The RECOMB
Guide to Washington D.C.
We look forward to
your visit to RECOMB 2002 in Washington, D. C., April 18-21. We have assembled some information and web
links that we hope will assist you in the preparation for your trip.
Sightseeing:
- The National Zoo is a short walk from the Omni Hotel.
The zoo is FREE
and is proudly showing
off its baby tigers and its baby elephant named Kandula,
born in November of 2001,
and the pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, that arrived from China in
December of 2000!
The zoo is located
between the Woodley Park and Cleveland Park Metro stops.
From the Omni, walk a few blocks north (uphill) on Connecticut Ave.
- Adams Morgan is filled with inexpensive ethnic restaurants and bars.
Walk east on Calvert St,
starting with the bridge over Rock Creek Park,
then turn south at 18th St.
- Dupont Circle is a fancy restaurant district.
Walk or taxi 10 blocks south on Connecticut Ave,
starting with the bridge over Rock Creek Park.
- Georgetown is a short taxi ride to the west.
The area is full of historic buildings but also trendy shops,
(particularly on M Street and Wisconsin Avenue).
The George Washington University campus is to the south.
- Joggers can leave the Omni Hotel and head
east through Rock Creek Park
or west trough Dumbarton Oaks Park. Both are beautiful.
- The Federal Mall is a short taxi or Metro ride away.
It is the area centered on the Washington Monument
between the Capitol (Congress) Building, the White House,
and the Lincoln Memorial.
The Mall includes the Reflecting Pool and the Cherry Blossoms
(which bloomed first week in April).
Take in the national monuments:
Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Einstein, Vietnam, etc.
Also see the U.S. government buildings:
White House, Capitol Building, FBI, Bureau of Engraving (Mint).
Note White House tour tickets are not easy to come by.
The Mall is surrounded by the famous, FREE, and stupendous
Smithsonian Institute museums.
Tip: the museums have cafeterias,
but there is a particularly pleasant one
in the National Sculpture Garden
between the Museum of Natural History
and the National Gallery of Art.
- The National Security Agency
cryptography museum is popular with computer scientists.
But it is a drive away in Maryland
at MD Routes 32 and 295 (Balt/Wash Pkwy). 301-688-5849.
-
Great Monuments in D.C.: http://www.awildorchid.com/monuments.htm
- Washington,
D.C. Monuments and Museums: http://www.si.edu/activity/planvis/sightsee.htm
- The
Smithsonian: http://www.si.edu
- A
different perspective/more specialized: http://www.exploredc.org
- General
Monuments and a nice way to see them: http://www.tourmobile.com/
- Washington,
D.C., The American Experience: http://www.washington.org/
Shopping:
Maps:
Dining: So many restaurants and interesting places to
spend your evenings and so little time!
These choices are recommendations or have come from the Washingtonian
Magazine reviews.
- Lavandou
– is recommended by Gene Myers (RECOMB 2002 Program Committee Chair) who lives
in the area and has sampled food from many fine D.C. restaurants. Keep in mind that Gene eats well and isn’t
averse to spending more to have very fine food. The setting for Lavandou is
Provencal for an extensive, moderately priced menu of classic French
dishes. “French restaurants are
returning to those warm spots in our hearts and Lavandou is one reason why.”
(The Washington Post). Entrée choices
include filet mignon, sweetbreads wrapped in a thin lentil pancake, boudin
noir, bourride, lamb steak with anchovy butter and brochette. Nearest Metro stop is Cleveland Park,
located at 3321 Connecticut Avenue, NW – 202-966-3002.
- Cactus
Cantina –is packed nightly with neighborhood
regulars. It’s a “sprawling Tex-Mex
cantina, with mariachi music bouncing off its concrete floors and cinder-block
walls, that feels like a weekend fiesta”.
Cactus Cantina is not only on the top-100 best restaurants in the D.C.
area list, it is also on the “Cheap Eats” list with selections such as pork
tamales slathered with chiles colorados, chiles rellenos overflowing with
cheese, quesadillas stuffed with strips of mesquite-grilled skirt steak. The closest Metro stop is Tenleytown and it
is located at 3300 Wisconsin Avenue, NW – 202-686-7222.
- Jandara
– also on the Gene Myers suggested list for excellent Thai cuisine close to the
Conference. Entrees to look for are a
classic chicken with green curry, roasted duck with red curry, soft-shell crabs
with three-flavor sauce, a searing stir-fry of broad rice noodles, chili,
garlic and basil and Jandara’s version of duck salad tossed with scallions,
fresh ginger, celery, chili paste and lime juice. Jandara is also listed in the “Cheap Eats” category, located at
2606 Connecticut Ave., NW – 202-387-8876, close to the OmniShoreham Hotel.
- Tono
Sushi – also recommended by Gene Myers as very good
Japanese cuisine near the Conference and on the “Cheap Eats” list of
restaurants in D.C. In addition to
their sushi, try the scallion-stuffed beef rolls called negimaki or the grilled
mackerel or ask for a couple of bowls to split a generous cast-iron cauldron of
one of the meal-in-a-bowl soups as a main course. The yosenabe – clear, delicate broth packed with assorted
seafood, cellophane noodles, bean curd, Napa cabbage, spinach and onions and
the Tempura Soba are special favorites.
Located at 2605 Connecticut Ave., NW – 202-332-7300, it is also very
near the OmniShoreham Hotel.
