The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.

Washington, DC.

It had never really been a place that I have had any particular connection to other than its proximity to where I live. Now that I am in my second summer of interning in our nation's capital, I think I'm starting to really love it. I think a lot of this has to do with being twenty one. I have started to appreciate restaurants in a way that I never have before.

When I was younger, the only items I would ever order at a restaurant were hot dogs or macaroni. And if you ask any of my friends, they will tell you that I'm known to have a pretty bland taste in food. I don't know what changed - maybe I just matured and am no longer a princess who wants everything to be exactly what she wants (okay, maybe I'm still kind of like that). All I know is that I LOVE going to new restaurants and trying new combinations of tastes and fruity, fun cocktails. And although I'm 100% confident I am moving to Manhattan in the next couple of years, the wait won't be as bad as I thought it would be.

DC has some of the best new restaurants. Unfortunately, a lot of this is due to gentrification. However, going out to DC is my favorite thing to do right now. Whether I'm going out for froyo, a burger, cocktail, or bucket of tots, I pretty much always have a good time. Let's not forget about Downtown Silver Spring. DTSS is like DC's younger, slightly less attractive sister. You can find me there several days a week.

Restaurants/Bars That I Love In The DC Metropolitan Area (In no particular order)

1. Tonic at Quigley's Pharmacy (Foggy Bottom) - this old pharmacy turned restaurant serves amazing burgers, pizza, cocktails, and most importantly, tots.
2. Sticky Rice (Northeast) - this new fusion-y restaurant brings the yuppies into Northeast. They make up for it with their own take on tots (variation on sauce) and fabulous sushi options, like ones that include goat cheese (yum).
3. Ceviche (Silver Spring) - delicious empanada trios, jumbo garlic shrimp, and REALLY good cocktails.
4. Austin Grill (Silver Spring) - can you really go wrong with Tex-Mex and Texas-style margaritas for $11? Hint: the answer is NO.
5. McGinty's (Silver Spring) - though not nearly as funky in its aesthetics as the rest, this is the place to go if you want sweet potato fries (and honestly...who wouldn't?), good times, or a Blue Motorcycle. Caution: Blue Motorcycles are lethal.
6. Jaleo (Bethesda, Gallery Place) - tapas. 'Nuff said.
7. Franklin's (Hyattsville) - another funky one with good food. Also, they brew their own beer!

Point is, these places, and DC's inherent awesomeness, make DC a place that I will surely miss when I move to New York. So let's go grab some yummy food, drink and be merry!