Dining in DC

As is our routine, while in DC, we searched out fun, out of the way places to eat; also highlights that had nothing to do with the traditional DC sightseeing trip. This was how we found Ben’s Chili Bowl, a DC institution, and Tortilla Cafe, near Eastern Market on Capitol Hill. Eastern Market itself was a gem that was barely mentioned in our books, but where the kids had a great time looking at fresh fish on ice, more cuts of meat than even I knew existed, ice cream, baked goods and fruit so fresh you couldn’t wait to take a bite. It was clean, it was fresh and it was utterly different than anything else we’d seen. The kids begged us to buy something, anything, so we decided to buy freshly ground beef, pork sausage with bacon mixed in, fresh buns, huge hunks of yellow cheese, and cupcakes like you see on TV (but for a fraction of the price). The bacon/sausage/cheeseburgers we had for dinner afterwards were definitely the highlight of the trip. There’s something about sitting down with family during a vacation and enjoying a long, quiet meal that stimulates conversation and causes moments of deep, belly aching laughter.