We braved the brisk fall morning and enjoyed the company and creativity of a few hundred thousand of our most sane friends.
But, instead of rehashing the entire event, here's the day in sign language. Political commentary was everywhere.
Some chose to poke fun at South Carolina...
while others made light of the "debate" over the President's birth place.
Others were just silly.
But all echoed the measured/calm/rational vibe of the day that was refreshingly, and sadly, unique for DC.
The owners of Four Sisters (Huong Que) moved out of this bustling space a few years ago and moved their tiny deli (Song Que) from next door into the former restaurant location. The result is a spacious deli/market with a small seating area in the back. You might encounter a bit of chaos when you enter, but the staff kept the orders moving rapidly. Our cashier kept apologizing to me because I had to wait about five minutes. Speed is the name of the game at Song Que.
B and I are headed to Vietnam in a few months and are on a mission to become more acquainted with the cuisine before our trip. Trying banh mi was a must. Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich served on a baguette, and stuffed with meat and pickled vegetables. We've been told that they cost less than 75 cents in Vietnam and, after tasting Song Que's version, I have a feeling we'll be stuffing ourselves silly with banh mi during our trip. The bread was warm and toasty, the grilled pork had a wonderful bbq flavor, and the pickled veggies added just the right crunch. I loved the way the jalapeno added a spicy kick to jazz up the overall flavor of the sandwich. While not Vietnam street food prices, they are still a total steal at $3 or less.
Song Que also has an impressively large selection of bubble tea flavors. Nothing pairs better with the toasty banh mi than a cool, slushy bubble tea. If you're like B and don't like tapioca balls, you can order the drinks sans bubbles.
Since we're Vietnamese food newbies, where should we go next? We've got a lot more research to do!
However, if you can squeeze your way through the crowded sidewalk and into Lincoln's Waffle Shop, you're in for a treat. What I love most about this place is the huge variety of customers that pack the stools and tables. You might find yourself sitting next to an FBI agent or a family visiting from Illinois. The 5:30 am opening time allows the very friendly staff to serve to-go orders to construction workers and early birds on their way to work. One time we saw a guy pour an entire container of sugar into his coffee cup. Probably would've been more efficient to dump the cup of coffee into the sugar, but I digress..jpg)
After the iconic Waffle Shop down the street closed in 2007, the staff and menu moved in to the Lincoln House Restaurant, and became Lincoln's Waffle Shop. I'm not certain that Lincoln liked waffles but I know he would've appreciated the value. For just a few bucks, you can treat yourself to a classic diner-style waffle. For just $6.45 you can get a waffle served with 2 eggs and a side of meat. If you're of the pancake persuasion, you can't go wrong with an order of banana pancakes. If you can't get moving early in the morning, they serve breakfast until closing time (7:00 pm weekdays and 3:00 pm weekends). If you're a day drinker, they have a full bar in the basement downstairs. You are guaranteed to meet some interesting people in the basement of a waffle shop imbibing during daylight hours.
If you're not in the mood for breakfast, Matt swears by the club sandwich served with a side of collard greens. I ventured out of my breakfast comfort zone to try the bacon cheeseburger. This baby flips the bird to the trendy burger restaurants that have been cropping up on every corner. It is a no-nonsense, no-frills burger that won't win any awards but won me over with its simplicity. The fries are your standard out-of-the-bag frozen variety, so you'd be better off taking Matt's advice and trying the collards.
One of our favorite things about writing this blog is hearing about your favorite diamonds in the rough. What's your Lincoln's Waffle Shop?
The small storefront could easily blend in with the rest of the shops and restaurants on this busy strip of Connecticut Avenue but the words "Home-Made Pasta" call out to me each time we pass by. We finally made our way inside and were greeted by meat hanging from the ceiling. Off to a good start!
We made a beeline for the refrigerated section and loaded up our basket with fresh pasta, along with the frozen pumpkin ravioli and a giant frozen brick of lasagna. About two seconds after B took the above picture, a swarm of parents and kids hopped in line to get pizza by the slice and deli sandwiches. Luckily, the friendly staff moved the line very quickly, and we were paying for our Italian goodies in no time. Even though we had just eaten, I was really tempted to sample one of the pizza slices or test whether the deli sandwiches stack up to the Italian Store. For once, I kept my impulses in check and left the pizza and sandwich extravaganza for a future visit.
Pica Taco is a no-frills, order at the counter place. There are a couple of tables inside where you can eat while watching telenovelas. Telenovelas blaring from the TV are a good sign that the tacos will be authentic.
