Mid City Love

So as some of you know, I live, work and frequently play in an area of DC who's many neighborhoods are collectively known as MidCity. And both of my places of employment are featured in an article in the November issue of Travel + Leisure about MidCity (mostly the U Street Cooridor). The article also includes some of my other favorite DC spots, like Busboys & Poets, Ben's Chili Bowl and Lettie Gooch. Busboys & Poets has a great atmosphere, an awesome socially conscious bookstore, and a lot of great things to munch on. However the highlight for me is that the make a really awesome root beer floats. This may not be a huge draw for some of you, but I enjoy a really good root beer float. Ben's Chili Bowl has the best chili cheese fries I've ever had, hands down. And Lettie Gooch has a lot of great wearble stuff that's not so expensive that you'll break the bank. But I thought I would really use this post to talk about some of my other favorite MidCity spots that this article missed.

Tabaq is an awesome Mediterrean restaurant. Their food is absolutely delicious. I'm an especially big fan of the Chef's Special Lamb described on the menu as "Baked eggplant and lamb with bechamel sauce and kasar cheese". The decor is mellow and hip, but the best place to sit is definitely the roof deck. Watch out for all the stairs though, since when Jules and Liz were visiting I wore mega-high heels and bit it on my way to the bathroom. I did just catch myself before actually doing a butt plant, but still it was a rathger unpleasant side to the whole experience. Don't let it deter you, just wear sensible shoes and pay attention instead of looking at the cute waiters.

Local 16 has incredibly yummy food and great drinks as well. When Miss Amy and I went there we ended up ordering appetizers and mains, since everything sounded so great we could help it. It was pretty much all as great as it sounded, which is always nice. Our server was also funny and helpful. And the atmosphere, especially with all the lowlighting, plush textures and reds, is really appealing. They also have a bar and a roofdeck if you're just looking for drinks.

Will, Amy and I finally checked out Simply Home a few weeks back. The Asian-fusion cuisine was very good. The styling was ultra hip. We may not have been quite as cool as everyone else there, but it was still great. Amy was also thrilled to find Persecco, her favorite sparkling wine on the menu.

Cakelove and Love Cafe have gotten plenty of press since they opened a few years back. There are some dissenters, but I stay believe that their cupcakes are absolutely to die for. The Love Cafe also has a really great grilled cheese with bacon. But for a place where you order at the counter and then sit down it can be kind of slow sometimes, so make sure you have time to wait. Also October is Cupcake Month so there's still about a week left to get your $2 cupcakes (they're normaly $3) or if you wear your Cakelove T-shirt or buy one, you get a free cupcake! They also have new gluten-free brownies, whcih makes my Mom super happy.

A little closer to home there's Columbia Heights Coffee. Columbia Heights Coffee is pretty much the perfect neighborhood coffee place. It's a great place to hang out for awhile and enjoy the mellow atmosphere. There's also free wireless, so if you're internet crazed, and let's face it, who isn't, you're all set. The girls who work there are also super nice.

To keep up with MIdCity goings-on there's MidCity Live. Here you can find out the specials for the Third Thursday Shopper Social, as well as other things that are happening in MidCity.

That's about it although I'm sure to find more place I love that I haven't stumbled upon yet. But rest assured, when I do I'll be sure to fill you in.