HELP: 1st post-baby Weekend trip - April
 

My husband and I are planning our 1st trip post-baby (our first child was born last year). We chose to go to DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival for a long weekend. I've always wanted to see the city with the cherry blossom trees in bloom. Truth be told, we want to (and need to) disconnect from everything baby (even though he'll be in my thoughts at all times) and have a very romantic weekend.

We'll be staying at a bed & breakfast near Dupont Circle...so we have the hotel thing covered.

More than anything we'd like some suggestions for good restaurants and jazz clubs.

Just to give you some background info on us:
-we're both in our early 30s, from Miami
-we are foodies (french, italian, pretty much everything) and love jazz
-we can be very laid-back & enjoy doing nothing or just taking a leisurely stroll and we also enjoy doing more fast-paced activities (bars with good martinis, dancing, etc)
-my husband's favorite football team is DC United, but they won't be playing that weekend...we're so bummed.
-we've been to DC before (3 years ago) & stayed near Dupont Circle (which we enjoyed --- so much to see & do); on this trip we saw some of the major sites that we can skip this time (e.g., White House, Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetary).

We like Georgetown & wouldn't mind going again if anyone can suggest restaurants/bars to go to.

We've heard about Adams Morgan...any recommendations?

What about going to the monuments at night? We heard it's beautiful & romantic...Any thoughts?

I'd really appreciate your suggestions!
-Olga

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a beautiful time in DC (in fact, it is my favorite)! Make sure you leave time to grab a snack and sit under the trees. Plus, the trees will make a beautiful background for pictures of you and your hubby.

If you don't mind a more high-end dinner (you mentioned you are foodies), I suggest 1789 (http://www.1789restaurant.com/main/index.shtml). It is in Georgetown and the atmosphere and food are delightful. My husband and I celebrated there when he passed the bar exam and then had our rehearsal dinner in their small private dining room.

Adams Morgan can be a lot of fun because there are lots of different "scenes." It is a little hard to get to...since you will be in the city, take a taxi (pretty cheap ride).

The monuments at night are fantastic - the Lincoln is my personal favorite.

Anybody have good jazz club suggestions?

Have a fantastic trip!!!

You can actually walk from Dupont Circle to Adams Mogan, it's definitely worth checking out. The Diner is a great spot for breakfast or lunch. I went to an upscale restaurant across the street from the diner which was excellent, can't remember the name but maybe someone else can.

Sequoia in Georgetown is worth a stop if the weather is nice. It's on the water and touristy, but it's a great place for a drink. Cintronelle, at the Latham Hotel gets very rave reviews. http://georgetowncollection.com/citronelle/index.cfm


I think the monuments are beautiful at night.

You can definitely walk from Dupont to Adams Morgan...however, when I am dressed to "go out" my shoes normally aren't very comfortable...which for me, equals a cab, haha.

Thanks for the excellent suggestions.

I'm assuming it's safe to walk from Dupont Circle to the Adams Morgan area at night?

Also, I forgot to ask if anyone knows of any good bars to watch on tv a DC United game on Saturday. My hubby would love to see the game at a bar with other fans.

THANKS AGAIN!

I could be wrong, but if my memory serves me right, won't April be too late for the cherry blossoms? Isn't late March the peak time? We were in Washington last Easter weekend which I believe was mid April and we had missed the cherry blossoms by at least a few weeks I believe.

A fun foodie adventure is having Ethiopian at Dukem on U Street. Excellent food and they even have a live dance and music show.

This area also has a number of places with live jazz. It is a hip area with a more gritty feel (a nice way of saying take a taxi and be alert). I go there frequently for concerts at the 9:30 Club and never feel unsafe or have problems, but I also watch my back.

My other favorite restaurant in the area is Coppi's for gourmet pizza and salads. U Street is also the home of the famous DC institution,Ben's Chili Bowl.

Blues Alley in Georgetown is DC's long-time "big" jazz club. It is really more of a supper club with two seatings. I think you are required to have dinner. They have some great acts, but it is pricey and the food isn't stellar, just decent. It is more of a regimented evening than a drop in for a drink and some jazz type place, but the room is a great place to hear jazz. Here is a good website for live music in the area: http://www.billyfone.com/scene.php?scid=18

Right near Dupont Circle you will find an excellent Japanese/Sushi place, Sushi Taro, at the corner of 17th and P.

The monuments/walking around the reflecting pool at night is gorgeous. It is a pretty common way to end a special date. The Thomas Jefferson memorial is the prettiest at night, imho.

My hometown, Alexandria, VA, right across the Potomac, is also a great place to visit. Colonial and cute. We have a wonderful restaurant for foodies, Restaurant Eve. They have a tasting menu and a great wine list.

Finally, my favorite museums are the Freer and the Sackler for asian art and the gorgeous peacock room at the Freer. Very hushed, classy,grown-up style museums if you want to get away from all the families with kids at Air and Space, Natural History, etc.

KathyK-
I'm hoping they'll be in bloom when we arrive, since the cherry blossom festival is from late-March to mid-April. But who can tell Mother Nature what to do?
Thanks for your concern...I'll keep my fingers crossed!

