Archive for the ‘Washington DC’ Category
Washington DC Fish Market
The Fish Market in Washington DC is not large but has a significant amount of options for those interested in good seafood that is fresh and inexpensive. Rachel and I go see a guy named Todd at Captain Whites who always goes into the back and brings out fresher cuts of salmon for us or if we are interested in Rock Fish he’ll grab the right size for just the two of us. This market can be very intimidating for someone going for the first time due to all of the reps trying to get you to purchase from them, don’t worry, just go to Captain Whites and ask for Todd… tell him Jimmy sent you and he’ll take it from there. Tell him what you want or how you plan to cook something, like Grilled, and he’ll pick out something that is better grilled than baked. Go early on a Saturday morning is my recommendation. They open at 8:00 and are open year round. Don’t be afraid to purchase a whole fish, just have it cleaned on site for pennies on the pound. Bring an ice chest so you can keep the fish on ice for a few hours so you can head one of DC’s many markets. I recommend Easter Market, which is just a short drive up Independence Ave. Enjoy! — Click on an image to see a larger view.Gelato in Georgetown
I love walking the streets of any town in the world and finding places that remind me of other cities and places I’ve visited over the years. The other day I was walking up Wisconsin Ave from M Street headed to the Georgetown Flea Market and walked by a place called Dolcezza Artisanal gelato and had to stop because of the big “Argentine” sign. If you ever go to Argentina, get the ice cream at any ice cream shop but my preference is Freddo and if you wonder what flavor to get, get dulce-de-leche. Unfortunately for me, Dolcezza did not make a batch of dulce-de-leche this day but my disappointment vanished once I started the tastings, starting with an avocado flavored ice cream which was smooth and not over powering. I love avocados! I moved on to ginger mint and was ready to order but decided to try one more, the lime and cilantro flavor and was immediately struck by the awesomeness of the lime and calmed by the soothing cilantro. I decided to go with both ginger and lime and enjoyed myself some great, made daily, gelato. Next time, I go for the coffee and I’ll write back.
Jazz in the Garden, Sculpture Garden that is on the National Mall
Summers in Washington DC are very friendly and enjoyable if you can get past all the tourists that come to this great city. Fridays are special for me because one, it signals the end of a work week and two, the weekend is here. At lunch on Friday I normally take a walk with Rachel to the Trader Joes in Old Town Alexandria and pick up a few picnic items like sushi, crackers, cheese, olive spread, chips and dip, etc… we store the items in my office fridge for safe keeping and around 4:00 PM we drive into DC across the 14th Street bridge where we start looking for unrestricted parking or parking that will get us through the 6:30 PM time frame…. parking in DC is a gamble as the DC government apparently hates it when people drive into their city and evidence of such is the numerous pink parking tickets that adorn the windows of just about every other parked automobile in that city. If you can park it, they can ticket it! I think a new license plate motto is in order? I digress… We make our way toward 7th and Madison where the Smithsonian’s Sculpture garden is situated. We go early, and find a spot that will be shaded for the duration of the evening as summers in DC can be brutally hot. We lay out our blanket that is obviously too large for just 2 people but soon the crowds will cover every inch of grass available go go early, get a good spot, and protect it with your flip flops. We settle in and get our sangria and chill. About 5:00 PM the music starts and runs through 8:00 PM as the sun is settling over the horizon. Visiting DC or live in the area, check out Jazz in the Garden every Friday evening in the summer. I am said to say that the last Friday of the season is upon us and I at least hope to see a full crowd. Cheers!