National Portrait Gallery: "American Cool"

American Cool: so cool I walked it twice. Backward and forward.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Smithsonian Family, which means you know it's good. Located in Chinatown at 8th and F getting to the NPG is easy, there are at least 5 metro stops within a mile, so save yourself money and interact with the locals in the underground world. The NPG shares a home with the American Art Museum in a beautiful historic building named after someone who gave a lot of money (Reynolds). 

Once outside the museum take a moment to look around; the area is alive with activity. If you have any food or drink be sure to finish that before going inside. I sat among the middle schoolers and finished my coffee and enjoyed a few minutes of mindless people watching (don't worry, I was wearing headphones, didn't have to listen to middle schooler gossip). 

After you have finished whatever beverage you have, make your way inside. To the left is the American Art Museum, to the right the Portrait Gallery.  The exhibit I went to see, American Cool, was on level two so I wandered aimlessly until I figured out where I was going. I walked through Dancing the Dream (now through July 13, 2014). An exhibit chronicling dance in America. One room had Beyonce performing "Single Ladies" on a projector screen. Not your average snooze fest museum. (By the way I love museums, so don't get offended.)

Down the hall was a permanent exhibit of old Americans (not the official title): Benny Franklin, TJ, etc. Portraits you see in your high school history books. Not gonna lie, it was pretty cool to see those in person. History comes to life! (Or ya know portraiture.) Around the corner was the Yousuf Karsh American Portraits exhibit (now through April 27, 2014 and May 2 through November 2, 2014). Lots of recognizable faces in there: Einstein, Hemingway, Eleanor Roosevelt...Finally figured out where American Cool was and took the elevator to level two. 

My heart was pounding with excitement, I had been wanting to see this exhibit for several months now. The neon sign beckoned me in and there was Jay-Z. I don't read everything, but I always make it a point to read the introduction written on the wall at the beginning. What I loved is they did not claim to be cool experts and that the word itself was subjective. To be considered the person had to fit into three of the four criteria: 

• 1.) an original artistic vision carried off with a signature style

• 2.) cultural rebellion or transgression for a given generation

• 3.) iconic power, or instant visual recognition

• 4.) a recognized cultural legacy

• After I read the introduction I was feeling especially inspired. The exhibit was broken up into four time periods of cool. At first I walked in the wrong order (oops, but really come on there wasn't a sign or anything). I started in the Cool and the Counterculture: 1960-79. This was the sex, drugs and rock and roll area. It had Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicholson, John Travolta, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash and Marvin Gaye, to name a few of my favs. I took a secret picture of Jimi (shhhh...no photography allowed).

Next up (again I'm going backward) The Birth of Cool: 1940-59. The jazz era cats, the likes of Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca is still one of the best movies ever made) Elvis and Audrey (my favorite actress; I could and often do watch 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' on a loop) and James Dean aka the epitome of cool.

The Roots of Cool: before 1940 was my next step (supposed to be the first). Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Georgia O'Keefe and Fred Astaire were featured in this section. They existed during prohibition and even earlier eras, and began the "cool movement" before we even had a word for it.

In the main hall was The legacies of Cool: 1980 to present. This had a little bit of everything. From Jay-Z to Jon Stewart, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Michael Jordan and Missy Elliott, oh and Tony Hawk skateboarding in his kitchen while his family enjoys breakfast. This one, naturally, had the most recognizable faces. I spent the most time reading in here. Willie Nelson had a beautiful color portrait at the end of the hall wearing his iconic red bandana. Somewhat hidden right beyond that was their list of Alt-100. The people that could have made the cut, but didn't for whatever reason. Again they remind you they aren't cool experts.

Noticeably missing from all this is Marilyn Monroe. Just a quick side note.

Two last thoughts as to what made this exhibit so...cool.

1. It made me take my headphones out (at least until the people near me got loud and annoying) because each gallery played iconic songs of the eras they portrayed. And they had an interactive station in a few rooms where you could watch clips of the cool people featured.

And 2. Photographers Richard Avedon and Annie Lebowitz are two of my biggest inspirations and they were responsible for many of the portraits featured. If you aren't familiar with either of their work, look it up!

Like I said I walked through twice. The second time around I had figured out my mistake and walked in the proper direction. Honestly though, it didn't matter, the exhibit was impactful whichever room you started in. To see all that "coolness" in one area was an afternoon well spent. Go see this before it goes away in September!

The Introduction

(It's also on the website)

My "secret" photos

http://www.npg.si.edu

D.C. Restaurant Week: Urbana

Who doesn't love good food at better prices? If you don't agree just stop reading, if you are saying DUH then restaurant week is for you!