BlueSwimmer-

Your recs sound great...Especially the Etheopian restaurant (I was actually very interested in trying some Etheopian food for the first time). And Alexandria might be an option (we also realize that DC is going to be packed with tourists due to the cherry blossom festival, so we might want to take a nice break from the crowds).

I did look into the Blues Alley & the gigs they have scheduled during my stay didn't sound so good. I wasn't impressed. I'm hoping to find one that isn't a "supper" club --- the ones we've been to that require us to purchase a meal are usually overpriced & the food mediocre.

I know I'm going to sound extremely paranoid, but is it safe to walk around the monuments at night? (I live in Miami -- and I'm the first one to tell visitors to explore our great city, but to certainly avoid some areas at night)...I just don't want to be the couple that ends up on the DC news --- "tourist couple attacked walking the mall at night --- they should have known better."

thanks =)

Since you'll be in Dupont Circle, hit the Tabard Bar for a drink.It's the watering hole of "progressives". We had a wonderful time there gabbing with folks and listening to some stellar jazz cds. We were fortunate enough to be there early so as to watch(or listen to) the changing of the guard from NPR to great jazz.

Have you been to the Phillips? It's in the Dupont Circle area and provides you with some great impressionist art and a few Calder sculptures.

Which weekend in April are you going? I googled "cherry blossoms" and it looks like they are predicting March 31-April 15. This confuses me because last year we were in DC April 13-16 and had missed the cherry blossoms by a few weeks. Maybe it depends on each year's differing weather? Hope it works out for you.

ttt

Hi psy_dr-

I just asked my husband about the safety of the monuments at night, since he is the one who took me to see them on one of our first dates years ago.

He reminded me that since September 11th, you can't drive to them anymore. (In the old days you could park right at the Jefferson Memorial and hang out. It was amazing.) Anyway, he also reminded me that there were some muggings of tourists at the monuments at night, so maybe asking a taxi driver to take you around and wait for you would be the way to go? Apparently, I somehow got old and out of touch and didn't realize it! Yikes! Sorry!

As for Ethiopian- Dukem is a great experience. I highly recommend it. You could take a taxi to the restaurant, then from there walk around the U Street area. Some jazz places that I've heard recommended are Twins and Bohemian Caverns. (I haven't been to them myself;we love jazz but with that whole old geezer thing I have going now in my late 30s, I don't get out much?!)

In Adams Morgan, there is a blues club called Madam's Organ. http://www.madamsorgan.com/happen.html It is a long-time DC music club and good for a wild night out.

The recommendation for Tabard Inn is a good one. Very creative food in a charming setting. I believe they sometimes have live music, too.

Here is another good website of jazz venues I just found while looking for a place we used to frequent about 10 years ago- like my youth- it is gone now...

Anyway, have a great trip! I hope the blossoms are still out for you and you get lots of sophisticated grown-up time.

BlueSwimmer

I second (third?) the Tabard Inn recommendations but don't limit it to drinks - have a DINNER there. It's WONDERFUL. They have a fantstic, well priced wine list too. DON'T skip dessert.

http://www.tabardinn.com/rest.htm

Even better, try to get a reservation at Komi. You'll be trying to recreate the meal in your head for long afterwards.

http://www.komirestaurant.com/

Dukem is a solid choice for Ethiopian (there are about 100 Ethiopian restaurants in the DC Metro area, BTW). It is right outside the U St. Metro station on the Green Line (12th St. exit).

http://www.dukemrestaurant.com/

There are some other Ethiopian restaurants right there on U St. and also on 9th St. a few blocks east of Dukem.

Since you're skipping Blues Alley (too expensive, IMO) I suggest you get your jazz fix on U sT. as well. Here's a sampling:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...000617_pf.html

Honestly. I would pass on Georgetown altogether and bar/club in Adams Morgan, USt. or elsewhere.

Sounds like a fantastic trip! I'll be in DC during the Cherry Blossom festival as well, and I'm looking forward to it.

As far as walking around the monuments at night - I was just in DC in February, and never felt unsafe at night in the the downtown/White House/Mall area. I was there with a friend - we're both 23 year old women, and we were never approached or anything. I mean, we were aware of our surroundings, but I felt totally comfortable. We also felt safe at night near the Kennedy Center, Dupont, Foggy Bottom, etc. We took the Metro at night as well (from the Capitol Hill/Mall area to Foggy Bottom) and that was just fine too.

Despite that, I know that there is a bus tour to see the monuments at night (but can't think of the company name off the top of my head) so perhaps that would be a good choice if it would make you feel more comfortable.

Have a great trip!

Thanks everyone for all the fantastic suggestions. I'm going to spend most of today researching some of the restaurants & bars you mentioned. This was most helpful!

***I love Fodors b/c of the incredible info I receive from other members...but it is totally addictive!!! I find myself checking my posts every 15-30 minutes throughout the day. I'm sure I'm not alone.

To the whole Fodors community ---- Please feel free to keep sending your recommendations --- I enjoy being prepared for my trips (As you can guess, I am not very spontaneous when it comes to travel)

=)