Everyone has been so helpful so far. We are coming down over July 4th (I know it will be HOT). We are traveling with five kids 3 - 12. They are good eaters and well behaved in a restaurant though a 2 - 3 hour meal is pushing the limits. We would like to stay away from chains. Could anyone give us some dinning help based on our schedule. We are staying at the Westin Grand.

Sund July 2nd - evening tourmobile leaving from union station . ANy good restaurants near by?

Monday, July 3rd - E&P/Ford's theater
NEED A PLACE FOR LUNCH
Smithonian
NEED A PLACE FOR DINNER

Tues, July 4th - Arlington Cemetery
NEED A PLACE FOR LUNCH
SMITHONIAN
NEED A PLACE FOR DINNER
Wed, July 5th - Library of Congress
Capitol
NEED A PLACE FOR LUNCH
MT Vernon
NEED A PLACE FOR DINNER

Also where is a good place to view the fireworks?

Hi,

I'll give some of it a try:

7/2 - union station. With the kids, Johnny Rockets may be fun. It's a 50s style diner with pretty good burger, fries, shakes. It's in Union Station.

7/3 - by Ford's Theatre - there are a ton of places. I'd just walk around and pick something. Chef Geoff's is near there but is a bit pricy. Very good, though.

"Smithsonian" - um, there are about 20 of them. There aren't really any restaurants near the mall, where most of the Smithsonian museums are. I'd probably head back toward the hotel, maybe stop at Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont Circle. Or head up to Georgetown.

7/4 - Arlington Cemetery - again, no restaurants nearby unless you walk to Rosslyn. I'd eat back in DC - maybe in one of the Smithsonian cafeterias.

Fireworks - DC will be MOBBED on July 4th. It will be crowded on the subway around the museums, and people flock to the mall early in the day to get a space for the fireworks. I avoid that area at ALL costs on that day, but it depends what you want. You could go to Old Town, Alexandria, to watch them.


July 5th - come back into DC for dinner.

Check www.washingtonian.com for good restaurant reviews, you can search by neighborhood.

Karen

The web site idea is great. What are the names of the neighborhoods that we will be in and where our hotel is?

Thanks

Your hotel is in the West End, sort of the junction of the Foggy Bottom, Dupont, and Georgetown neighborhoods.

Using the Washingtonian website - http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/default.asp

Sund July 2nd - evening tourmobile leaving from union station . THERE ARE PLENTY OF RESTAURANTS RIGHT IN UNION STATION - YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR YOUR GROUP.

Monday, July 3rd - E&P/Ford's theater
THERE'S NOTHING CLOSE TO E&P; FORD'S THEATER EITHER "PENN QUARTER" OR "DOWNTOWN"

Smithonian
PENN QUARTER

Tues, July 4th - Arlington Cemetery
NOTHING CLOSE BY - WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE BACK IN DC

SMITHONIAN
"PENN QUARTER" Consider Jaleo - www.jaleo.com

Wed, July 5th - Library of Congress
Capitol
"CAPITOL HILL" Consider also eating in one of the Congressional Office building cafeterias (lunch only). Very tasty and great value.

MT Vernon
NOTHING CLOSE BY - WAIT UNTIL TOUR BRINGS YOU BACK

Go to the National Mall to see fireworks. Yes, it's crowded, but there's no avoiding crowds if you want to see fireworks in DC.

Oh yes, by your hotel.

For the Westin Grand area, look at "DUPONT"; "DUPONT CIRCLE"; OR "FOGGY BOTTOM". Consider Luigi's or Luna Grille for a group that includes 5 kids.

If you are using public transportation or driving to get to Mount Vernon visit Old Town Alexandria on your way back to DC. It has some interesting shops and many of the restaurants are very child-friendly.

You can easily walk from the King St. metro station to Thai Peppers across from the metro or Hard Times Cafe (chili)a couple of blocks down King, or Five Guys (excellent inexpensive burgers, very casual) at King and Fayette.

The DASH bus runs from the King St. metro along King to the Potomac River and will easily get you towards the busier part of Old Town. King St. Blues (American) near King and St. Asaph and South Austin Grill (Tex Mex) at King and Columbus are some favorites of our family.

At Braddock Road (one stop from King on metro) is excellent, friendly, inexpensive Italian at La Piazza. Exit metro, turn right and cross Braddock.

The cafe at the American Indian Museum is very good. Very eclectic. Not sure if you were planning on visiting this museum.

sprin2:
Five guys is on my list. When will I be near that place?

Lots of choices at Union Station.

Second wallacefl's suggestion of the museum cafe at the Amer. Indian Museum.

How about the Matchbox on H Street as a Penn Quarter suggestion? www.matchboxdc.com

Five Guys has a website www.fiveguys.com with a store locator. There is one in Old Town Alexandria, and one pretty close to Mount Vernon on Route 1 (Richmond Highway) which would be convenient if you are driving to Mount Vernon, although not as scenic as the one in Old Town.