Another good sign? Lengua tacos! If the menu features tacos made with beef parts that make you a little squeamish, they'll probably be great. Pica Taco serves up the Mexican standards filled with lengua (that's tongue for los gringos que no hablan espanol) along side barbacoa (shredded bbq beef), pastor (pork), steak, fish, and chicken. With tacos priced at $2.25 each (or $2.5o for fish or steak), you can sample several different kinds to see what you like best. B braved the lengua taco and found it to be flavorful and cooked well so that it wasn't chewy. Nothing worse than overcooked beef tongue.
A slight miscommunication led to B getting a second taco instead of an enchilada, so we both got to test out the barbacoa tacos. Major points for authenticity with the double corn tortilla, chopped onions and cilantro, and thinly-sliced radish. The barbacoa could've used a bit more heat, but was helped along by the salsa they provided on the side. My chicken taco was slapped with the gringo stick and buried under cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce. It was more Taco Bell than taco truck.
The concept is pretty basic: take about two dozen popular cereal varieties, mix with a wide selection of toppings from wheat germ to gummy worms, and add a splash of milk from the milk bar (available in skim, 2%, whole, lactose free, and soy). Also on the menu are a variety of oatmeal combinations if you want to turn up the heat on your breakfast or smoothies if you like your meals through a straw.
Pajama-clad employees can assist you in coming up with your own funky combination or you can choose from a list of mixes. What five year old wouldn't look longingly at the "Dirt Bowl" featuring Cookie Crisp, Oreos, chocolate syrup, and gummy worms? Clearly, cereal doesn't have to equal healthy.
Since I can open up my cabinet and mix together cold cereals at home, I was more intrigued by the hot bowls of oatmeal with unique toppings. I tried the "Funky Monkey Morning" featuring oats, bananas, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. First of all, no normal human needs to eat the giant bowl of oatmeal that bears the label "regular size." Go with the small. After stuffing myself silly, I had enough oatmeal to take home to eat the next day. Second, I should probably tell you that I'm the weird girl that orders oatmeal at restaurants and makes "overnight oats" to take to work for breakfast on gym days. Oatmeal and I know each other very well.
So often oatmeal gets a bad name because it's not cooked well. Who wants to eat thin, soupy mush? However, The Cereal Bowl understands that oats can be a breakfast star when cooked to the point that they are thick but not gloppy. As B dove into his "Mom Knows More" bowl with oatmeal, apple pie filling, caramel, and graham bites, we both agreed that the oats were done right. The bowl of goodness even sparkled like diamonds when the sunshine hit it.
Even with the perfectly-cooked oats, I still wasn't ready to run up and down Connecticut Avenue to sing The Cereal Bowl's praises. Here's where I agree with the eye-rolling cereal skeptics. I can make this stuff at home pretty easily and for a lot less money. While the combinations have cutesy names and sugar coma-inducing toppings that you might not think of yourself, there is no magic in what they're serving.
Fabulous. A broken-down old gas station next to an equally broken-down old liquor store. We stopped to assess our options. B pulled out the Droid and checked all of our restaurant-finding apps while I said a silent prayer to the food gods. I was starving and not looking forward to eating at a gas station. After striking out with the apps, we decided to pedal into the "center of town" figuring that there would be additional food options. Unfortunately, the center of town was up a hill (boo) and contained nothing more than a community center. The uphill trek was not all terrible because at said community center we got to watch a peewee soccer game being refereed by a very serious eight year old in a very serious ref outfit. Not seeing any culinary options at the soccer game, we resigned ourselves to gas station food.
We opened the door and saw the usual: chips, sodas, sunflower seeds, bait, and motor oil. However, the smell permeating the store was ridiculously, amazingly good. Our eyes grew wide as we realized that the smell was coming not from heaven but from the pile of fried chicken being kept hot next to the register.
I'm the first to admit that I was on the verge of a pity party when I realized that we'd be eating at the gas station. Whoever first said that appearances can be deceiving must have eaten the fried chicken at Kerrigan's Corner Deli. Holy eff that was some amazing fried chicken! My pity party turned into an all-out high-fiving party after one bite.
We pedaled back to the car with greasy smiles on our faces and dreams of chicken legs dancing in our heads. The chicken was so awesome that I almost didn't freak out about the ginormous snake we saw on the side of the path. Almost.
Is there a better spot in DC?
Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Beautiful and haunting at the same time. One of my favorites.
Chances are that you're plenty familiar with the Lincoln Memorial, but we've climbed those famous steps often enough to prove that you can't get tired of it.
Korean War Veterans Memorial. Talk about haunting... here's your reminder of the terror of war. It is almost a shame not to see it at night.
And of course, the money shot. Just like you can't film a TV show or movie in DC without this picture, you can't live or visit without marveling at this breathtaking sight.
