No-one sleeps late here in Washington, as everybody here has an A-type personality, so power breakfast at the LaFayette room starts early. There is linen, crystal and a sprinkling of black suits from Capitol Hill, but somehow the light flooding into this beautiful, high ceilinged old room and the nice staff keep the atmosphere breezy.
The a la carte menu is excellent and had something for everyone - from healthy mango with lavender, honey and amazingly fresh bagels, muffins and pastries to customized omelets and hearty bacon, salmon and corned beef dishes. I didn’t feel that breakfast amongst all the ‘Masters of the Universe’ was too formal for the kids - you can’t really go wrong with buttermilk pancake stacks!
From the moment you see the rows of black and white photos that line the walls and columns you know that this is a place with history - yet the lively vibe also proves that everything is still going strong in the present. I already loved staying so close to the White House, and lunch here is only a block and a half east.
It is really high-profile, with political stars like Colin Powell and the traditional Hollywood kind as customers - and this is the restaurant where Bravo TV’s famous “Top Chef” Reality show does its casting call for chefs. But I could see why the business and social crowd here would keep coming back for the food.
Inside, white linen and tomato-red cloth covers high back chairs in contrast to the informal lunch menu - just the way we love it. There are lots of homey, East Coast classics like Butternut Squash or Crab Soup and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, sandwiches that are huge meals in themselves - the Swordfish & Pork Belly or signature Lobster Roll could feel the whole family! - and staples like Angus Beef Burgers and Flat Iron steak.
We love unstuffy, outdoor dining and there is a huge courtyard here with blue umbrellas and soft outdoor furnishing which would be great on a nice, cruisey Spring or Summer day - as would the Occidental’s international wine list, which has won awards for being outstanding. We had a lot of monuments and attractions to get through so we were quite sensible on this trip. We wanted to stand respectfully before Lincoln’s memorial - not swing from his beard! But on a less crammed day this is a terrific afternoon option for simple, East Coast cuisine and people-watching.
II got through to our guide,Ismail that we wanted to maximize our time in this city by being out on the road during the day, then relax over dinner at night. This meant a fast, healthy lunch, and on we go touring the city. Ismail’s solution was a really great Whole Foods on P Street, NW. This lunch spot, for the Washington work force has a communal soup kitchen - with fast, over the counter service. One can sit around big, trestle tables, - this was perfect, fun and something different ! A healthy focus is always a bonus for Sheira, who needs gluten-free bread and no dairy. The kids were able to tuck into roast chicken from the buffet carvery and Sheira and I enjoyed thick vegetable soup. With the smell of coffee brewing and people grabbing a snack while reading a newspaper, we really enjoyed this taste of Washington real-life, and its location in P Street, NW is close to many of the places you’ll want to visit.
An added bonus to the lunch experience was just after we left Whole Foods a number of big black SUV’s pulled up just in front of where we were standing, and the very distinctive Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve stepped out. Now that was seeing American power up CLOSE AND PERSONAL, THE WASHINGTON WAY!!
On the night we arrived I immediately picked the head concierge, Jack Nargil’s brain. I explained that we wanted a hearty dinner experience and were in the mood for meat. He sent us to a great restaurant for a sizzling juicy steak just a 10-minute walk away past blocks of beautiful Georgian looking ‘brownstones’ with old-fashioned pane windows.
It’s a classic saloon, with a welcoming red awning and a low-lit atmosphere inside - the dark timber, colonial chairs, old lights hanging from the ceiling and walls lined with wine bottles gave it a clubby, regular feel.
We sat at a round table surrounded by work people laughing and unwinding. The service was great (which always gets huge brownie points in the Saids’ world, especially when we are this hungry) and they serve absolutely top quality New York strip, porterhouse and rib eye steaks. In Washington and the other Bobby Van restaurants in New York and Long Island, you would get away with nothing less than the best. Quality, tender meat is expensive in the States - a sit-down dinner with steaks for four plus child came to US$300. But we loved this introduction to the city, our first night away from the bright lights and junk culture of Vegas…
Most Americans have a soft spot for Southern cooking and soul food so when I told Jack Nargil that we liked home style cooked food he felt we should experience some “Low Country Cuisine” around the corner from the Hay Adams. When I asked him if Bill Clinton liked it here (after his long stint in Arkansas) Jack, the model of discretion, smiled slowly, “almost certainly.”
There is no way he would have been able to resist the home food and Southern Hospitality this close to the White House! The décor is certainly upmarket, with a blue ribbon address and a dressy interior, with natural timber and a beautiful bronzed ceiling. But the cuisine is Southern all the way - an amazing mix of the West Africans and French Huguenots who settled in places like Charleston and New Orleans and adapted their ways to Native American ingredients.
It’s traditionally ethnic all the way, with endless sides like fried green tomatoes, crispy Chicken Livers marinated in Pineapple, Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Fingers
and spicy Deviled Eggs. Health kicks go out the window with really fresh Southern Fried Chicken, and a Carolina-style Gumbo – a bubbling stew of shrimp, andouille Sausage, crab, chicken and
duck. Just the sound of these dishes conjure up images of plantation life in the Deep South, with fried turkey, Honey laced Yams and Skirt Steak marinated in bourbon.
If you are in Washington over a Sunday then Georgia Brown’s do a famous Sunday brunch here with live jazz - the Georgia Peach martinis are optional but I hear that they are so good they should be compulsory!
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