Spent the week in Washington DC at the lovely Hyatt Regancy on Capitol Hill, very nice, but erratic internet. (Anyone with me on the Let's make wireless a given? Part of your water and sewer bill?)
Lunched en route at Anthony's in the SeaTac Airport, had their ever delicious clam chowder with crab & grapefruit salad.
Arrived late Tuesday evening, and had a light supper in the hotel not memorable except for the $12 Kim Crawford.
Wednesday wandered about a bit and ended up at the perfect restaurant, why we ever went anywhere after that I don't know, Bistro Bis, just around the corner from the hotel. Perfect cozy but stylish atmosphere, perfect service, perfect French Onion Soup, perfect roasted beet salad with feta and walnuts, perfect Spanish Cava, and a great night's sleep. I wanted to make reservations to eat there for the rest of my life.
Thursday, The Kennedy Center provided a lovely banquet in their dining room, all done up with pink, black and white polka dots, and martini glasses along the theme of "Think Pink": The keynote speaker was Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and a pretty funny speaker, and then we were treated to the National Symphony Orchestra performing with the Pink Martinis, favorites from Portland, and a refreshing evening it was. Oh yes, the menu: Mixed greens with roasted beets, feta and glazed nuts, roasted chicken breast with herbs and fresh steamed root vegetables, and a grapefruit and white chocolate mousse served in a martini glass with very clever and yummy truffles rolled in green pistachios with a dab of red at the end and stuck on a cocktail pic to resemble olives. I had the Kenwood Chardonnay, thank you very much. The Kennedy Center believes in eating well.
Friday, the regulars from Alaska said we must go to Filamena Ristorante in Georgetown. Very delightful Italian place, downstairs, all decked out in Easter bunnies and eggs and stuff, very fun, great waiters, Zenato Pinot Grigio while they looked for our reservation. We had a perfect little round table for the seven of us, easy to visit over. Revelation: Arancini. Wonderfully light, delicate flavorful golf ball sized rice fritters. The words don't do justice. Unfortunate choice of main course on my part: Cavatelli. "One of Italy’s oldest handmade pastas ~ The Pasta Mamma’s handmade tender Ricotta Dumplings tossed in a light Sauce of Tomato, Fresh Sage and a touch of browned butter." Leaden. Heavy. drat. So I ordered a dessert, a fruit tart. Pretty enough (see the photo) but the crust was hard and not yummy. Next time, go back to Bistro Bis.
Saturday, I came down with traveler's flu, and slept the whole day in a fever. My traveling companion kindly brought me some matzo ball soup and fruit juice in the afternoon, and I lived through it, thankful that I didn't have to fly until Sunday.
Sunday, we crept early into a TGIFriday's and begged for tea and toast (have you ever gone for breakfast at a Friday's? Everything on the menu is $6.99 and involves omelettes, way too much invalids and early mornings.) which the nice young lady brought us, causing the folks at the next table to also beg for tea and toast.
Lunch at Anthony's again, with the clam chowder and crab salad, and a Bernard Griffin Fume Blanc that just was not as good as I remember.
Home and John had prepared a lovely fresh crab and prawns salad, with a Jerusalem Artichoke and Roasted Pepper dressing, with a glass of Dry Creek Fume Blanc (now we're talking) which I managed to eat 1/2 of before toddling off to bed.
So the rest of you, did you eat?
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