Live to Eat. Love to Travel. Hungry for more.
Ottoman Taverna is the latest restaurant by restaurateur Hakan Ilhan in the Mount Vernon triangle neighborhood, where he also runs Alba Osteria and L’Hommage Bistro. Hakan runs over 20 restaurants, eateries, and gourmet markets in the area, but he waited a long time before opening one fashioned after his own Turkish roots. Why, you ask? He wanted to get it right.
And get it right he did!
What looks like a bagel, feels like a pretzel, and is actually a bread? Enter the “simit” – a sesame crusted bread that is popular in Turkey, and the main attraction at new bakery “Simit and Smith” in Georgetown.
In Turkey, the simits are street food, sold from carts and enjoyed with a cup of tea, and can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
With this glorious spring weather, I can’t help but yearn for drinks on the patio!
The Gibson is one of the best cocktail bars in the city, and its patio is NOW OPEN, making for the best of both worlds! I recently tried a few of the seasonal cocktails at their spring menu unveiling, and can happily say I will be enjoying some spring cocktails on their patio again very soon!
Although it's been over 3 years since we went on an epic trip to Kenya, we still talk about it on a regular basis and are ready to go back there in a heartbeat! That trip was filled with many unforgettable experiences, with a highlight being our 3 day safari in Maasai Mara National Park. It's hard to explain what an amazing experience it truly is so I'll just share some photos with you instead.
It seems as if there is a new restaurant opening in Shaw every other day! I’m definitely not complaining. The newest addition to the scene is Takoda – a rooftop beer garden a modern American menu.
What’s in a name? TAKODA is a Native American name that means “Friend to Everyone” – and that’s what they are aiming to be and based on my first experience there, I am definitely happy to be their friend!
I’ve been eagerly anticipating Tim Ma’s first DC venture – Kyirisan to open in the Shaw neighborhood after hearing so much much about Chef Tim’s other restaurants – Water and Wall, Chase the Submarine, but never having been to either of those. So when Kyirisan opened last week, I knew I would have to visit soon.
Kyirisan (pronounced kyr –i-sahn, a combination of Chef Tim's childrens’ names and a generational family name) is in the Shay building on 8th St, and is a Chinese –French bistro. What does that mean? Chef Tim is of Chinese heritage, but trained in French technique, and Kyirisan is a blend of exactly that – Chinese flavors and French methods!
For me, brunch is all about indulgence – drinking mimosas, eating all morning, probably still recovering from being out a bit too late the previous night, things that are not part of my normal routine on a day that isn’t the weekend.
During my recent stay at the Fairmont Washington, I learned of their rooftop honeybee hives, from which they harvest honey to use. This is not the hotel’s first foray into sustainable farming – their beautiful courtyard is already home to fresh herbs and edible flowers that are used in the hotel’s culinary programs and at the Juniper restaurant. A few years back, as the Fairmont looked into new and creative ways to enhance their sustainability program, the honeybee program was initiated and is now being done in many different Fairmont properties across the country and internationally.
For most of us, a true escape from daily life is all the luxury we need, and this can come in many shapes and ways. And this is why I loved getting the chance to spend a night at the Fairmont Washington hotel recently, as it allowed me to enjoy the city as a visitor instead of a resident – I could escape reality without leaving the city I call home!
From Uros, we spent about 3 hours on the water going to Amantani Island. On this ride is when you get an appreciation for the size of the lake and the gorgeous water! It was a beautiful morning and (thankfully) the water was not choppy at all – perfect for getting some sun and then a nap before reaching Amantani island for our overnight stay.
