with a Jewish attitude where I had a very tasty pastrami sandwich and potato salad), and...
El Rancho Migueleno (Arlington, VA) for tacos one night (because we couldn't think of anywhere else and didn't want to travel far-- odd ambiance, to say the least-- the lighting was super dark and they were playing this loud South American music while a telanovela played on TV.. and no one else was there.. yeah, a little spooky, haha).
I read about American City Diner on the internet somewhere, and it looked like they were pretty much the only place in D.C. that was still showing outdoor movies at that point in the summer. Plus-- buy dinner and watch a free movie-- can it get any better? We ordered burgers, fries and a milkshake, and enjoyed watching The Hustler (1961). Every night is a different movie, many of them classics. They had really fun decor, too.
In the parking lot, they had a neat mural showcasing a bunch of different Hollywood stars. Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor...
Elvis Presley...
and Marilyn Monroe, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra.
More homage to movie stars inside.. James Dean and Marilyn Monroe on the restroom doors.
They played the movie on a screen in the outdoor deck area so people could watch the movie as they had dinner.
It was fun to see the neon sign all lit up once it got darker by the end of the night, too.
So, needless to say, the East Coast has an awesome food scene! Next time I will share more about the other places I went. :)
American City Diner in D.C. for burgers and an outdoor movie,
Crumbs for birthday cupcakes in L'Enfant Plaza (D.C.) (chocolate dulce de leche for me--- and it was so big, I had to finish it the next day),
Graffiato in Chinatown (D.C.) for my birthday (hip Italian-style tapas-- we got the lemon risotto with rock shrimp, the flatbread with pepperoni sauce, lamb, and panna cotta for dessert-- and it was so neat sitting at the bar because you could watch them plating everything and cooking pizzas in this big wood oven),
Busboys and Poets on U Street (D.C.) for a mellow brunch-- I got the Oaxaca omelet (black beans, avocado, pico de gallo, and cheddar-- very tasty),
My Brother's Place for lunch after a visit to the Conservatory and Botanic Gardens (I got a nice chicken pesto panini),
Elephant & Castle after visiting some Smithsonians (where I also got a chicken pesto style panini... what can I say, it's one of my favorites),
Chutzpah (Fairfax, VA) while Friend was getting his hair cut (an authentic New York style restaurant and deli with a Jewish attitude where I had a very tasty pastrami sandwich and potato salad), and...
El Rancho Migueleno (Arlington, VA) for tacos one night (because we couldn't think of anywhere else and didn't want to travel far-- odd ambiance, to say the least-- the lighting was super dark and they were playing this loud South American music while a telanovela played on TV.. and no one else was there.. yeah, a little spooky, haha).
I read about American City Diner on the internet somewhere, and it looked like they were pretty much the only place in D.C. that was still showing outdoor movies at that point in the summer. Plus-- buy dinner and watch a free movie-- can it get any better? We ordered burgers, fries and a milkshake, and enjoyed watching The Hustler (1961). Every night is a different movie, many of them classics. They had really fun decor, too.
In the parking lot, they had a neat mural showcasing a bunch of different Hollywood stars. Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor...
and Marilyn Monroe, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra.
More homage to movie stars inside.. James Dean and Marilyn Monroe on the restroom doors.
They played the movie on a screen in the outdoor deck area so people could watch the movie as they had dinner.
So, needless to say, the East Coast has an awesome food scene! Next time I will share more about the other places I went. :)
Happy Birthday Jen, on the 13th of August. No, I did not forget I have been kept quite busy with a new project. I'm glad you had wonderful time! It goes so fast eh?
ReplyDeleteAll the very best to you and yours. I will try to stop in more frequently!
Hi Meesh! I missed you, glad to hear from you-- and just in time for my new post. Thanks for the birthday greetings. My trip went by quickly but I am also glad to be back and excited to start my new classes tomorrow. I hope things are going great with your project.
DeleteSuddenly, I'm very hungry! And to think there are still classy places where one can get a tasty burger and enjoy an outdoor movie too--talk about a walk down memory lane...thanks for sharing the interesting pics too, Jen. Bring on some of that delicious potato salad from Chutzpah's, mmm, mmm good.
ReplyDeleteHow would you rate their milkshakes? Here's wishing you guys a great day ahead.
Yeah, the potato salad actually was really good :). It was neat to experience an authentic New York deli without needing to go all the way to New York. But maybe I will still go there some day.
DeleteThe milk shake was good, as good as any I've ever had... so on a scale of 1 to 5.. 5 being great.. I'd give it a 5, especially since I enjoyed it in such good company. Friend actually ordered the milkshake but the waitress figured we'd want to share, so she brought us two glasses and the milkshake in a big metal tumbler, so thoughtful.
Hey Jen!
DeleteSuspected all along that the potato salad would be a taste bud pleaser. Would walk miles for a delicious bowl/dish of potato salad. Sounds like the milkshakes were equally tasty, and cheers to the waitress for enhancing the moment too--woohoo! Back next week to see what's next on tap here at your Epic Treats.
Jen,
ReplyDeleteI have immensely enjoyed catching up, sounds like you had a fabulous time! Tell me, did you ever get the tiramisu as your birthday cake?
Have a wonderful week guys!
Yeah I had a great time :). I did not get tiramisu, I don't remember if Graffiato had it on the menu and there was a slightly limited selection of cupcakes at Crumbs that afternoon, but I still enjoyed the Dulce de Leche cupcake and the panna cotta very much. Have a great week too :)
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