late-night DC restaurant
 

arriving Dulles 1045pm Sat - have checked over 25 restaurants both at airport and near hotel in DC (Thomas Circle) - no luck, all close by 1130pm - hoping someone in FC knows of a casual eatery that has hours until around 1230-1am? 'near' Thomas Circle

Well, its not particularly close to Thomas Circle (I think its about 2 miles), but Open City is open on Saturday nights until 1 a.m.
http://www.opencitydc.com

How could I have forgotten! Kramerbooks & Afterwords is closer (less than a mile):
http://www.kramers.com/about.html

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/about/14th-v
Open till 2am, at 14th and V. Not too far.

wow! thank you both - what a relief, late night goodies

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/06/b...ington-dc.html

More ideas, though not all are very near your hotel. Might be worth a cab ride though...

B Too (from the list above) is a five minute walk from your hotel up 14th St. I'd head there or catch a cab to nearby Kramer Books.

Not that it's fine dining but there is a 24 hour CVS Pharmacy right across the street from the Donovan House that carries a lot of basic grocery items.

obxgirl, do you not care for Busboys and Pets? Just curious, as I was last there two years ago and really liked it but I never see anyone here recommending it. I only go to DC once a year, and realize that things change, or some places are inconsistent...

again, thank you for the great eatery possibilities! (we're busy losing weight so we can visit several) - you all obviously know DC well: can you suggest 'sleeper' (less well-known, less traveled) destinations throughout the city that an 11 year old girl might enjoy? (other than DC Cupcakes)

Hey NewbE and obxgirl, question: would it be safe to walk from Donovan House about 10 minutes up 14th ST and back at midnight?
or do we cab it? thx

I think Full Key in Chinatown is open deep into the night as well. It has its detractors on the "foodie" boards and is not the paragon of elegance but I like it, and I have seen chefs from other restaurants go there to eat after closing.


As for a "hidden gem" my suggestion is Matchbox on H Street, or Alba Osteria at happy hour for 1/2 price pizza

Matchbox is good, but not hidden by any stretch. It's generally packed.
Walking north on 14th from your hotel is fine assuming you are comfortable walking in a big city. The further up 14th you go there are lots of bars and restaurants and usually people walking about.

I agree that your walk will be safe, especially with all the people out on a Saturday night.

As for what a girl would particularly like in the city, I am NO expert! I have to think about it... does your daughter have a special interest??

we are very comfortable walking in big cities, so it's an opportunity to take in a bit of nightlife and walk off the flight and dinner - actually, by 'hidden gems' I was referring to places of interest, other than eateries, for our precocious daughter who is artistically inclined, loves music, cupcakes, fashion - any ideas would be appreciated )(btw: after many posts on FC, this one has yielded not only the most helpful information, but from very nice and helpful community members, thank you all)

Have you given your daughter a copy of a good guidebook for DC and asked what she would like to do? If so, then let us know her answers -- it might help us identify some other options. :-)

she has read and is bringing with her the 'ScavengersGuide - Interactive Travel Guide for Kids' - her interests are always expanding, so we thought we'd let her follow her nose

I didn't know that guidebook, but I just looked it up -- what a great resource!

DC is,, IMO, a GREAT city for people with expanding interests -- there is a lot to see / experience in all sorts of different arenas! It's a great place to provide someone with a nice sampling of options -- an art museum, a museum about history, a museum about science, a garden, a cathedral, a cemetery, a national monument or two.... (And of course, that list was not exhaustive!)

BTW, the Newseum had what seemed to me some displays that were wonderfully accessible to people of ALL ages. I didn't expect to enjoy this museum all that much, but found it fascinating, and I keep hearing others say the same thing. It's one of DC's more expensive museums, but you might want to check it out.

And another BTW: Several of my friends first took their children to the Holocaust Memorial Museum when they were 11 or 12, and they consistently reported that they thought the museum had done a great job of allowing parents to titrate their children's exposure to the exhibits in an appropriate and sensitive way. I don't have children, so I can't speak from direct experience.

Hope that helps!

every little bit helps and thank you - if we have any especial epiphanic moments on our visit I will share them upon our return

Fashion:

There's a collection of the First Ladies' gowns at the Museum of American History that she might find interesting. http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/first-ladies

The Museum of Natural History has an exhibit of famous, rare and beautiful gems, including the Hope Diamond. http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Detail...ker-Hall-of-31

They do have a special exhibit at the National Gallery of Degas and Cassatt right now, but that doesn't sound like anything hidden.

I like Tryst coffee house in Adams Morgan, and it's open until 3 am. http://www.trystdc.com/
They might be more for dessert, they do have appetizers and sandwiches there, though. They isn't right near Thomas Circle, though.

I like Busboy and Poets fine but just for what it is, I wouldn't recommend it as a dining destination in particular to someone asking where they should eat. I wouldn't ever recommend Kramerbooks as a restaurant, either. I just don't consider it that special or a destination eatery. Sure you can eat there, it's just nothing special.