Soul Food for Breakfast

When I first moved to DC, about eight months ago now, a friend drove me around the neighborhood in the pouring rain and pointed out a little diner on the corner and said go there when you're hungover and craving greasy food. I actually stuck my head out of the window to take a picture so that I wouldn't forget Florida Avenue Grill, on the corner of Florida & 11th Street. 

Well, it took me some time but I finally made my way back, only I wasn't hungover and it was 1pm on a Thursday. Doesn't get more southern comfort food than this place and I practically licked my plate clean. My scrambled eggs and turkey bacon came with a side of buttermilk muffins and spiced apples. And of course we had to order a side of the famous hotcakes. You practically had to roll us home but it was well worth it. 

Spring Dandelion

Day at the National Zoo

Last weekend I took my sister, her husband and my nephew Dylan to check out the National Zoo when they were in town. On our way in we caught a glimpse of one of the Giant Pandas, couldn't tell if it was Mei Xiang or Tian Tian, but he or she was too far away to snap a good photo. The great apes were out and about though and we caught them during feeding time which always draws a crowd. It was a fun day and definitely worth the trip! Plus, the National Zoo offers free admission because it is a Smithsonian. Gotta love that about Washington, D.C. Keep an eye on the zoo's Twitter feed to find out if Mei Xiang is preggers with a baby panda! She was artificially inseminated last month and you can actually view some pretty crazy photos of the process here. 

Cruisin' on U Street

On Saturday, we were heading to our friends' housewarming party in Mount Pleasant and spotted this pup cruisin' along U Street on his skateboard. People couldn't help but stop and stare, including us. This is why I love our neighborhood. Now I have to teach Rusty how to do this!

Springtime Blooms

Love that spring is here! When walking home from brunch at M Street Bar & Grill on Sunday (bottomless mimosas!) we plopped down in the grass at Dupont Circle to soak up the rays. Beautiful red tulips were in bloom all along the circle. In fact, you can find tulips in all different colors all around DC. 

Blind Dog Cafe

I stopped into the Blind Dog Cafe yesterday for a quick bite. I first learned of the new pop-up cafe taking up residence at Darnell's through the U Street Listserv. It's located just a few blocks from our house so we decided to check it out. 

This cozy corner spot is perfect for catching up with friends, answering e-mails (free wifi), or taking a mid-day coffee and croissant break. There is a nice size patio too which will come in handy as spring gets closer. We ordered two sandwiches - the roast beef with pesto and turkey with spicy mayo. Both were pretty good, just a little pricey ($11 each) and next time we need to tell them to go easy on the sauce. The atmosphere inside is very comfortable and relaxed. There's ten or so tables and a couple plush antique couches and chairs. Below are a few photos and for more on how Blind Dog Cafe got its start, check out this Huffington Post article. 

I heart DC...

And here are just a few reasons why.

Darn good restaurants in gas stations. Order the rotisserie chicken and yuca fries at Fast Gourmet.

Colorful sunsets in the U Street neighborhood. 

Low-key bars that serve warm apple cider in the winter like The Pug on H Street.

The storied streets of historic Georgetown.