Though I grew up just a couple hours south of D.C., it had been years since I’d visited on my most recent trip to the capital. My outdated impression painted the place as a great city with vibrant culture where, sadly, a decent dinner was pretty hard to come by. But what I found instead was a burgeoning food destination, where I was pleased to be positively overwhelmed with delicious food at every turn—starting with my hotel stay at the Park Hyatt Washington.
Located in the West End, the Park Hyatt is the sort of place that savvy people stay on business trips: close to downtown with quick metro access, but situated on a quiet tree-lined street and featuring cozy, restorative rooms and cavernous baths. As soon as I arrived, there was a bottle of wine and a miniature apple tart waiting for me in my room (one that I never actually ended up tasting due to overindulgence of cheese and cocktails, tea and pastries, and dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Blue Duck Tavern).
From Blue Duck’s dining room you can watch chefs in the open kitchen preparing plates like seared foie gras, stone ground grits with smoked gouda, and plenty of dishes featuring their namesake fowl. At dinner we took full advantage of the wood-burning oven that Blue Duck utilizes for most of its menu and ordered roasted duck breast, wood oven-roasted bone marrow, and an assortment of sides from charred baby lettuce to duck cracklings.
Dinner certainly knocked us dead, but my favorite meal of the stay was the tea tasting, an afternoon service the hotel offers where the resident tea expert will make selections from their cellar of more than 50 rare and limited production, single estate teas. After asking us a few questions about what we liked to drink and what sort of flavors appealed to us, he suggested a pu-erh tea and chatted with us a while about his time in China, his love of pu-erh’s deep smoky flavor, and how he sources some of his extremely rare teas (that run up to $300 for a pot). I left the hotel full, happy, and newly in love with the city. —Laura Sant
Dupont Circle Farmers' Market This charming market is a short walk from the hotel; if the weather’s nice, pick up coffee at nearby Dolcezza and wander the aisles of bright produce, baked goods, meats, and cheeses. 20th St. NW between Massachusetts Ave. and Connecticut Ave. Open Sundays, 10 am to 1 pm (Jan. through Mar. 2014) and 9 am to 2 pm (April through Dec. 2014), freshfarmmarkets.org
Dolcezza Gelato Clean flavors and seasonal specialties are the rule here. Everything is made in small batches using locally sourced ingredients. Flavors range from market driven, seasonal treats like strawberry tarragon to evergreen favorites like hazelnut and mascarpone. Their love of coffee is also evident, with carefully brewed pourover and espresso drinks.1704 Connecticut Ave NW, 202/299-9116, dolcezzagelato.com
Union Market It’s not walking distance, but this collection of food and drink vendors is worth the metro trip. Everything from empanadas to spices to barrel-aged vinegars comes together in a massive warehouse space that echoes Manhattan’s Chelsea Market or San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza. Don’t miss Rappahannock Oyster Co., Red Apron Butchery, and the lovely tableware and cookbooks at Salt & Sundry. 1309 5th St NE
, 301/652-7400, unionmarketdc.com
Located in the West End, the Park Hyatt is the sort of place that savvy people stay on business trips: close to downtown with quick metro access, but situated on a quiet tree-lined street and featuring cozy, restorative rooms and cavernous baths. As soon as I arrived, there was a bottle of wine and a miniature apple tart waiting for me in my room (one that I never actually ended up tasting due to overindulgence of cheese and cocktails, tea and pastries, and dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Blue Duck Tavern).
From Blue Duck’s dining room you can watch chefs in the open kitchen preparing plates like seared foie gras, stone ground grits with smoked gouda, and plenty of dishes featuring their namesake fowl. At dinner we took full advantage of the wood-burning oven that Blue Duck utilizes for most of its menu and ordered roasted duck breast, wood oven-roasted bone marrow, and an assortment of sides from charred baby lettuce to duck cracklings.
Dinner certainly knocked us dead, but my favorite meal of the stay was the tea tasting, an afternoon service the hotel offers where the resident tea expert will make selections from their cellar of more than 50 rare and limited production, single estate teas. After asking us a few questions about what we liked to drink and what sort of flavors appealed to us, he suggested a pu-erh tea and chatted with us a while about his time in China, his love of pu-erh’s deep smoky flavor, and how he sources some of his extremely rare teas (that run up to $300 for a pot). I left the hotel full, happy, and newly in love with the city. —Laura Sant
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