Washington DC (May 2013)

My spouse and I visited Washington DC for 3 nights over the Memorial Day weekend in May 2013. We stayed at the Capital Hilton.

On Friday evening after work, we drove from Allentown to Washington DC and checked into the Capital Hilton. We walked to a nearby restaurant, Agora, for dinner on Friday night.

On Saturday, we visited the Corcoran Gallery, which was free using their "Summer Saturdays" program. We had lunch at Woodward Table, and then a blowout dinner at Jose Andres Minibar. Awesome!

On Sunday, we visited Union Market and then had lunch at Graffiato, followed by dinner at Proof.

 Hotel:

• Hilton Capital Link to my review

Restaurants:

• Agora Link to my review
• Woodward Table Link to my review
• Jose Andres Minibar Link to my review
• Graffiato Link to my review
• Proof Link to my review

Activities:

• Corcoran Gallery of Art Link to my review
• Union Market Link to my review

 

Washington DC: Union Market (May 2013)

My spouse and I visited Union Market on a Sunday morning in late May 2013. We had read about the market in Food & Wine magazine, which compared it to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We took the metro from the downtown area to the NoMA-Gallaudet station, and then walked a few blocks to the market through a seemingly rough part of town.

The market building is attractive, with high ceilings and garage doors that can be rolled up in nice weather. We knew the market was small, but we were not prepared for how small. Supposedly, it houses 40 artisans, but we felt that we saw no more than 20 (perhaps it still has room to expand?) It was clean, attractive, and interesting space, just not large. You can sit at the bar and have a drink or casual meal at Rappahannock Oyster Bar or Buffalo & Bergen. Merchants sell items such as meats, cheeses, flowers, knives, pickles, and smoked fish. The store Salt and Sundry was not open when we visited, but it sells linens, ceramics, and farm tables. Although the market supposedly opens at 8:00 am on the weekends (11:00 am on weekdays), on the day that we visited, most stands were not fully operational at that early hour.

We are glad to have seen it, but it took some effort, and we probably would not return until there are more vendors.

Washington DC: Proof (May 2013)

My spouse and I dined at Proof for dinner in late May 2013. We visited on a Sunday evening, and we made our reservation using the Open Table reservation system. Despite making our reservation several weeks in advance, we were led to one of the least-appealing table in the restaurant.
The restaurant is located across from the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum. The restaurant offers seating outside on the sidewalk, at the long bar, at high-top bar tables in the bar area, as well as in the dining room at tables and booths. Our tiny table for two was positioned directly adjacent to the service station, where wait staff and busboys came and went every few minutes to enter orders, restock and pick up glassware, silverware, and plates, pick up water pitchers, and so on. As soon as the hostess led us to the table, we anticipated issues, so we asked to be moved to another empty table (of which there were plenty), but we were told that ours was the only option available to us. Not a great start!

Prior to arriving at Proof, we had planned to order the $69 four-course tasting menu, but when we began to experience the “traffic” next to our table, we opted to order something more casual because it was clearly not the environment for an elegant meal. We did not even feel that our table warranted ordering two $30+ dollar entrees, so we each ordered two first-course (smaller) options and asked that one be served as our appetizer and the other be served as our entree. We sampled the asparagus salad, duck confit, crispy pigs head, and foie gras. The duck confit accompanied by scallion hush puppies was delicious. The crispy pigs head was overly fried and appeared more like mozarella sticks - the frying process removed any trace of unique taste or flavor. For dessert, we had a rhubarb cake and a selection of cheeses; the rhubarb cake was unremarkable. Charcuterie seems to be a real speciality of this restaurant; however, we had enjoyed some great meats, pates, and terrines the previous day for lunch (at Woodward Table), so we were not interested in ordering it again. The restaurant serves a complimentary crispy lavash, accompanied by labna (a yogurt spread). Our waiter was excellent, seeming to take a real interest in food and saying just the right things to seem knowledgeable.

We expected more from a Conde Nast-mentioned, 3-star Washington Post, #10 on the list of 100 best DC restaurants than we saw while dining at Proof. Perhaps sister restaurant Estadio is better? We probably would not return here - our meal was fine, but it was not anything special in a city with so many great restaurant choices.

Washington DC: Hilton Capital (May 2013)

My spouse and I stayed at the Hilton Capital for 3 nights in late May 2013 over the Memorial Day weekend.

When you pull into the driveway/porte cochere, do not be surprised to see a sign that says “Hotel garage full”; that sign does not mean that there is no room for overnight hotel guests; just valet your car as you normally would. It took approximately 10 to 15 minutes to retrieve our car each time that we needed it. There is no self-parking option available, although there is some limited street parking if you watch the times and feed the meters as necessary. The hotel website says that there are nearby parking garages, although none were readily apparent to us on our drive to the hotel, and the garages that we found online before our visit seemed to charge about $30 per day anyway (as compared to $40 per day for the hotel valet).

