I woke up for my third day in Washington, DC, well-rested. My
room at the
Embassy Suites Washington D.C. Chevy Chase Pavilion
was large and comfortable.
I had come into Washington, DC
to spend some time with my niece, Alea,
and check out the activities and food in the area. There certainly is an
abundance of both in our nation’s capital.
While Alea caught up on some school work in the morning I
caught up on some writing, after another delicious breakfast. This Embassy Suite
has one of the best complimentary breakfasts I’ve ever seen.
We met up at the Metro station just downstairs from the
hotel in the afternoon and headed to downtown, not far from the White House.
Lunch was arranged at the Alfa Pie House, an authentic Greek
casual restaurant with more options than I’d ever seen at similar restaurants.
Tina, the manager, greeted us and told us about the Greek
pies, salads, and other dishes they had at Alfa. Everything looked delicious.
It was so hard to decide and we definitely ended up with too
much as Tina continued to bring additional dishes for us to try.
I mentioned I love spinach pie and she brought a selection
to choose from.
All were delicious, as were the cheese pies, an amazing Mediterranean Salad (marinated grilled vegetables with authentic Greek feta cheese crumble, grilled chicken, and a Mediterranean sauce).
All were delicious, as were the cheese pies, an amazing Mediterranean Salad (marinated grilled vegetables with authentic Greek feta cheese crumble, grilled chicken, and a Mediterranean sauce).
She also brought me a dark chocolate filled mocha latte and
we ate as much as we could, while watching locals come in to sit at a communal
table.
It looked like a scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding as friends and family sat around this big
table, passing dishes of food.
We took a few bites of the best Baklava I’ve ever had before
heading outside to see the sites.
We walked around the mall area, and past the Internal
Revenue Service Building. The original plan called for taking a Potomac
Riverboat Cruise through Washington Harbor.
It was a cool and rainy day in Washington D.C.
so we decided it would be a better day
to go to Smithsonian Museums.
Others had the same idea as the line was pretty long, but it
moved quickly.
The first thing we saw were all the advertisements for the Dorothy’s
Ruby Slippers Kickstarter.
It seemed the Wizard of Oz's Dorothy’s shoes had seen too many years and they were ready to be renovated!
It seemed the Wizard of Oz's Dorothy’s shoes had seen too many years and they were ready to be renovated!
The museum was filled with interactive activities for
children, even toddlers. That was one thing I didn’t remember from my last
visit when my daughter was still a kid.
We walked by those exhibits to check out some of the others.
I was fascinated with History: 70s, where we saw displays on Steve Jobs, Bill
Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and even a history of Sesame Street.
An exhibit on slavery was interesting, as was the First Lady
Exhibit, which had a dress from each first lady and information about each
woman. It ranged from the china they picked for their White House term, to what
they did accomplished while their husband was in office.
Another exhibit was truly relevant to me -- Food:
Transforming the American Table. It examined everything from the inventing of TV
Dinners to the influence of Julia Child and her television kitchen.
Also included was information on wine in all 50 states.
From the American History Museum, we headed to the NationalMuseum of Natural History, where there is a lot to see.
We strolled through the American Dinosaurs Exhibit, sections
on owls, Geology Gems & Minerals, and Butterflies. I also loved the
Elephant Discovery Station.
From the second floor of the Natural History Museum we also
could see the building’s unique architecture.
We stayed until the museum closed and then headed to dinner at
Ottoman Taverna. The décor here is
beautiful and the food unique. It’s noted as Eurasian, but I found a lot of
Turkish influence.
Our waiter was very helpful in picking out food and even suggesting
a Turkish wine for me. The Massaya Blanc, a blend that includes Obeidi,
Clairette, and Sauvignon Blanc, was perfect.
We started with a delicious soft, seeded bread with dips.
For an appetizer, Alea had Karides Güvec, a shrimp stew with saffron & tomato broth, garlic and herbs.
For an appetizer, Alea had Karides Güvec, a shrimp stew with saffron & tomato broth, garlic and herbs.
I had something that looked like egg rolls. Sigara boregi, was
filled with cheese and herbs, and very good.
For a main course, Alea liked the chicken and I had a Lamb
Stew special with Brussel sprouts.
We finished up with some an oven baked rice pudding, not too
sweet or rich, but just right.
We took an Uber from the restaurant, dropping Alea at her
dorm before taking me back to the Embassy Suites. It was time to get some rest
before my final day in Washington, DC.
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