Good People, Good Food and the Best Adventures

Last Friday John and I walked a few blocks down the street to DGS Delicatessen. The menu is inspired by traditional Jewish eats from Eastern Europe with a name that pays tribute to the District Grocery Stores that used to be on every corner. John and I went 50/50 and had quite a feast that included: Matzo ball soup, Schmutzy fries (french fries covered with pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss and Russian), and a Reuben with homemade gherkins on the side. It was absolutely out of this world and bursting with home cooked flavor. My favorite was the Schmutzy fries which I've been craving every since we walked out of there last Friday.

After dinner, John went to work for the evening while I met up with friends, including some of John's fellow residents, at Jazz in the Gardens. I went the week before (see last weeks post) and fell in love with the laid back atmosphere, beautiful landscape, fruity sangria, and jazzy tunes. This past week, Ricky Whitehead Trio played and definitely didn't disappoint. 

Later that evening, our little group headed to 14th street. We met up with some more of John's coworkers for quick drink at Red Light. Their cocktail menu runs the gamut that includes everything but your usual suspects. Did I mention that they are a cocktails and dessert bar? While I didn't indulge in any of their tasty treats, the donuts, custards, cakes and tarts did look tempting. However, all of that temptation did finally get to me when we went next door to Ted's Bulletin. Everyone else dived into dinner, but since I had the early bird special at DGS, I chose a sweet treat. Much like Burger Tap Shake, Ted's Bulletin also offers shaketails- a blend of a cocktail and milkshake. I had the rather decadent Nutty Professor,which was made with hazelnut liquor.  Yum! Afterwards, we went across the street to El Centro, a Mexican restaurant by day and hopping Latin dance party by night (be sure to head to the downstairs area for the most exciting Latin dance action).

The next day, John and I took a nice walk over to the Shaw neighborhood of D.C. to SUNdeVICH sandwich shop. The shop is tucked away in an alleyway off a quaint street. So, have your navigation out and eyes open. Every sandwich on the menu is inspired after cities and countries around the world and named accordingly. We had the Istanbul (ground beef and lamb, sumac onions, tomatoes, tzatziki, and fresh herbs) and the Kingston (jerk chicken, pineapple salsa, greens, spicy slaw, garlic mayo). Word to the wise, while both were absolutely spectacular and one of my favorite lunches in the city thus far, the Kingston was SUPER spicy. I love spicy foods but that jerk chicken was no joke and I was super happy that I had a fizzy water (along with 4 cups of regular water) near by. It was superb though and I look forward to my next visit.

We then continued our walking journey through the city and to the NoMa neighborhood to visit Union Market for the free Ice Cream Festival, DC Scoop. Before heading to the festival, John and I took some time to mill around the inside of the market. There was a plethora of eateries, some of which we had eaten at via their food truck operations. One of my favorite finds though was a home furnishings store called Salt and Sundry. The shop features gorgeous tableware, bar furnishings (including a wall of biters), home furnishings and gifts. After we finished walking about, we went upstairs to the festival. Creameries, gelato and ice cream shops from around the city gathered in one of the docking bays and gave free samples to those willing to wait in line. We stayed in line long enough to sample Amore Gelato and Ice Cream Jubilee. Both were tasty, but the long lines deterred us from sampling any others. Even though we didn't stay too long, it was fun to see the big turn out and explore a new part of the city.

After our NoMa adventure, it was off to Georgetown. John and I had been speaking for a while about how I needed a bike since we got rid of our cars. Don't get me wrong, I love the public transportation here, but Metro trips to here, there and everywhere can add up and be pricey. So, after much thought, talk, and searching online- I found my dream bike. John had done some research himself and located a dealer, Revolution Cycles, in Georgetown that hooked me up with one the best birthday presents yet, a shiny new bike! I will admit, I was a little hesitant to take it for a test drive, but it was a blast! Later that night, once I went through a crash course in bike rules, John and I took a spin down to the National Mall. Riding at night was a little intimidating (& I may or may not have jumped off my bike and started pushing it up the sidewalk at one point), but thankfully I had John as my guide.

Sunday morning, we hit the streets to Georgetown once more- but this time, on our bikes! John and I visited a D.C. based men's clothing designer, Hugh & Crye, a few weeks ago (see blog post) and were instantly obsessed. John was in need of dress shirts and perfect for us- Hugh & Crye was having a huge sale. Afterwards, we stopped by Hill & Dale records to pick up what I'm considering an early birthday gift to myself- the new Lucius and Jack White albums. Afterwards, we jumped on our bikes, headed home and made a glorious trip to Costco thanks to our friend, Gene, who was willing to drive us. It's hard to believe that a few months ago, we used to go to Costco every month and pack our car full of goods. Now, it's not so easy to do when we have bikes and reusable grocery totes. So, the trip was much needed and much appreciated.

It was the perfect day for a ride, but I must admit- it made me work up quite an appetite. I had planned on coming back home to grab groceries and cook lunch, but my growling stomach couldn't wait. Lucky for us, we came across Stachowski Market on the corner of P and 28th. The deli/market is tucked away amongst the stunning brick front homes of P street, which makes it have a small town feel. When you walk in, baskets and barrels are filled with fresh produce, tables topped with local goods, glass door fridges stocked with milk and ice cream and a stunning glass enclosed meat counter filled with mouthwatering cuts. We ordered the Four Meat grinder, a massive Italian sandwich filled with Salami, Coppa, Mortadella, Soppressata with provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and house vinaigrette. You definitely get quite a bang for your buck since the one sandwich alone could feed a family of four. Since the sandwich shop also splits as a market, seating was limited. However, John and I enjoyed sitting outside on the curb by our parked bikes as we devoured our lunch. We even met the owner, Jamie, as he was unloading produce. He was very kind and informed us that a lot of the produce that we were eyeing inside was from their farm in Virginia! How cool is that?

That night, we got on our bikes yet again and battled the hilly neighborhood of Columbia Heights to attend a housewarming party for one of John's coworkers. It was a perfect reward for climbing those hills and a wonderful way to end the weekend.

Monday evening, John and I took our bikes out to go to Black Cat for Muggle Mondays. The music venue is doing a series where each Monday they show a HP movie and have specials on butter beer. That has my name written all over it! This week the movie being shown was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. My coworker and fellow HP lover, Ashley, also came out for the event. It was such fun and I'm now pronouncing butter beer as my new favorite drink.

D.C. never ceases to amaze me with all it has to enjoy. This has been one of the best summers of my life -full of good people, good food, and the best adventures. Cheers to another lovely week in the Capital!