D.C. has an amazing selection for restaurant week. From DuPont to Chinatown you can find a restaurant in just about every neighborhood, with hundreds of restaurants participating. They do it several times a year, so plenty of opportunities to eat.

We chose Urbana in DuPont Circle. Let me tell you, we were not disappointed! Although we had made reservations, we were at least 45 minutes late (my fault) and ended up sitting at the bar instead of our table. I am big a fan of bar eating. I think it's more interactive and always provides for fantastic people watching. Our bartender was awesome, he recommended some great menu items and even told us about their great brunch with $2 bellinis (it's on my list of things to do).

The menu was out of this world! Now for those of you who have never participated in a restaurant week it is a fixed menu at a fixed price ($35 for dinner, not including drinks). There are generally three to four courses and you get to choose one item for each course. For my meal at Urbana I chose butternut squash soup for course one, fettuccine for course two, salsicce pizza for course three and bomboloni for course four. Not one item disappointed. My dinner partner agreed.

The soup was wonderful, nutty and filling. I have issues with butternut squash soup (some of them are so bad!), but the bartender assured me I would enjoy it. He was right! I would order the fettuccine again without blinking. It had homemade sausage in it, with clams and mussels. I'm a seafood freak so this was spot on. The pizza, which seemed to be a popular choice as I looked around the restaurant, was also fantastic. Neither of us could finish and had to take some home. It made a great breakfast the next day. And HOLY DELICIOUSNESS the bomboloni was made of kittens and puppies! It was phenomenal. Okay so no kitten and puppies were actually involved but that thing was amazing! It was chocolate and hazelnut dreamy goodness. I could eat it everyday! I mean I won't because I can't afford to buy all new clothes, but it's really that good.

The atmosphere in Urbana was interesting, much more sophisticated than I am used to (dive bars are my comfort zone), but I loved it. Very sexy and cool. You had to walk down some stairs off of P Street to get in, so it was like an underground secret. It had a bar area where we sat separated from the restaurant and then another smaller bar in another area. I love places that have different areas for different moods. Overall I loved the restaurant and of course I loved the food. If you get a chance go participate in restaurant week, it's a great way to try new places!

The menu

Pre dinner drinks

The fettucini

Heaven

http://www.urbanadc.com

http://www.ramw.org/restaurantweek

The Washington Zoo

AKA my favorite tourist destination!

The zoo is an incredible experience for kids, adults, adults who act like kids (me), everyone loves the zoo!

Not only is it free, but you are basically transported to like 15 million different countries with all the animals you get to see. My favorites include: the pandas (and there's a new baby panda that I just want to give the biggest panda bear hug to), the elephants, the ape house (they are probably the funniest), I might as well list them all, the whole zoo is fantastic!

What I recently discovered is that they also serve beer there. It's a hidden secret (kind of, as it's right there in the "food court" area) and it just adds to the level of zoo fun you can have, not that you need it. Have I mentioned the zoo is phenomenal?

Okay so really though, the exhibits are far apart, wear comfy shoes. I wore wedges the last time and I looked cute but my feet were not my BFFs. The best place to start is the panda house, it has indoor/outdoor viewing areas. You will walk by the zebras and some cats, but don't worry you get to see those at the end. Now once at the pandas, be patient, it's the most popular exhibit and there is always a crowd. It's worth it, they are adorable. Once done viewing their adorableness, proceed down the Asian trail. You will be right at Panda Plaza, AKA, the food court, AKA, get yourself a snack, maybe a beer (seriously though, it's a long walk, you will need sustenance).

Next up, the elephants! Again, indoor/outdoor viewing area. The best is when they play with giant yoga balls. The elephants are usually pretty active, unlike those lazy pandas. Great Instagram moments happen in this area! After you are finished soaking in the awesomeness that is the elephants you will make your way to the small mammal house. In this indoor area you will see more animals whose names you cannot pronounce than ever before in your life. They are pretty awesome though, and most are super cute. They have little monkey like creatures that you just may want to adopt. Once you figure out that, no, this is not the SPCA and indeed these are wild animals that would eat your face off if you weren't separated by glass, head to the ape house.

The ape house has all the big guys. HUGE GORILLAS! They like to put on a show so plan to stand and watch for a bit. They have swings, eat bananas, all sorts of hilarious activities. This would be another great Instagram moment, this time video it and catch these apes at play! After the apes, you will probably be exhausted from all the laughter and will need to choose which exhibits you really want to see from here. From the ape house there are several options: invertebrates for those of us that like the slithering creatures (it's cool I promise!),  there is also the great cats, which are awesome but if you are getting tired, don't forget you can see a few on the way out, there's also a kids farm way down there (I've never been, too far for my shoes), you've also got the prairie dogs, lemurs, seals, and one I didn't mention because I am terrified of birds, the bird house. It's actually near the pandas, but I just can't go near there, I like to pretend it doesn't exist.