There is a doorman and bellman present at this hotel, as well as a concierge. There is a sign for Hilton Hhonors check-in at the lobby desk; however, there did not appear to be a separate line. Although this hotel is large (500+ rooms) and was sold out on at least one of the nights we stayed, the bank of six elevators was always running and we never waited more than a minute for an elevator, and often we were the only people on it. (We are still shocked when we think about it! Other hotels could learn a lot from this elevator system!)

The executive lounge is rather small, and was extremely crowded on the mornings that we were there. A cold continental breakfast is provided, including juices, fruit (four kinds), hard-boiled eggs, cereal (many kinds), yogurt, breads, and pastries. There is one small TV and some newspapers and magazines (no computer). We did not need to provide our name or room number to gain entrance, although you must use your room key to access the floor as well as the club itself. (We were not placed on the executive floor, despite being Diamond members.) Supposedly, the lounge provides afternoon hors d' oeuvres and drinks (on the honor bar system) on Monday through Thursday, but we did not visit on those days so we cannot say for sure.

Our room was a nice size, with a king-size bed, easy chair, desk/chair, and large flat-screen TV (free HBO). There is no mini-bar, although they provide an ice bucket and glasses, and ice machines on every floor. The bathroom design was useful - the toilet and shower/bathtub combination were in their own separate room, and the sink area (a single sink) was also separated from the main room by a door (so it was like a room inside a room). There were not any extra towels provided, and one day we did not receive any hand towels, but a quick call to guest services remedied the problem. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion were present (the brand is Peter Thomas Roth), as well as a hairdryer, iron, and ironing board. No bathrobes or slippers were provided, which we expected from a full-service Hilton property. (There is no evening turndown service, either.) The closet contained an electronic safe.

Our only issue with our stay was that we awoke to no hot water on Saturday morning. When we went to bed on Friday night, the water pressure was low, as it was again on Saturday morning, only in the morning, there was no hot water. We called guest services, who acted as if we were the only room in the property with the problem. When we mentioned it at the front desk, they had no idea what the problem was or when it would be fixed. As it turns out, there was no hot water in the entire hotel, but astoundingly, no guests seemed to be complaining! (We expected to receive a follow-up telephone call or letter as an apology, but we did not.)

There is no fitness center proper, although the MINT health club/day spa provides complimentary access for Hilton Hhonors silver, gold, and diamond members ($15 for non-members). There are two computers and a printer in the lobby to print boarding passes. The North Gate Grill is the hotel restaurant, and the Statler Lounge is located in the lobby, along with a gift shop (with decent hours until about 10:00 pm and selling gift and souvenir items, snacks and drinks [but nothing alcoholic], and reading materials). There is free Wi-Fi in the lobby, which is complimentary throughout the hotel for gold and diamond members).

The location of the hotel is excellent - just two blocks from Lafayette Park (and through the park to the White House). Many restaurants and bars are within walking distance; the St. Regis Hotel is on the opposite corner (with Adour restaurant), as well as a PJ Clarke’s Bar & Grill and Starbucks another corner. The hotel is accessible to three different Metro Stations: Farragut North (Red Line), Farragut West (Blue & Orange Lines), and McPherson Square (Blue & Orange Lines). The Convention Center is less than one mile away.

We would consider this hotel again for our next stay in DC, although there are many other Hilton properties (Hampton Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree, Homewood Suites) nearby as well.

Washington DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art (May 2013)

My spouse and I visited the Corcoran Museum in late May 2013. We visited on a Saturday, when admission is free as part of their Summer Saturdays program (normally, admission is $10 per adult). The permanent collection resides on the ground/first floor of the Beaux Arts building, with rotating exhibits on the second floor. The museum is a manageable size, and it is possible to visit in about 2 hours.

Todd Gray’s Muse Cafe is on-site (although it is kind of out-in-the-open, better designed for a quick bite than a formal meal), as well as a gift shop and coat/backpack check. Guided tours of the entire collection and of highlighted/spotlighted works are available at designated times throughout the day.

We were primarily interested in seeing the few Impressionist paintings on display, including a few works by Monet and Renoir as well as pieces by Dutch and Flemish artists; however, we ended up being impressed by the collection of works by American artists like Warhol, Rothko, Whistler, Sargent, Cassatt, Homer, and Eakins. One gallery features an ornate, gilded room that was transported “in toto” from Paris, and another gallery features works hung in salon style rather than traditional museum style. We were interested in viewing one of the rotating exhibits on the second floor concerning war photography, but it was not yet open.

We are glad that we got to sample the museum for free! It was a nice way to spend a few hours. We hope the Summer Saturdays program continues.

