D.C. - our tax dollars at work

We have been sitting in the middle of a Nor’easter in DC. Instead of going into the heart of DC these days we are using the storm as an excuse to search out amazing food in the surrounding areas. We visited the Lebanese Butcher and Restaurant in Falls Church. We knew where the perfectly seasoned, super tender lamb that we ate came from (the butcher in the next room over). We also discovered a little Vietnamese restaurant, Minh, with a huge 100-item menu with simple to exotic food.

We have been making an effort to try regional beers along the trip but are glad to finally report of our first brewery visit. The Old Dominion Brewery has a great selection of beers from a clean lager to a rich oat stout. We ordered a tasting flight. As the beers in the flight warmed to room temperature, the complex flavors of each beer emerged, complementing the food even better. We will definitely be drinking their beers again.


When in Washington, D.C., one has to tour the national monuments and museums (all free!). Having spent quite a bit of time in D.C. in the past, I was happy to revisit these familiar sites, such as the Hirshhorn and the Air and Space Museums, and introduce them to new visitors. Some of the most interesting museums are off the Smithsonian Mall - the eclectic American Art and Portrait Gallery and the Udvar-Hazy extension of the air and space museum - it's (mostly) Air and (a little) Space.



We also had a chance to walk through the monuments at night. The most touching but eerie monument was the Korean War Memorial. It consists of a platoon of dimly lit soldiers walking through the rice paddies and glowing faces on a wall behind the soldiers sent shivers through us.

Our entire stay was with Miss N.J., a very gracious host, who also let us play with Phoebe the (very adorable) dog.