DC: The Capitol & Open City

I wanted to call this post “The Capitol Building Incident” but I thought it sounded a bit too dramatic.  After my identity crisis earlier in the trip, I feel like you guys may start to think I’m some kind of magnet for drama.  Not the case.

After lunch at sweetgreen, we set off to check out the Crime & Punishment museum.  Sounds kinda cool, right?  Turns out the tickets for admission are $22 per person.  We weren’t about to drop a hundred dollars for an hour of our time, so instead we wandered to the Ford Theatre. 

 

Pretty unremarkable.

So then we walked over to the Capitol Building. 

 

None of us were all that interested in going in, but Kyle and his dad have the smallest bladders on the planet, so we ended up circling the building in search of a bathroom…

It was pretty hot out, so we were all on the sweaty side once we finally found the back entrance to the Capitol.  I was glad to have my klean kanteen on hand to rehydrate.

I was literally finishing my last drop of water as we approached the security entry.  That’s when the guards saw my water bottle and told me I couldn’t bring it in.  Boo.  Previous museums (that also had no food/drink policies) let me in with it.  And this time it was empty!  I asked if I could check it somewhere or leave it with one of them since all I wanted to do was use the bathroom, but they were completely unwilling to help me out.  They weren’t even nice about it either.  These a-holes were t-minus 15 minutes away from the end of their shift (and the closing of the building) and in no mood to be flexible. 

They actually suggested I throw it away.  A reusable bottle!?!  You don’t just throw away water bottles.  I’ve had it for 4 years!   They sensed my horror and told me I could fish it back out of the trash afterwards.  Seriously.  Now they were just mocking me.  So rude. 

I told Kyle and his parents I’d wait for them outside, I didn’t have to pee that badly.  So they went in without me.  I’m sure the guards were smirking with pride as I was denied entry.

Hardly a minute later, a guy approached me who had seen the whole thing play out and felt bad for me.  He commented that it was ridiculous for me to throw away my klean kanteen (on Earth Day no less!) and offered to watch it for me so I could go in to use the restroom.  I thanked him, set my water bottle next to him on the bench, and headed in. 

I thought I was in the clear, but as my purse went through the security x-ray they saw my lunch leftovers and (again) told me to chuck them or else no entry.  I walked back outside, set the rest of my salad on the bench with the water bottle, and once more, headed back in. 

At this point, the guards stopped me and questioned if I was really just going to use the bathroom.  Confused by the invasion of privacy, I said yes.  They were asking, they said, because it was really illegal for that guy to be watching my food/drink while I went in.  They pretty much guilt tripped me into staying outside, for fear I’d get the nice man in trouble.  But the guy insisted, so I went back to the x-ray.  This time they searched my purse by hand for a solid 5 minutes before setting me free to enter the Capitol. 

The bathroom was literally yards from the security (with no proximity to the actual Capitol) and I was back to reclaim my possessions in 3 minutes flat.  Such a stupid ordeal. 

Oh and FYI, I later realized I had a banana in my purse pocket the entire time.  Suck on that security guards.

Afterwards we cabbed it back to Georgetown.  I ate my salad leftovers.  And we strolled the neighborhood. 

 

I got an iced coffee with soy milk from Dean & Deluca and on the way back to the hotel was recognized by a reader (hi!).

 

Two of the places I really wanted to go to dinner were booked, so I texted Gena asking for recs. 

My request?  Where in the G-town area can I take my grandma in-law (SAD eater) that also serves veg friendly fare for me?  She came through with a brilliant suggestion…

 

And that’s how we wound up in Woodley Park at Open City.

One look at the menu and I knew she had pointed us to the perfect spot.  The prices were completely reasonable, the menu was as diverse as it gets, and the scene was fun and lively (especially for a rainy night).  Hearty, healthy, and heartwarming – this isn’t your average diner. 

  

Since the place was packed (and they don’t take reservations in advance) we made our way to the bar to wait. 

I got a (free) cava.  Apparently brunch cleans them out so all the bartender had was a few sips worth.  I’ll take it!

Drinks in hand, we got to people watching.  Highlights included a party girl (we nicknamed Barbie) and obnoxious drunk couple (who ended up harassing us for quite a while). 

Finally we were seated.  What’s with the farm style table trend?  It’s everywhere in DC!  The reason it took us a while to get a table is because we wanted our own (and half the seating was unavailable due to the rain).  I doubt the wait is too long normally. 

 

Dinner was fine, but a huge FODMAPs fail on my part.  Veg diners will be pleased with the variety of options available, though.  And they had a separate menu for gluten free meals. 

 

Kyle and I started with the hummus platter, which had pitas and veggies to dip.  The pita wedges were really fluffy and good, so of course I went against my better judgment and ate galactans with fructans.  So delicious.  There was also garlic in the hummus so that only further added to the FODMAPs load on my gut.

 

For my entree, I got a tofu scramble (breakfast is served all day!).  In addition to tofu it had broccoli, chickpeas, scallions, lemon and tahini.  Almost every single ingredient contains FODMAPs.  It was also served with a side (I chose hash-browns) and toast. 

Originally, I had planned on sticking to the GOS category of FODMAPS – meaning beans (tofu, chickpeas, hummus).  I even attempted to de-FODMAP the meal a bit by requesting no scallions. 

But it all went downhill once I realized the bread it came with was whole wheat and the hash-browns were sautéed with onions. 

 

That’s the thing about dining out with food sensitivities.  You only have so much control, and then you just have to let go and hope for the best. 

The real bummer was that it wasn’t that good of a tofu scramble.  The tofu was in large chunks (with not much flavor) while the scramble portion of the dish was actually the broccoli and chickpeas.  The tahini and lemon flavors were WAY overpowering and there’s not much else to say about it. 

In hindsight, I’m sure they had gluten free bread (since they have a GF menu), which I should have ordered instead of the wheat bread.  Oh well. 

At least everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. 

 

Spinach and roasted garlic dip with housemade chips.

 

Wild mushroom penne with whole wheat pasta [Kyle]

Root vegetable pot pie with pulled roast chicken  [Kevin]

Shrimp and chickpeas in lemon, garlic, & parsley quinoa [Beverly]

Grilled Meatloaf with Dijon gravy & roasted garlic mashed potatoes [Verna]

I told you they serve a range of dishes!  Service was mediocre but in the end it was still a good night because we were all able to eat together.  It’s a lot of pressure being the restaurant coordinator for the trip.  While I do LOVE the job (because I’m both a foodie and a type-A planner), it’s quite the task taking everyone’s food preferences into account.  I think because I’m used to being the one who is SOL in big group dining settings, I’m especially sensitive to making sure I select a place that can accommodate everyone. 

It definitely helps having friends who know the local scene.