This is the first post in a new series I’m creating called City Profile. It will be a guide on fabulous places to eat, chic amazing places to shop (duh), and other fantastic stuff like sight seeing, spa services, etc. in every city the tour travels to! So cheers to the first city: Washington, D.C!
Washington is known for its incredible monuments, outstanding dining, and wonderfully unique shopping districts. The vibe here is totally presidential chic. There are well-dressed people everywhere, yummy sidewalk cafes, world – class services, and some of the coolest shops I’ve seen. I spent my time here taking in the historic sights, enjoying the beautiful fall foliage, shopping for fabulous new fall pieces for my wardrobe, eating some of the BEST lobster I’ve ever tasted, and performing at the INSANE Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Here is my take on some of the many places I visited:
SHOPPING:
I obvi have to begin with this category. Duh.
GEORGETOWN:
Georgetown is a groovy, chi – chi, funky version of Beverly Hills. It has a cool, old – town feel. All the gorgeous stores are housed in historic buildings, which gives it a very old – money vibe. Luxurious and amazing. Here are some of my faves:
Zara – a classic. Fashion forward finds, amazing accessories, totally Euro. I got a MAJOR red cape with gold buttons for fall. I wear it with leggings and knee-high boots. Side note: The sales people at this Zara are RUDE. Worst I have ever encountered. Proceed with caution
H & M – BEYOND. I adore this store. The Washington version did not disappoint. Amazing sweaters and accessories for fall.
Annie Cream Cheese – The quintessential vintage store. Annie’s stocks AMAZING designer vintage. Chanel. Dior. Vuitton. There was so much going on in this store I literally couldn’t handle myself. Plus the décor is tacky 70’s kitsch fabulousness. I died.
Barney’s Co-Op – This is like the famed department store’s cooler, emo younger brother. Incredible labels, cheaper prices. Beyond.
Apple Store – A staple. Duh. My computer was sick and the amazing geniuses here fixed it and had me back to blogging in no time.
BCBG Max Azria – Hot dresses. Incredible shoes. Helpful amazing sales people. THE perfect place to find an opening night cocktail party dress.
Sephora – This bi – level Sephora is fully stocked with all my favorites. I picked up new black Tweezerman tweezers (the BEST for cleaning up your brows), Philosophy Amazing Grace perfume (soft and pretty, perfect for every day wear) and the BEST eyebrow pencil EVER (Sephora brand in Nutmeg Brown – waterproof, retractable end, bonus brow brush attached - beyond)
DOWNTOWN:
Forever 21 – A GIANT, flagship store. This Forever stretches on and on with all the cheap, trendy, fantastic finds you could possibly imagine. Incredible.
Lou Lou – A gorgeous boutique filled with incredible accessories. You know how I love an amazing cocktail ring! Totally affordable, totally chic. You can find really special pieces here to round out your wardrobe.
Honest Abe’s Souvenirs – This is one of those hilarious souvenir stores that has literally EVERYTHING you could possibly want with Washington, D.C splashed across it. I found some sweet postcards, a great mug, and some bumper stickers for decorating my trunk. And it’s cheap!
DINING:
GEORGETOWN
J. Paul’s – Sister and I were in the mood for a seafood feast after our day of shopping and the fresh shrimp and oysters on ice in the window drew us in. We scored an amazing seat by the window and feasted on peel – and – eat shrimp and crab cake sliders. It was absolute heaven.
Sprinkles Cupcakes – A no – brainer. The famous cupcake haunt has incredible, moist cupcakes in a myriad of fantastic flavors. They use incredible ingredients and have delicious seasonal cupcakes like my favorite for fall: Caramel Apple. Beyond.
DOWNTOWN, FOGGY BOTTOM, ARLINGTON
Red Hook Lobster Pound– This is one of those amazing food trucks that you have to stalk on twitter because they change locations all the time. I HIGHLY recommend it. This was BY FAR the most incredible meal I had in D.C. I ordered the Connecticut style lobster roll (butter poached, warm) and Joe ordered the Maine style lobster roll (lemon basil mayonnaise, cold). Please believe me when I tell you that if I could eat nothing but these lobster rolls for the rest of my life I would be content. They come on soft, lightly toasted, buttery rolls with a bag of Cape Cod potato chips and a pickle wedge. They also have fancy soda like Mexican Vanilla Cola. I DIE OVER THESE ROLLS! Follow them on twitter: @lobstertruckDC
Dangerously Delicious Pie Truck – ANOTHER crazy good food truck. They have fresh baked sweet and savory pies to DIE for. I tried the blueberry and nearly had a heart attack. Jam-packed with fresh, lightly sweetened blueberries in a flaky, thin, buttery crust. You. Will. Die.
Circa, Foggy Bottom – Hands down the best wild mushroom pizza I’ve ever had. It comes with a generous arugula salad on top and the crust is beyond. I also tried the lobster ravioli (fresh, creamy, light, stellar) and the crab cakes (not greasy, the succotash on the side will make you swoon). Plus the atmosphere is totally chic.
Silver Diner, Arlington, VA – This is more of an upscale diner. It still has the 50’s fabulous kitschy vibe (juke box, aluminum ceiling) but their claim to fame is “from farm to table.” Everything they serve here is locally grown, amazingly fresh, simply prepared and spectacular. Best breakfast I’ve ever had. And the biscuits? No. I died.
Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace, Foggy Bottom – Burgers, fries and shakes Chef Flay style. Fancy ketchup. Sweet potato fries. Crunch burger (a burger with potato chips on it…I mean.). Thick, creamy shakes. So. Effing. Good.
COCO Sala – I didn’t eat in the actual restaurant, I just sampled a few of their world – renowned chocolates. First of all, they have chocolate covered bacon. W. T. F. Salty, chocolaty, crunchy, beyond. I also tried the rosemary caramel. It was so fresh and clean tasting I could have eaten an entire bag. This is a great place for an after dinner treat. They also have hot chocolate. Heavenly.
PLAY TIME:
City Segway Tours – This was the most fun thing I have ever done in my entire life. My sister and I signed up for a 3-hour tour of Washington ($70! A bargain!). Not only is riding a segway absurdly hilarious, but you get to see literally EVERY major monument in D.C. I HIGHLY recommend this. It’s an absolute blast. www.citysegwaytours.com
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – I obvi had to mention this because we are performing here but you should see it anyway. It’s a gorgeous facility and they have tours. Epic and regal.
The White House – I mean, it’s THE WHITE HOUSE. This is a MUST see. I pretty much want to live here. The gold room?? The red room?? Dying.
Ivy Nails and Spa, Arlington, VA – This is one of those great little neighborhood nail salons that is comfy, clean, inexpensive, and has a fantastic pedicure chair.
AKA Virginia Square – Natalie and I opted out of company housing for D.C and stayed in the AKA Virginia Square. I HIGHLY recommend this hotel. It’s an extended stay with fully furnished, modern apartments. We had a garden terrace. A washer and dryer. A GIANT tub. Maid service every Wednesday. A HUGE gourmet kitchen. It was heavenly. If you are in D.C for a while I would definitely recommend staying here. It’s fantastic.
Washington was an absolute blast. I had an amazing time here and made a TON of memories. I highly recommend a little trip out here.
There you are – my first City Profile! Enjoy!
XO
R
