I have already gotten some good advice here but for some reason I'm not too organized for our trip on April 13-16 with our kids, ages 20, 18 and 16. So far this is what I'm thinking:

Thursday April 13 - arrive by car, staying at Embassy Suites downtown. Will arrive late afternoon. Plan to go to Georgetown for dinner and shopping. Will stores be open at night and where is a good spot for a casual moderate priced dinner? Have heard that Clyde's is good. Prefer American or Italian. May also walk around Dupont Circle area.

Friday - We have already scheduled a VIP Capitol tour for 8:30 which I am told should take about an hour. Plan to see some of the Smithsonian Museums afterwards, not sure what else. Ideas? We have tickets for the Billy Joel concert at the MCI Center at 8:00. Need a restaurant suggestion for dinner in that area.

Saturday - plan to do the Old Town Trolley during the day and the Moonlight Tour of the Monuments at night. Is it worth doing both? I've read many places not to miss the nighttime one, and I figure the daytime one is a good way to see the rest of the City. Need another dinner suggestion, possibly near Union Station where we'll need to catch the nightime trolley.

Sunday - Easter mass at the Natinal Shrine. Lunch or brunch suggestions for afterwards are appreciated.

For restaurants we're looking for fun, casual restaurants, with broad menus, so that we can all find something. Nothing too ethnic except for Italian. We prefer to stay away from chains. Thanks in advance for your help.

Clyde's is okay, as is J. Paul's. My personal choice would be pizza at Pizzeria Paradiso (Dupont - 2029 P St., NW or Georgetown - 3282 M St., NW). Or if "moderate" price is okay, Paolo's has decent Italian food in Georgetown. Cafe Milano is my fave for Italian in Georgetown, but it is pricey.

Chinatown area has some good places to eat. My favorite, Zaytinya, might be too ethnic for your tastes, but you might want to peruse the menu:

www.zaytinya.com

Another good option for Chinatown is Matchbox (713 H St., NW).

MCI area is likely to be VERY crowded before the game -- which means you may want to try to eat early in Chinatown OR eat closer to your hotel before heading to the game.

The Shrine is in NE DC. I would recommend that you head back to NW for brunch.

You may want to check out Washingtonian.com for additional restaurant suggestions/reviews:

http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/

Restaurant suggestion for Friday night- tony cheng's Mongolian Grill in the heart of Chinatown, a couple blocks away from the MCI Center.

After your visit to the National Shrine, you might want to try eating at Colonel Brooks' Tavern just off the Catholic University campus.

Here's a comprehensive list of MCI area restaurants - make a reservation for the more popular places, especially before a big show like Billy Joel:

http://tinyurl.com/px5bj

Come back with more specific questions (or a thumbs up/down) about any places in the list from the website above.

On Saturday, consider taking the Circulator bus around the Mall.
It's only $1 person for all day (get a ticket at one of the stops before boarding), compared to like $20 for the Tourmobile.

http://www.dccirculator.com/home_page/

Colonel Brooks' Tavern is about the ONLY place close to Catholic U. for a meal (but it's pretty good). Call ahead if you plan to go - (202/529-4002)
Colonel Brooks' Tavern
901 Monroe St. NE

Otherwise, hop on the Red Line train, get off at Dupont Circle (19th St. exit), walk two blocks and have a sublime brunch at Tabard Inn (reservations ESSENTIAL).
http://www.tabardinn.com/rest.htm

Thanks for your help. I have a reservation for Clyde's in Georgetown on Friday and would like to go to Matchbox before the 8:00 concert. They don't take reservations. Any thoughts on how early to get there? Also I'm having a hard time finding a place for brunch/lunch on Sunday. The Tabard Inn looks great but is booked. I can't find anything on line about Colonel Brook's Tavern. Any other suggestions?

Kathy,

For other places of interest to visit, try Ford's Theater after your Capitol tour. Also, that day you can have lunch in the Senate cafeteria. It is inexpensice, varied and good quality. Also, go to the top of the Old Post Office near the White House Visitor Center. Also, the Supreme Court was a short exhibit for us, but was good to see.

For a different kind of Sunday brunch:

* The Kennedy Center
* Gospel Brunch at the Corcoran
* Afternoon Brunch aboard the Odyssey (for a cruise along the Potomac)

Also check out the Washington Post for their suggestions:

http://tinyurl.com/hqwxh

Another great restaurant in Georgetown is Filomena's. If you like Italian you may prefer that over Clyde's (you can always change a reservation). Here is a link: http://www.filomenadc.com/aboutus.html
It has lots of atmosphere and great Italian food. It's across the street from Georgetown Park (on Wisconsin Avenue).

Lois

I would not even bother trying Matchbox before a concert. The place gets packed with 45-60 minute waits on a regular non-event weekday night. The bar area is very small and tight and not a very relaxing place to hang out. Unless you get there at 5:30 you will be in for a long wait.

I would look at Poste or Gordon Bierch (though it is a chain) in Penn Quarter as possible options. Also, please reconsider your non-ethnic preferences - Rasika and Zaytinya are two of the best places in the city to eat.

Georgia Brown's is a fun place for brunch. I also wouldn't try Matchbox before an event - it is crazy all the time anymore. There were people lined up outside when I walked by yesterday at 2 in the afternoon!

So, how did you enjoy Billy Joel? We saw him last month in Philadelphia and really enjoyed the show.