Foodie Road Trip - Dupont Circle

[kaiserpenguin]

Here is my current plan. I'd love to include more gourmet food shops, perhaps another cocktail locale, and even a quick place to get a snack.

I'm staying at the Topaz Hotel near Dupont Circle. I don't mind walking, metroing, or cabbing if the place is really good.

Saturday:

afternoonish - Ace Beverage to pick up order and chat with Joe

6pm - Cafe Atlantico

9pm - Gibson

xpm - Julia's Empanadas

Sunday

11:30am - Tabard Inn

4pmish - Bistrot du Coin

6pm - drive home

Other places I've found that look fun:

http://www.chocolatechocolatedc.com/

http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/

http://www.bakedandwired.com/

Cheers!

-Rick

www.kaiserpenguin.com

[Waitman]

You should keep a couple of things in mind:

Getting into The Gibson at 9PM on a Saturday night is almost certainly going to involve a substantial wait. While waiting, you might want to wander over to nearby Bar Pilar or Cork -- Beard nominee for best new restaurant. Though it's a wine bar, Cork bartender Tom is a master of the cocktail arts, as is Adam at Pilar. I believe that Chantal at the Tabard Inn is something of a talent in that regard, as well, should b you be in the mood for a nightcap or in need of something to make the transition between Ace and Atlantico.

While I love Bistro du Coin, you should not think of it as a fine dining experience so much as a great neighborhood bar with a French accent. Sunday fine dining near you might be Marcel's, though that would likely interfere with a 6PM blast-off.

Cowgirl Creamery is no where near Dupont, but is close enough Atlantico to pop in on your way there.

There isn't a ton of stuff available this time of year, but a stop by the Dupont Circle farmer's market might be warranted. It opens at 10, Sunday morning.

[Anna Blume]

There isn't a ton of stuff available this time of year, but a stop by the Dupont Circle farmer's market might be warranted. It opens at 10, Sunday morning.

Peaches are canned or cooked in preserves, true, and Everona, the award-winning sheep's milk cheese-maker has fewer varieties of products on sale this far from the birth of last year's flocks; you will have to wait until April to see new batches of Piedmont, for example. Stonyman, perhaps, in May.

Supplies of stored produce such as winter squash or dried beans dwindle or prove utterly depleted. I may have purchased the last packages of chicken feet since local poultry slaughter's been over for a while.

However, yesterday, I was surprised to see the varieties and quantities picking up a bit, in part, due to one farm's move to a much larger greenhouse. Even tenderer greens in tunnel farms were around later in the morning than usual.

So, let's see, yesterday there were bundles of baby collards, mustard and turnip greens. Russian kale. Old-fashioned crinkly-leafed spinach. Chard. Beets, baby bunched w greens or bald and bulbous. Sweet potatoes. Tiny Japanese turnips. Three different types of radishes, at least. Oakleaf, Romaine and red-leaf lettuces grown in the ground plus others raised in waterbeds. Pretty baskets, tubs and bags full of all sorts of mixes of tiny leaves, hearty or otherwise, purple, greens and reds. Maroon carrots and a short, stubby variety called kinky, I believe. Onions. Scallions. Gold Rush apples. Duck eggs. Muffins. Crab cakes. Empanadas. Bosc pears. Tart, dried apple rings. Bacon. Bison. Dog food. Sausage. Salsa. Tangines. Rose veal. Lamb chops. Pork belly. Steaks. Sausages. Feta. Mozzarella. Tulips. Paperwhites. Custardy tarts. Yogurt. Chevre. Cider. Willowy, grizzly-chinned, socially-conscious chefs, gleaners, and other reasons to chat and people-watch.

[TedE]

Getting into The Gibson at 9PM on a Saturday night is almost certainly going to involve a substantial wait.

Will it be just yourself? Gibson does take reservations up until 10:00.

Bar Pilar or Cork are really great options, and much better if you want to have a bite to eat with your cocktails. I'd actually worry more about getting a place to rest your drink at 9:00 at Cork than getting in the door at Gibson!

[kaiserpenguin]

I have a reservation at Gibson, so no worries! Been to Bar Pilar before and loved it. Might be a good stop before Gibson if dinner is quick. The market was an excellent suggestion. Everything doesn't have to be fine dining, which is why I thought the Bistro might be good (and that I love country French fare).

Agreed on Chantal being a wonderful treat. She hosted one of our Mixoloseum events a few weekends ago and it was delightful.

Any other suggestions? The schedule is getting pretty packed, but I'll likely have time between Ace and Cafe Atlantico.

[DonRocks]

I have a reservation at Gibson, so no worries! Been to Bar Pilar before and loved it. Might be a good stop before Gibson if dinner is quick. The market was an excellent suggestion. Everything doesn't have to be fine dining, which is why I thought the Bistro might be good (and that I love country French fare).

Agreed on Chantal being a wonderful treat. She hosted one of our Mixoloseum events a few weekends ago and it was delightful.

Any other suggestions? The schedule is getting pretty packed, but I'll likely have time between Ace and Cafe Atlantico.

Have you been to 2 Amys? It's sort-of between Ace Beverage and Cafe Atlantico, and 4-5 PM on Saturday is a good time to go, maybe to sit at the bar and have some wine and charcuterie. (I'd also go for a pizza at Coppi's after Gibson long before I got a Julia's Empanada - it's only a block away and it's open until midnight on weekends.)

[goodeats]

Although Chocolate Chocolate has pretty good chocolate treats, I don't know if it's worth a trip there. It's nice to visit, but not go out of the way for, I feel. Out of a few things I've tried, they have a nice pecan-caramel-chocolate bar that is around $2-3 single bar, as it's $16.95/pound, if I recall correctly.

Baked & Wired is nice to sample the variety of desserts, including cupcakes, but it's in Georgetown and may be hard to find parking on Sat. afternoon. It'll be a good break if you can find parking, as they use Counter Culture beans and make their own desserts.

My two cents...

[lperry]

I enjoy your blog posts on tiki drinks, and wish I had a recommendation other than - mix up something in your hotel room with the ingredients you get at Ace. Have a great trip. Cheers!

[Anna Phor]

You might enjoy the Town & Country bar at the Mayflower Hotel. They have a nice cocktail list, and if you chat up Sam the bartender, sometimes he'll do magic tricks.