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You didn't say when you planned to come to the city, but for my money it's fall. A lot of summer tourists have left and there's no cherry blossom rush. Plus, IMO it's when the city is at its most beautiful.
As well as &Pizza. As much as I love Ledo's and am a die-hard supporter, &Pizza is definitely a worthy rival for them.
Oh, and I think Matchbox is local to DC also.
The truth is, DC has a lot of unique restaurants with great food that are only found in DC. The problem is most of them are relatively new and haven't achieved "fame" yet. When tourists think "local food of a city" they are usually thinking "historic" food that has been a specialty of that city for many years to the point that the city is known for it. Besides Ben's Chili Bowl, there isn't much that qualifies in DC. Most of the food unique to DC came in the last 10 or 20 years.
So I decided to kick of my new year by planning a trip to our nation's capital. Therefore, I'm looking for things to do while visiting the city. Aside from the obvious, national monuments, white house zoo etc, what are some cool places and neighborhoods that are a must to visit? Finally, is there a such thing as DC food? I know its large and diverse, but there must be a regional type of cuisine,,
Thanks!
Not sure if you realize that there are 19 Smithsonian Museums, a few away from the Mall, near Dulles Airport. All museums are free and the great variety is sure to appeal to you. If you coming before the middle of March it will cold, possibly snowing (slight chance) so you may want to be inside. Several of the museums are connected by an underground tunnel.
I have been going to the Smithsonian for over 50 years and I'm still not bored, primarily because the exhibits are changed on a regular basis and there have been new museums to open over time.
You need a pass to get into the White House. Check with your congressman or look up the requirements on the white house web site.
The truth is, DC has a lot of unique restaurants with great food that are only found in DC. The problem is most of them are relatively new and haven't achieved "fame" yet. When tourists think "local food of a city" they are usually thinking "historic" food that has been a specialty of that city for many years to the point that the city is known for it. Besides Ben's Chili Bowl, there isn't much that qualifies in DC. Most of the food unique to DC came in the last 10 or 20 years.
That's definitely true but better late than never Another unique thing a few of DC's restaurants are capitalizing on but hasn't received much media attention outside of a few shows from Travel Channel such as Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods America are snakeheads on the menu What better way to deal with an invasive species than to consume it, and quite a few people said it tastes pretty good. Hopefully that will become another iconic food staple for DC in the coming years.
So I decided to kick of my new year by planning a trip to our nation's capital. Therefore, I'm looking for things to do while visiting the city. Aside from the obvious, national monuments, white house zoo etc, what are some cool places and neighborhoods that are a must to visit? Finally, is there a such thing as DC food? I know its large and diverse, but there must be a regional type of cuisine,,
Thanks!
Seriously. What is your idea of DC food? It's not like you haven't googled.
Crab cakes at Eastern Market
Take a spy-themed walking tour
DC has a large Ethiopian immigrant population so eating Ethiopian food here is a good idea!
For local fast food, try &pizza, sweet greens, or shophouse kitchen (Chipotle-owned Thai food)
For night life, hit up U Street/14th Street, Dupont Circle, or Adams Morgan
OP should also check out Grand Trunk in the Penn Quarter neighborhood near National Archives if s/he has a taste for South Asian and Asian Fusion cuisines. The food is really good with amazing prices, awesome smoothies, and a pretty modern lounge-like atmosphere, it's one of the coolest restaurants in DC and I believe they have plans on becoming a local/regional chain. Grand Trunk is actually the world's first South Asian American fast food brand according to their website (which they should update, can only get the online menu on Yelp, Tripadvisor, Menupages, etc.).
You should definitely check out Busboys and Poets (my favorite location is the one on 5th and K), which is a great DC based restaurant. I take all of my out of town guests there and they love it. The food and atmosphere is great with many different options (many options for vegans and vegetarians). Try there signature cocktail "DC Tap Water"
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Another unique thing a few of DC's restaurants are capitalizing on but hasn't received much media attention outside of a few shows from Travel Channel such as Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods America are snakeheads on the menu 
What better way to deal with an invasive species than to consume it, and quite a few people said it tastes pretty good. Hopefully that will become another iconic food staple for DC in the coming years.