Washington DC: Graffiato (May 2013)

My spouse and I dined at Graffiato for brunch in late May 2013. We visited on a Sunday, and from their website, we thought that we would be ordering off the lunch menu rather than the brunch menu. (We are not big eggs and pancake eaters, preferring lunchtime food instead; however, there were plenty of non-breakfast items on the menu.) Currently, the restaurant participates in the City Eats reservation system; however, we made a reservation via email. Originally, we had inquired via email about their GEM tasting menu that is available on weeknights, but we were told that the restaurant did not plan to offer that special menu any time in the future. They still offer a regular $60 tasting menu nightly.

The restaurant is located in Chinatown near the Verizon Center, and the restaurant space covers two levels. On the first/ground floor is a large bar along with a few tables, as well as a food-preparation bar fronting a pizza oven, where you can sit to watch the chefs work (we think this is where we would have sat for the GEM tasting menu). We were led to a table upstairs, where there is both booth and table seating as well as a 4-seat bar area that fronted the open work kitchen/prep area (their website calls it a “ham bar”; however, it did not appear to be used regularly). Because we are particularly interested in cooking and plating food, next time we visit, we will request to sit at the downstairs food-prep bar.

We loved our food at Graffiato! On the brunch menu, they offer a $25 per person “Booze and Bites” option, where each guest can choose three dishes, excluding pizza (or you can choose two dishes and one drink, such as a mimosa or a bloody mary). We decided to sample six food options instead of including drinks; we chose burrata with kumquat, spring peas with bread crumbs, sweetbreads, meatballs served on polenta, and two pasta dishes (one was gnocchi with an amazing pork ragu and ricotta, and the other was agnolotti with curds, whey, and egg yolk). Sadly, the dessert options on the brunch menu were weak - there were only three choices, and they doubled as the sweet brunch entrees (including waffles, French toast, and cinnamon rolls). We passed on ordering dessert, something we never do!

We would definitely dine here again, but next time, we will sit downstairs at the chef’s bar. We are also interested to try one of Chef Mike Isabella’s other restaurants, Kapnos or Bandolero, after our satisfying experience at Graffiato.

Washington DC: Minibar by Jose Andres (May 2013)

My spouse and I dined at Minibar by Jose Andres in late May 2013. When we checked their website, we learned that Minibar had changed its reservation process, and that customers no longer needed to wait until 30 days prior to make a reservation. Because we were booking relatively early (early March for late May), we easily received the date and time that we requested. We emailed the restaurant to make a reservation. The restaurant offered us a spot, and emailed us a confirmation form to fill out, sign, and return, and we needed to remit our credit card information, as well as our drink pairing choices. We ended up choosing one $75 wine pairing and one $45 non-alcoholic pairing, although we did not specify those choices on our reservation form; we waited until we arrived at the restaurant.

When we arrived (we were asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to our reservation time), we were seated in a lounge area fronting the restaurant, with just two 2-seater sofas and a chair and ottoman. There is a small gas fireplace in the lounge area. The door from the street to the restaurant is understated - you have to be looking for it to really notice it. Valet parking is available - the valet placard is probably what is most noticeable about the entrance to the restaurant. The restaurant space is stark, modern, and attractive. The restroom is wild - be sure to visit even if you do not need to!

Guests are seated at a counter in groups of 6. The first group arrives at 6:00 and is seated at 6:15, and the second group arrives at 6:15 and is seated at 6:30. (The process is repeated at 9:00 and 9:15.) The bar stools are quite comfortable, and they are spaced nicely apart.

The avant-garde food was phenomenal in every way! Every dish (20+ of them) was a work of art that incorporated unique ingredients, novel methods of preparation, and served them in creative ways with amazing presentation. The restaurant provides a menu of what you have eaten that you can take home with you, so there is no need to take notes or photos, although they are not forbidden like as they are in some comparable tasting restaurants. (It is easy to see why, too - no one can possibly compete with this chef or duplicate his work!) I enjoyed the non-alcoholic pairing - every drink was carefully conceived and executed to complement the dish that it accompanied, and much more effort and creativity went into designing the drink that just opening a bottle of juice. The wine pairing was also good, although my spouse felt that it detracted a bit from his meal - often, the sommelier was explaining about the wines just as the next course was arriving, and the explanation of wine and food sometimes overlapped more than he would have liked.

The staff was friendly and interactive, and really seemed to love their jobs. They were knowledgeable about all aspects of the food.

Ending the evening at barmini is a terrific idea! Your last few courses are served there, and it gives guests a chance to decompress and compare notes. Cocktails at barmini are creative (not included with the dinner price), and the list is expansive. barmini itself is something to see, even if you cannot get a reservation to dine at minibar. (Be sure to make a reservation at barmini using the City Eats on-line reservation system.)