Sure, there are a zillion great places to eat in New York City. I mean, come on, it’s NEW YORK CITY for Pete’s sake! However, it is always a good and refreshing thing to go outside your inner circle and see what the rest of the world has to offer. Last weekend, I visited our nation’s capital when I stayed in Washington, D.C. for a couple of days for a much needed vacation. During my time there, I got to experience the best of what D.C. has to offer when it comes to the varieties of cuisines it prepares for its everyday locals and tourists to devour. All of the places I tried with my friends had something special to them, and each I would highly recommend trying out the next time you are on the Amtrak down to D.C. Check them out.
Boqueria- 1837 M St NW
Tapas, tapas and more tapas! Seriously, you can’t get enough Tapas and Boqueria has them and so much more. This restaurant has a dual location in DC and also New York City,which prides itself on top of the line Tapas with some pretty great wine pairings to go along with. Nestled right outside the famous DuPont Circle, Boqueria is the place to go with your friends and family for their incredible $39 Prix Fix Brunch, which includes unlimited Brunch Tapas, Drinks and Sweets, between 10:30 AM and 2PM Saturdays and Sundays. I would highly recommend the Torrija (Caramelized French Toast, Seasonal Fruit, Caramel Sauce), Pan con Tomate (Grilled bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil) and the Albondigas (Lamb meatballs, tomato sauce, sheep’s mike sauce) as three of the several scrumptious items they have available for their fantastic brunch. For more information, check out their official site.
Ankara- 1320 19th St NW
A funny thing happened on the way to another brunch spot. When I was heading over to Boqueria, I passed by Ankara and was instantly impressed by their menu as I have never tried out a Turkish brunch spot before. So that Sunday I took my friend and overall we were quite impressed with everything from the decor to the incredible food they provided. Boasting Turkish and Mediterranean Cuisine, Ankara is the place to go to when it comes to an array of spices, flavors and so much more. Their Bottomless Brunch menu is quite spectacular, and only $27 per person (minus alcohol). When you do this it automatically comes with their “Van Kahvaltisi”, which is a selection of sweet and savory items to share for the table. This includes a selection of yummy Turkish cheeses, marinated olives, hummus and more. Any of their omelettes are a good start to their brunch, and I would go with their Aegean (Spinach, Tomato & Feta Cheese) or Black Sea (Ground Beef & Onion). Also available are their delicious line of flatbreads, salads and desserts all under one spectacular menu. For more information, check out their official site.
Copycat Co- 1110 H St NE
After a fun night at a local bar, my friends took me to this place down the street called Copycat Co, which is one part bar (upstairs) and another part a small, sit down joint where you will have some of the most scrumptious dumplings and skewers in all of DC. Better yet, they are all available at very cheap prices. The bar setting aside, I really enjoyed their Beef Bao, Chicken & Mushroom Potstickers, and classic Lamb Shoulder Skewer as a delicious, end of the night treat for me and my friends. Definitely a place to go to if you are looking to unwind with some tasty treats. For more information, check out their FB page.
Ted’s Bulletin- 1818 14th St NW
Ted’s Bulletin has multiple locations across the DC area, however my friend took me to their hotspot located on 14th Street as we were craving something sweet after our yummy brunch we just came from. On the contrary, Ted’s has a variety of menus for anyone’s liking, and Brunch is served all day long. Seeing as our sweet tooth was severely in check, we made a beeline for their shakes and desserts and were quite pleased with what we had. Try their delicious Snowball, Four Layer Carrot Cake, Mile High Chocolate Cream Pie or their very own “Ted’s Tarts”, which tastes like a homemade Pop Tart! For more information on Ted’s, check out their official site.
Barcelona Wine Bar- 1622 14th Street NW
Just like Boqueria, Barcelona Wine Bar boasts small Spanish plates paired with some absolutely delicious wine. Out of all the locations that I tried out in DC, Barcelona was visually the most stunning, especially the outdoor Patio which will bode well for many of us when the weather gets warmer outside and we can forget about the dreary winter. For their tasty brunch, I would recommend Tapas such as Roasted Sunchokes, Crispy Calamari, Asparagus a la Plancha with a Chorizo Vinaigrette, and Spiced Beef Emapanadas as they all had an incredible range of flavor and depth to their profiles. Definitely a great place to check out. Check out their official site.
While I was in DC, I stayed with my good friend Jonathan Bardzik, an up and coming and phenomenal cookbook author and chef, who just released his second cookbook called “Seasons To Taste”. I profiled him back in early December here on Manhattan Digest. I got to experience some of his home cooking first hand, and it rivals any of the places I stopped by while in DC. I highly recommend that you get this book of seasonal, farm to table recipes and see for yourself why he is the next big thing. For more information on Jonathan, check out his official site.
Happy Travels and Eating Everyone!