So now you are exhausted and have to hike back up that hill. This is where you will thank me for the comfortable shoe suggestion. Once at the top of the hill, stop by and see the pretty zebras on your way out. Around the corner from that you can see some big cats. Once done call an Uber. You won't want to wait around for a cab or walk down that hill to the metro again.

Like I said this is my favorite tourist destination. And it's free, so what could be better. And don't forget to enjoy a brew at the zoo.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/default.cfm

 

     

The Freer Gallery

The Freer Gallery is part of the Smithsonian's massive empire. However this gallery, unlike the Smithsonian's that we think of, is quiet and peaceful. No children's field trips, no crying babies, no dopey tourists (expect for me of course). It is a perfect afternoon trip.

Located on the mall right across from all the craziness, it doesn't look like much from the outside. But once you step inside this magnificent gallery you are transported to Asia. Well the Asia of the past with sultans, samurais, geishas, and magnificent palaces only the truly lucky ever got to see.

The rooms flow nicely in a square around a central courtyard whose main exhibit is a rather small fountain surrounded by lots and lots of foliage. Each room tells a different story. I imagine the weapons were used by great Samurai's in an epic battle over an Asian princess (my imagination tends to wander...). The screens from a geisha house or perhaps a huge palace of some noble sultan.

The Peacock Room was my favorite. It had more art in it than any of the other rooms combined. It was blue in color (peacock blue) and had all sorts of china, pottery and other small artifacts. The walls were masterpieces in themselves. You felt like you were in the Forbidden Palace. There was so much to look at, it was fantastic!

When I walked out of the Freer Gallery it felt like I had been to yoga, I was calm, relaxed, zen-like.

Right next to Freer are beautiful gardens. The Enid A. Haupt gardens are a paradise in the middle of the mall. Vibrant colors come from all sorts of plants and flowers. The best part is it is right on the street, any unknowing stranger could stumble upon this while walking around DC.

Connected to Freer is also the Sackler Galleries. This hosts more modern Asian art. I wandered through here for a few minutes, and I stumbled upon real Buddhist monks mediating. I couldn't tell if they were part of an exhibit or not. But they looked very comfortable. I moved along quickly just in case they were there on their own accord and not an exhibit.

The Sackler Galleries were more of a cave you dig deeper and deeper into. I am sure I didn't see everything. Not quiet the flow Freer had, but again it was nice and quiet where you could lose yourself in the setting and not worry about the crowds pushing you on.

If you have a chance on a lazy afternoon this is a fantastic place to open your mind and feel a little more zen.

The Samurai's tools.

The Peacock Room.

The fountain in the center of the gallery.

Screens from a palace.

The gardens.

*I made up most of these descriptions to what I imagined they were. Meaning most of it is not accurate. But hey, it's more fun to make a museum what you want it to be.

http://www.asia.si.edu/

Pizzeria Paradiso

Pizzeria Paradiso is located in one of my favorite areas in DC: Dupont Circle. The area is humming with activity. On a nice day you can sit on any given patio and just watch the world go by, the well-dressed, DC citizens of the world that is.

This particular day was beautiful out. I sat down and was immediately served a bowl of olives and given an extensive beer list (I'm talking a short story). The olives were divine and a much better app than bread. As I perused the beer list I noticed they had just about everything I had ever heard of plus so many I hadn't. I ended up having the waiter suggest an IPA. He recommended the Dogfishhead 61 minute. Dogfishhead is one of my favorites but I had never had the 61, but I took his recommendation.

The pizza menu is almost as extensive as the beer menu. Again I simply asked for suggestions. As I waited for my pizza I started observing my dining companions: men in business suits, son taking his parents out, ladies who lunch. It was an eclectic group, exactly what you expect from Dupont.

The olives were done the pizza had arrived. DELICIOUS! I scarfed most of it down without a thought. I got the Atomica. It was spicy, but not too spicy. The olives gave it a slightly salty flavor. Yum. You could definitely share, but probably won't want to.

I lost steam. The waiter came to check on me. Noticed my empty beer and suggested I try something special they had just put on tap the Bells 2 Hearted. As I sat and observed the crowd and the people walking down P Street I reveled in the sun. It really was a glorious day and I was delightfully full from the pizza. My beer arrived and I enjoyed it and the scenery for the next hour. I wasn't rushed out, the waitstaff was great.