- Palena
–American cuisine on the Top 100 Best Restaurants in D.C. list is a
“special-occasion place that is serving some of the most original food in
D.C”. Choices include a salad of
roasted lobster and beets, a soup of black-trumpet mushrooms with scallop and
lobster, small house-made sausages of pigeon or pheasant raised to elegance by
the inclusion of foie gras in their stuffing.
Desserts such as Danish-and-fruit bread pudding, cashew dacquoise with
chocolate sorbet and pumpkin cheesecake (a mousse of pumpkin served over a
creamy triangle of goat cheese) are not to be missed. Located at 3529 Connecticut Ave., NW – 202-537-9250, near (short
walk involved) the Cleveland Park Metro stop.
- Kramers
Books & Afterwords Café & Grill – interesting place,
proud of its recent history, at 1517 Connecticut Ave., N.W. just above Dupont
Circle, across from the Dupont Circle “Q” Street Metro Exit. This is a restaurant tacked on to the rear
of Kramerbooks with waiter service and 15 minutes of free e-mail at the
bar. Kramers has packed tables in the
evenings, a multi-page menu with choices ranging from veggie chili loaded with
fresh vegetables and black beans to massive bowls of pasta loaded with generous
toppings to sandwiches too big to handle, a chicken and cheese quesadilla and
plenty of selections of beer and wine.
Live music Wednesday through Saturday nights.
- Jaleo
– means “uproar, or revelry and merry-making”, located at 480 7th
Street, N.W., (7th and E), one block from Gallery Place/Chinatown
Metro stop – 202-628-7949. Has an
extensive menu of 60 different hot and cold tapas, reflecting “the rich
regional diversity of classical and contemporary Spanish cuisine”, in addition
to their Paella that serves two to four.
- Lebanese Tavern – located at 2641
Connecticut Ave. NW – 202-265-8681, located directly across the street from the Metro
stop for the Woodley Park/National Zoo.
- Success hasn't
spoiled this "family-friendly" Lebanese trio, which appeals with
consistently excellent Lebanese comfort food and affordable prices. “Sample an assortment of the garlicky and
delicious meze or let the dedicated waiters help you decide.” Gene recommends this place and says it’s
always packed!
- New Heights – ½ block from the Woodley Park Metro Stop
at 2317 Calvert St. N.W. – 202-234-4110.
Known for its complex and succulent New American cuisine. Entrees include succulent sturgeon with
yucca puree and caramelized cherry tomatoes, rib-eye of buffalo with herbed
fingerling potatoes, asparagus and horseradish (otherwise known as
meat-and-potatoes with a green vegetable, but much better than most). “New Heights manages to serve as both a
neighborhood restaurant and a destination for consistently interesting
contemporary food.” - Phyllis C. Richman, D.C. restaurant critic.
- Vidalia – la crème de la crème on the 100 Best Restaurants in D.C.
about 2-1/2 blocks from Dupont Metro stop, 1990 M Street, N.W. –
202-659-1990. The Vidalia exudes
genteel Southern charm while serving up pricey Modern American Cuisine with
excursions into Asian and French flavors.
- I Ricchi – 1220 19th St., N.W. – 202-835-0459, near the
Dupont Circle Metro stop. I Ricchi is
Tuscan cooking, rustic comfort food, which is part of the reason for I Ricchi’s
popularity. Favorites include antipasto of prosciutto, ribollita, fresh pastas,
wood-grilled skewers of chicken, sausage and combination platters of roasted
meats. It is on the 100 Best
Restaurants in D.C. list and is on the pricey side.
- Alero Restaurant – definitely a favorite of Liliana Florea
(RECOMB 2002 Organizing Committee) who also lives in the area and enjoys a good
meal and a good time as much as anyone, but doesn’t spend the big bucks like
some (did I mention Gene’s name?).
Alero, serving Mexican cuisine,
is located at 3500 Connecticut Ave., NW, - 202 - 966-2530 just
steps from the Cleveland Park Metro stop.
They also have carry-out.
- Café Midi – another favorite of Liliana, a self-serve shop that will
delight you with the smells of freshly prepared contemporary food like carrot
salad and bow-tie pasta, one-hour lasagna and ribs. You can’t beat an average price of $9.00. Located at 1635 Connecticut Avenue in Dupont
Circle – 202-234-3090.
- La Tomate – 1701 Connecticut Avenue, NW, just off the Dupont Circle
Metro Stop – 202-667-5505 serving regional Italian specialties such as Filetto
di Branzino al Finocchio Selvatico and Trota di Fiume Affumicata al Salmoriglio
and a zillion different types of fresh and delicious pasta dishes, according to
Liliana.
;
8am-8pm Sun
- BRICKSKELLER Dining House and Down Home
Saloon – Last but not
least, Brian
Walenz (RECOMB 2002 Organizing Committee Web Guru) recommends the Brickskeller,
located at 1523 22nd St., N.W. – 202-293-1855, The Brickskeller has
the world’s largest beer list and serves stuff like chicken tenders, burgers,
sandwiches, London broil, etc. Sounds
like a fun time for all and just a couple of blocks from Dupont Circle!
There are many
more restaurants, delis and places to explore in the Woodley Park, Cleveland
Park and Dupont Circle areas. In
Woodley Park, you will find the Woodley Park Gourmet, a small shop selling
bagels and pastries across the street from the OmniShoreham. Close by, the International Café sells
espresso, breakfast brunch and sandwiches in a very pleasant ambiance, and next
door is the Manhattan Market, a mini-market for purchasing snacks and personal
items. Follow our suggestions for
restaurants or just walk down the street and pick one.
We hope you have a
great time getting to know Washington, D.C. during RECOMB 2002!