Staying at the Hotel George for two nights...

(Thurs and Fri) and looking for things to do in DC. Posted below but realized I shd have been more specific about where we%26#39;ll be staying. There is so much to do and so many recs on TA alone that I am completely overwhelmed. There will be 4 of us, all in our 40s. Also looking for great restaurants... Thanks !

Staying at the Hotel George for two nights...

What type of food do you like and what price range are you looking at?

Staying at the Hotel George for two nights...

Food-- Any type of food, although Italian is a favorite. A good wine list would be nice but not necessary

Price range-- entrees in the 15-20 range

thanks in advance!

If you%26#39;d like to have a little ';splurge'; evening, eat at Bistro Bis right in the Hotel George - entrees are more in the $20-30 range, but the food is fabulous and well worth it. I had their monkfish with clams and mussels over a year ago and I am still thinking about that dish - it tasted like lobster! Also, they had delicious lobster bisque. If you%26#39;d like a more casual night out, the Dubliner is right around the corner from your hotel - excellent fish and chips, great Irish music and atmosphere and it%26#39;ll balance out your budget if you do decide to eat at Bistro Bis one night. Have fun and good luck!

Suzanne

In addition to Suzanne%26#39;s great suggestions, there are some restaurants in and around Union Station you could consider. Capitol City Brewing Company Capitol Hill--casual dress, dinner $8 to $23. America (in Union Station)--casual dress, dinner $8-$20. B. Smith%26#39;s(www.bsmith.com) (in Union Station) southern-style cuisine, dressy casual, dinner $15-$30. La Colline (French cuisine) dressy casual, dinner $14-$27. These restaurants are near your hotel. If you want to venture further away, please post back for more suggestions. BTW, the DC Metro area is not known for having good Italian food. If you still are interested in Italian food, again--please post back. There are some that are decent enough.

Sue Fee - I didn%26#39;t want to rag on the Italian food in DC, short of telling our poster to come and take a detour to Philly for a night and to go to South Philly for a most FABULOUS Italian meal!

Although, there is Little Italy in Baltimore - I was there last fall in October and ate at La Scala, it was very good (and closer to DC than Philly!)

Suzanne

Suzanne--I agree with you about Little Italy in Baltimore. We once had a great meal at Sabatino%26#39;s there. Now I%26#39;m working on my husband -- trying to convince him that next time we%26#39;re in Philly we%26#39;re going to try Mezza Luna. Tonight we went to the one local Italian restaurant we think comes close to what you get further north--but alas, the memory of Villa Di Roma still lingers... sigh!

SueFee - Just FYI, La Colline closed down a few months ago. Sadly missed, for a fairly formal restaurant they actually had nice carryout at lunch.

TY--good to know, Irishfan

Sue Fee,

Definitely convince your husband to go to Mezza Luna when you come to Philly. It is really fantastic. It is a little more expensive than Villa di Roma or Ralph%26#39;s - (their gnocchi is $17.95) but they are really worth it. Light and delicious. My mom, who was born in Italy (but came here at a young age) claims that they rival her mother%26#39;s homemade gnocchi and I agree with her - and that is really the highest form of praise! I also had a great veal dish there once as well, with mushrooms, brandy and cream. It was delectable and must have been a million calories, but so worth it. You can BYOB there or they recently opened a small bar, but are still allowing patrons to bring their own wine. Sometimes they have an appetizer special with sausage and broccoli rabe that is to die for, if you like broccoli rabe. I could go on and on!

I wish DC had a better selection on Italian eateries, though. A friend of mine was in DC a few months ago and she ate at Anna Maria%26#39;s and said it was pretty good - have you been there?

Suzanne

The Hotel George isn%26#39;t a far walk from the Penn Quarter. There are several places there in your price range. I%26#39;d recommend Zaytinya or Jaleo for something fun with good food. Rasika is good for Indian, but may be on the high end of your budget.

(You may consider taking a quick cab ride home as it is a little deserted between the Penn Quarter and Bistro Bis when it gets dark out.)

As for what to do, I%26#39;d recommend looking at www.si.edu to narrow down the Smithsonian Museum choices to a few that are of interest. Take a walk around the monuments and memorials. You may do well to take a Tourmobile or Old Town Trolley tour to cover a little more ground during your short stay.

You can also check www.washingtonpost.com and check the City Guide for events happening while you%26#39;re in town.

Hope this helps.

scars