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Graziella5b Feb 3rd, 2016 02:38 AM

a tourist in DC this February
 
Hello , my husband and I are visiting again DC this February bcause we love to go to the National Gallery of Art, the Smithonian,National Air and Space among other musseums and have had very nice lunchs inDC wonderful restaurants . Unfortunatelly we do not have dinner any more.
We shall be staying at the Capitol Hill Hotel, which we enjoyed on our last visit a couple of years ago.
In this framework can any expert, local, or "friend" recommend us restaurants, may be and suggesst a visit to another museum, theater etc.
The matter in fact we plan to visit for the first time the Newsmuseum.
I know it will be cold but we will take warm cloth and all, , we are exciting with this short visit (6 days) because DC haas been always fun. THank you.

obxgirl Feb 3rd, 2016 03:27 AM

I'm sure many will have great suggestions for you so I'll include only a few:

The Source - at the Newseum is excellent and has recently undergone a renovation.

Rasika - Modern Indian food and is round the corner from the American Art & Portrait Gallery

Be sure to schedule a trip to the newly reopened Renwick Gallery. It's quite busy at the weekend but less so during the week. While in that part of town you could do lunch in Dupont Circle or West End - Marcels, Blue Duck Tavern or the West End Bistro.

Today's temps are in the mid 60s so you might be spared the worst of winter when you visit!

Graziella5b Feb 3rd, 2016 05:39 AM

Hi, thank You very much o b x , exactly what I was hoping for. Great advice regarding the renovated Renwick, I can see we think very much alike,like
Matching visits with restaurants.
We really love to visit DC even in winter.
Cross my fingers we shall be there between February 11 and 16 . we are prepared for the worst weather wise so everything good will be a blessing.
Best regards

thursdaysd Feb 3rd, 2016 06:18 AM

If you're in the Dupont Circle area, Kramerbooks has the best crab cakes - and a great bookstore as well.

http://kramers.com/cafe

The Newseum is great - I spent most of two days there.

Have you been to the Sackler and the Freer? Good Asian art and artifacts and NEVER crowded.

longhorn55 Feb 3rd, 2016 06:56 AM

I'll add another vote for the installation art exhibit, Wonder, at the Renwick. However, I'll also add to Obxgirl's warning about crowds on weekends, based on our experience.

We went on a holiday weekend in January and while we were able to see the first floor exhibits rather easily, those on the 2nd floor were being monitored for capacity and the line to get in ran the perimeter of the Grand Salon. We didn't have time to wait (and it would not have been very enjoyable to try to see the art with such a crowd), so we returned mid-week. Wow, what a difference. There was hardly anyone there and it was an amazing experience.

"The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound" at the Lansburgh Theatre has gotten good reviews, but it is scheduled to close Feb. 14 (unless there is a late extension.)

Graziella5b Feb 3rd, 2016 09:07 AM

Thank you all.I found out that ordering the lunch three course special at
The Source there is some kind of refund on the mseum ticket>? seems good to me because we were considering ordering the three course lunch anyway.
I have to find out how does it work.
The play also seems a good option. Thank you
We have five or six luncheos to consider, there are so many things to do, we live in Miami Beach, and here mostly is the beach, tennis and so forth, however the other night there was a good replay of West Side Story in Coral Gables highly recommendable.
Thank you all again.

gardendiva Feb 3rd, 2016 09:39 AM

PAUL Bakery is just up the street from the Newseum. Great for breakfast or lunch or just a snack. They have wonderful sandwiches, salads and of course, pastry. Up by the Capitol there is Good Stuff Eatery. Great burgers and shakes.

Overall, I don't think that I every had a bad meal in DC.

NewbE Feb 3rd, 2016 09:42 AM

Love, love, love the Source and Rasika and Paul. The macarons at Paul are to die for, as is the chocolate brioche loaf, and, and, and... :-D

Christina Feb 3rd, 2016 11:45 AM

The Freer Gallery is closed for renovations for at least another year.

DC is a fairly good theatre town nowadays, there are many productions, I'd just read the reviews in the Post to see what appeals to you. Sweat has gotten fairly good reviews at Arena and that isn't too far from you, you also might consider the Glass Menagerie at Ford's Theatre.

Graziella5b Feb 3rd, 2016 01:35 PM

Hi Newbe there is a Paul here too in Miami, coincidence? ........they also have Good brioches , Croissants etc
For macaroons I stick with the ones I bake, it Is very easy
and simple .... and they are good.My pièce of résistence ....I agree in DC you have many nice places to eat.

NewbE Feb 3rd, 2016 07:30 PM

Graziella, I don't know if your Paul is the same as the one in DC--quite possibly. As for macarons, alas, I haven't had the pleasure of yours! And I have suffered many inferior versions until Paul exceeded my pessimistic expectations :-)

(You walk so much in DC, surely a bakery treat doesn't count...)

kja Feb 3rd, 2016 08:50 PM

Have you considered visiting the Phillips Collection? One of my favorites! And if you like fish, the nearby Greek restaurant, Mourayo, is worth considering IMO.
http://mourayous.com

If you visit the National Museum of the American Indian, it's cafe, Mitsitam, offers some very interesting dishes made entirely of ingredients from the Americas.
http://www.mitsitamcafe.com/home/default.asp

Graziella5b Feb 3rd, 2016 09:34 PM

I like very much the Phillips, thank you for the suggestion of the Greek rest nearby
Seems a great option.

sf7307 Feb 4th, 2016 07:59 AM

There are over 400 Paul Bakeries worldwide, so I imagine it's the same.

longhorn55 Feb 4th, 2016 09:15 AM

Oh, and be sure to see the special exhibit of "Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World" at the National Gallery. My husband saw them at the Getty last year and said they were fabulous.

girlonthego Feb 4th, 2016 06:42 PM

We were just at the Newseum last week and it was great! You get a two day pass with your entrance cost. I could have easily spent at least one full day there. It was of real interest to me.

My fave restaurant in DC in the last year was Joes steak and seafood but it is pricey. Great steak!

We were a group with teens and ate at the Hard Rock cafe DC and it was a burger joint, and it was just ok. Would probably not return, but it wasn't bad.

If you like hockey, you might try to get tickets to the Capitals game. I don't think they are overly expensive and easily accessed by the metro!
Have fun!

yestravel Feb 5th, 2016 06:06 PM

Certainly not uplifting, but the Holocaust Museum is excellent. If you have any interest in spies or the history of spying, you might enjoy the Spy Museum, while outside, if you haven't seen the MLK memorial, you might stop by. Also outside, but wonderful is the FDR memorial. And of course the Vietnam Memorial is moving, but again outside. So hope you have good weather-it makes DC so much more enjoyable.
Have fun!

girlonthego Feb 5th, 2016 06:20 PM

I agree with yestravel that the Holocaust Museum is excellent! We did that on our previous DC visit, but it is intense.


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