So what is hospitality? Is it an obligation, or a natural instinct to be welcoming and warm?
There’s a great piece in the New York Times Style Magazine titled When Did Hospitality Get So Hostile? which takes a deep dive into these questions. This post highlights our related experiences this past weekend in Washington D.C.
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We landed at Reagan Friday, noon time. We were happy that there was a Metro stop at the airport, but the logistics weren’t quite clear to us – how to buy a Metro Card and fill it with enough money to get us through a long weekend, which line to hop onto, which stop was closest to our hotel near the Convention Center… We were studying the Metro map when a kid with a backpack approached us and asked us where we were going. I gave him the address of our hotel, and he was on it. He pointed out our destination stop and traced the line we’d take to get there. I asked him, “What are you doing – being a good Samaritan?” He grinned and said, “Yea, I guess I am.” He even boarded with us and accompanied us to L’Enfant station where we were to switch from the blue to the green line. We chatted during the ride and learned that he had just graduated from University of Maryland with a Masters in engineering, and that he would be starting a new job at NASA in Huntsville, Alabama in two weeks. He was just back in D.C. to spend some time with his girlfriend before settling into his new life. I don’t know his name, but he was a goodwill ambassador for the City. So far, D.C. had earned an A+.
NOW FOR THE PROFESSIONALS :
FARMERS & DISTILLERS in Mount Vernon Triangle, on the edge of Chinatown
After checking into the hotel, we headed out to walk the streets. Next stop – lunch! It was mid-afternoon so we weren’t surprised that Farmers & Distillers, which looked promising from the Google and Yelp reviews, wasn’t busy. The hostess delivered us to a small table across the room and left us to wait for our server. It was quite a wait, during which time we figured out that despite the restaurant being relatively empty we had been seated right next to the prep station. No one acknowledged us for quite a while. Most of the wait staff were congregated across the room chatting and laughing, clearly enjoying the downtime between the lunch and dinner crush. Finally our waitress appeared at our table, took our order, and disappeared again for a very long time. Eventually our appetizer was delivered, but without silverware or napkins, so Ron popped around the corner to ask the guy rattling silverware at the prep station if we could have a couple of napkins. “Oh, you want paper napkins?” And he rushed off as I muttered to myself, “paper, cloth, whatever…” Another very long wait before the meals landed in front of us. Still no silverware, but we were able to nab the waiter before she disappeared again. She was like, “Oh, yeah – sure.” As if to say if you insist. The food was good, not great. But our hunger was satisfied. First D.C. dining experience – a solid C.
BODEGA in Georgetown
The nearest Metro station to Georgetown is Foggy Bottom, about a fifteen-minute walk away. Although we had enjoyed walking the mall and the city in the sunshine earlier in the day, the sun was waning and it was beginning to get cold. And by the time we made it to Bodega, we were HUNGRY. The hostess was all smiles, even when I asked if we could have the table for four next to window looking out to the street. “Just the two of you?” “Yes, please.” She paused, then led us to the table. It was the best seat in the house. It only got better from there. Every bite was to be savored, and we had two Albariños to choose from. No question, Bodega earned an A with a gold star.
SUSHERIA in Georgetown
Despite the fantastic meal at Bodega, Ron was still a bit hungry, and we hadn’t decided what was next on our agenda, so we decided to walk the Georgetown streets to see what we could see. I hadn’t been there in many years, and it didn’t look at all like I remembered it. We headed toward the water past a cool-looking hot spot – Susheria.
We sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly and attentive. Conversation flowed effortlessly. I thought to myself that he must be a really happy guy, living a such a social life.
The sushi was really good too. It was just barely room temp – not cold, not warm.
We didn’t get the alert from Fidelity until the next day – there were multiple fraudulent charges made to our card while we were there. In addition to the charge for our sushi, there were charges for $10, $15, and $260. I hope it wasn’t the friendly bartender. I prefer to think it might have been the icky manager who was swanning around without socks. We’ll never know. In any case, Susheria earned a D.
TAKOMA STATION in Takoma Park
We took an Uber from Georgetown to Takoma Park. Ron had texted our friends Rick and Lisa in Boston, bemoaning the dearth of jazz in the DC area, sharing an article we had just read in the dcist from 2021 “With Just One Full-Time Jazz Club Left In The District, Local Musicians Contemplate Their Future.” Rick and Lisa Googled and replied in short order with quite a few options that we hadn’t considered because they weren’t downtown. So off we Ubered to Takoma Station to hear the Herb Scott Quintet.
Ron and invited another couple to join us in the corner booth. We weren’t close to the stage, but it was a great vantage point for surveying the happy crowd. We didn’t order food, but Courtney and his date did, and they graciously allowed me to snap a picture. They were silent while they were eating, so it must have been pretty good.
Oh, and the band cooked too. Takoma Station – an easy A.
D’LENA in Mount Vernon Triangle
Our last meal in D.C. was at dLeña, a unique Mexican restaurant that was featured in the 2022 Michelin Guide DC. It was all about smoke – everything was grilled on a wood fire, and the char was intoxicating. Even the charred corn tortillas served with the Tuna Tartare Guacamole were artful. The oysters, the queso, the wine… It was an immersive experience.
The final dish we ordered was the Hot Stone Wagyu – sliced beef tenderloin, citrus chili toreado truffle sauce, smoked grape chimichurri, shishito peppers and charred tlayuda (kind of a Mexican pizza). The presentation was pure theater! The stone was delivered to the table beneath a glass dome filled with, you guessed it – smoke. The reveal was incredibly dramatic. First the smoke billowed out then dispersed, slowly revealing the gorgeous platter. Even the plate was smoke-stained. Every bite, every sip, every whiff, every dish was beautiful – dLeña earned an A+!
So indifference and fraud aside, our Washington D.C. culinary tour was wonderful. I do recognize that fraud and indifference are tacit forms of hostility, but in the balance, the golden rule of hospitality is alive and well in D.C. Does it spring from professionalism or an innate instinct to be welcoming and warm? I don’t know. But as long as smiles are warm and bellies are full, I don’t know that it matters.
I used to live in Takoma Park! DC is a much improved metro area from what it was back in the late 90s.
That must have been a wonderful time in your life! I hadn’t been to DC in many, many years. I’m not a city dweller any longer, but I could imagine living quite happily in the DC area.
I need to make the trip to DC with the family. I know where I will eat.
Enjoy! I’d love to go back again and again – so much to see and appreciate. I bet Avery would love it. And yes, the food!
Seems like a wonderful weekend. Quite thorough reviews and wonderful photos.
Thanks, Connie! D.C. is a wonderful place to wander around aimlessly without a plan. There’s something to see or experience at every turn. I am having fun with the photos too.