In DC there is one near Chinatown / MCI center on H St. and also one at 13th and F at the National Plaza, either of those locations might work with you plans...

Also agree the cafe in the Native American is the best place in the museums.

If you're going to Georgetown at all, a memorable dining experience would be to go for Ethiopian food. One of the nation's most famous Ethiopian restaurants is there, Zed's Cuisine (if Zed is there, she's really nice). If you've never tried Ethiopian, read here to find out what to expect: http://www.foodvirgin.com/columns/Ethiopian.htm

While visiting friends in Woodley Park 2 weeks ago, we were taken to Cashion's for dinner in Adams Morgan. So good! It's on Columbia/Morgan in Adams Morgan. Apparently it's won awards for being one of the top neighborhood restaurants, etc. Here is the website so that you can check out the menu, etc.:

www.cashionseatplace.com

I was at a swim meet w/my daughter close to Mt Vernon yesterday and stopped at the 5 Guys on Rt 1 that is mentioned above. Man, the fries alone are worth it. To get there from Mt. Vernon, instead of taking GW Parkway back to D.C., go the other direction at the Mt Vernon exit and take VA 235 to Rt. 1. (BTW, on VA 235 you will go right by George Washington's Grist Mill on the right, a huge stone mill w/wheel where George's corn meal was made- interesting and nice gift shop also, worth a stop). Take a right on Rt. 1 to head up to 5 Guys. Go up a few miles and 5 Guys is on the left, a little ways past the Wal Mart also on the left- 5 Guys is right on Rt. 1 just past a light where a large shopping center is w/a Home Depot and Shopper Food Warehouse. BTW, is anyone in your party allergic to peanuts? 5 Guys has signs all over inside and outside about this because they cook w/peanut oil (hence the GREAT fries) and have big boxes of free peanuts in the shells to scoop up and eat at your tables.

To get back to DC from there, you would keep driving up Rt 1, go through Old Town Alexandria and get back on GW PArkway in Old Town to go into DC.

GW's Grist Mill info:

http://www.state.va.us/dcr/parks/georgewa.htm

BTW, a block from your hotel is a good little place for the best pastries and coffee and sandwiches and salads, light food, and would be a good place to grab quick good food w/the kids. You can sit down or take out Although it is a chain, food is good quality and atmosphere is nice and bright.

Bread and Chocolate, 2301 M St NW 202-833-8360.

I just called them to be sure they are still there and they are...go out exit of hotel, take right on M St., go one block and it is on other side of the st. on 1st floor of a bldg, accessible and visible from outside.

After the Smithsonian Museums, you could head over the Chinatown on of those two evenings for dinner. If you don't have a Chinatown in your home town, this is interesting for the kids (my kids like to see the big chinese arch which is built over H St. at 7th St., and they love to shop for Asian candies at the shops around there and just check out the food in the Chinese grocery stores). This area is served by the Gallery Place/Chinatown stop on the metro.

There are many good Chinese restaurants there, as well as other good ethnic and American food choices, so you can just walk around and decide. My favorite is a little place called "Wok & Roll" at 604 H St. We go there every time we are going to some event at the MCI Center around the corner. It is a simple and good place to take kids, nice menu w/both sushi and some Japanese but mostly good Chinese food w/varied menu, inexpensive, great service, full bar. It is a step down off the st., but don't let that and the simple storefront deter you- it is nice inside and it is good.

A piece of history to share w/the kids: the space where Wok & Roll is located was once the boarding house run by Mary Surratt, a conspirator in Lincoln's assassination.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Washington,_DC

See the Wok & Roll reviews at bottom of this page:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...reader-reviews

kgn:

on July 3rd when you are in the Ford's Theatre, Navy museum, Archives area -go to The Old Post Office which is right on Pennsylvania Avenue & 13th/14th Street bottom floor. At lunch there is usually entertainment and there are many little fast food places that aren't chains. There is/use to be a very delicious ice cream store in the middle that had waffle cones and other vendors sold India, Chinese, Pizza, American, foods in case your whole family doesn't want the same thing. Believe me food and a sit down restaurant is the least of your interests and when there is so much to see you don't want to be waiting and waiting for food to be served.

The Ethiopian in D.C. is incredibly good and great, fun atmosphere.

You might want to check chowhound.com for child friendly eateries in D.C. neighborhoods. Just do a quick search via google...

If Five Guys is on your list, then I would do the Five Guys near the MCI Center after leaving Ford's Theatre. It's just 2-3 blocks over and a couple blocks up from Ford's Theatre.

Jaleo is wonderful in the Penn Quarter, but it might not be the place to take five children - it's tapas and small tables. Austin Grill might be more their speed. I love Clyde's, and the new one at the MCI Center is nice, but sometimes the lines are long. There are tons of restaurants in the Penn Quarter - MCI Center area. Try www.opentable.com to get an idea of some of the better restaurants around town.