If you are looking for a wonderful, casual place to eat, drink and people watch Paradiso is the place.

http://www.eatyourpizza.com/tag/pizzeria-dupont-circle/ 

The complimentary olives.

What was left of the pizza when I remembered to take a pic.

The Nationals

The Nationals.

Going to a Nats game seems to be a DC right of passage. Everybody else I know works in the middle of the day so I ventured out on my own Wednesday afternoon to experience this ritual.

It was a gorgeous day for a game. Sunny and hot, so that ballpark beer would taste extra refreshing. 30 minutes orange to green line and I was able to get my first thirst quenching brew. 

I 100% recommend taking the metro, why deal with parking? Plus it is an extra thrill riding there with all the other Nats fans decked out in their gear. (To be fair I was wearing a sundress and cowboy boots, not exactly reppin' the home team, but give me a break I just got here.)

Now once there you will be accosted by scalpers, they want to sell tickets, they want to buy tickets, interact at your own distrection. I always wear headphones to avoid these awkward encounters.

They have these great machines as soon as you get up to the park where you insert a credit card, select which section you want to sit in and poof, out comes a ticket. Life couldn't be easier.

Once you get through ticket check you enter a DC sanctuary. Now unlike some DC sports, this one is actually played in DC, making it that much more special. The atmosphere is awesome. 

I immediately made my way to the first hot dog sign I saw. It isn't baseball for me without a hot dog and beer. After securing my Hebrew National and Miller Lite (I'm a bud gal, but that wasn't an option at this spot) I proceeded on to find my seat. 

The Nationals Stadium is freakin' huge! I hail from Richmond where our ballpark is not nearly the size (maybe a quarter). But it is well labeled and I was able to find my spot easily. On my way I spotted several in stadium bars that seemed to be quite popular. A nice option when the sun is just too much.

Once at my seat I quenched my hunger pangs and my thirst. I ended up in great seats (and for only $24!). Just below the scoreboard, perfect view of everything, including the crowd (half the reason I wanted to go in the first place). My seat neighbors seemed to be season ticket holders, as more people came they socialized like they were expecting to see them. Also near our seats was a nice outdoor bar to escape the sun every now and then.

My one regret...no sunscreen. The sun was beating down that day and since it was one of the first nice days...no base tan. Needless to say I am rockin' an interesting farmers tan right now, top of my knees, arms and chest, everything else is still nice and white. Thank goodness I have a pool to even this out later.

Now even though the Nats didn't win this one, it was still an awesome experience. I am already a fan. I can't wait for the next game.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com

Ballpark.

Brew.

Martin's Tavern

Martin's Tavern in Georgetown.

From JFK and Jackie O to Tucker Carlson, anyone who's anyone in DC goes to Martin's. So naturally I had to see what all the hype was about.

As soon as Chris and I walked in I got a wonderful feeling of familiarity, history and Mad Men like appeal. It was if we had stepped back into the 1960s to an old fashioned bar where the bar keep knows your drink and your life story.

This was true of Chris, he seemed to be somewhat of a regular. Damon, our bartender, greeted him by name and when Chris requested a Stella, he mocked with "oh something different".

I introduced myself and gave my little story of where I was from, how I knew Chris, the basics. They had Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA, one of my favorites. As Chris and I sat and chatted at the bar, there seemed to be regulars all around. Damon floated from customer to customer, checking in on their food, drinks and lives as if he was an old friend. 

When it came time to order lunch the french onion soup came highly recommended by Chris and Damon. I also ordered the crab cake sandwich. Chris ordered a turkey club. 

While we waited for our food we browsed the newspapers that were left on the bar for customers. Talking about news. It just felt like what you had to do in such a historic place. It felt natural. 

My soup came out first and the recommendations were spot on. It was delicious with a huge helping of cheese on top. It was great. Then out came the crab cake sandwich and turkey club. Chris' looked good. Mine looked awesome. I don't think there was an ounce of filler in the crab cake. Huge chunks of crab, bigger than bite size, to my delight filled the sandwich. I had a side of fries and coleslaw as well. The fries were thick cut and had I been hungrier, I would have finished them off. The slaw was nice and light, but I didn't finish that either.

We got to know Damon a little more throughout the meal. He learned we were on a bocce team where he hoped we talked a lot of shit to the other teams. We learned he liked to go deep sea fishing. 

Martin's was wonderful, I can see why it has been around for so long. And for a Wednesday afternoon, there was barely a seat open around 1 pm. Go to Martin's when you are in Georgetown and order the french onion soup.

http://www.martins-tavern.com/

Delicious crab cake sandwich.

Chris' turkey club.

The Harry S. Truman booth.

Chris outside.