Sorry - my question was for acswift. Thanks!

I've never been to Dupont Italian Kitchen, but have heard good things about it! Buca di Beppo isn't too far away from Dupont, at the intersection of Connecticut and Florida ave but that is more of a chain... Good family style Italian cuisine. Pasta Mia is in Adams Morgan, and is excellent. The only difficulty is that dinner seating begins at 6:30 with no list and no reservations and you would probably find yourself waiting for half an hour or 45 minutes for a table. Alero is decent Mexican cuisine, located at 17th and Connecticut, again not too far from where you'll be staying. If you find yourself over by the Cathedral (Wisconsin Ave), Guapo's is very good Mexican and Cafe Deluxe has decent burgers and other American style food. My admitted Dupont Circle guilty pleasure is the Alberto's Pizza. It's on P St between 20th and 21st Streets. It's an underground shop that sells several varieties of jumbo slices of pizza and plays strange techno music! The pizza is the best I've ever had. A lot of the restaurants in DC esp. in the touristy areas are upscale and it can be difficult at times to find a happy medium between fast food and fine dining.

Dupont Italian Kitchen isn't very kid friendly and is a little bland. I'd try Luigi's at 19th and M. Low key Italian. There aren't a lot of Italian places in DC. There is a California Pizza Kitchen near DuPont Circle if you don't mind chain places.

BarbaraS, Dupont Circle will be a great location for you. There are tons of restaurants. Just walk around and pick one you like. For the bulk of the restaurants, you want Dupont Circle NORTH when you get off the Metro. I am sure you can find something there your kids will like. For quick bites at lunch, there are food courts (usual food court food) at Union Station (lowest level; Red Line Metro), Ronald Reagan Trade Center (between 12th and 13th on Pennsylvania Ave., NW) and the Old Post Office Pavillion (12th & Pennsylvania Ave., NW; enter from the rear of the building). The latter two food courts are at the Federal Triangle Station on the Blue or Orange Metro Line.

Thanks for the great replies! Only three hours and I've been given not only great suggestions, but addresses and metro stops. I love Fodors!

Trade Center food court is much better than Old Post office. If you are on the Mall, go to the cafe by the sculpture garden. The (only) other good food on the Mall is in the Native American museum.

I agree with artsbabe because there are more choices in the Reagan Building. However, the Old Post Office has the view from the tower and the Reagan Building does not. Both often have entertainment at lunch.

There is good food at the coffee/gelato bar in the food area in the National Gallery of Art in addition to the American Indian Museum.

I notice you said "late May". Do not come over the Memorial Day weekend, unless you want to be here when Rolling Thunder is here. That is over 100,000 motorcycles. It is Vietnam Vets who come in to honor comrades at the Vietnam Wall. It makes it very difficult to get around. There is also a parade on Memorial Day. Best to avoid all of that.

When is Memorial Day (we are from Canada)? We will be arriving in DC on May 24 and leaving on May 30...

Last Monday in May.

May 25, Monday, is Memorial Day. I really wouldn't be worried about Rolling Thunder. They've been coming for years and actually are quite a sight to see. It's a holiday weekend and lots of activities going on. U might enjoy some
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I suggest tyring the Woodley Park Guest House. It is a B&B at the Zoo Metro stop. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance. It is a bit quiter than other neighborhoods. Children would be welcome in all of the neighborhood places. I felt very safe walking at night.

There's a small hole-in-the-wall not horribly far from the White House (up Vermont Avenue) called Thai Tantic. Walking there from the McPherson Square metro can be, well, not the most comfortable experience if you just expect all pretty and clean and gleaming DC, but it has really good food. Google it.

Three guesses as to what kind of food they serve.

BarbaraS- go to Ben's chili bowl! It was a really interesting experience. 15 min. walk from your hotel

Thanks ruckus - I'll have to check it out.