24 Hours in Washington, DC:
Rouge, Radio and Rose’s Luxury
I received great news that my Lanark Records client, rockabilly legend Robert Gordon, was invited to be a guest on SiriusXM’s The Loft. This is huge and very exciting news! So, David and I drove down to DC to escort Robert to the show.
I was able to book a great rate at a very cool boutique hotel called, The Rouge. When we arrived, our room wasn’t ready. So, we grabbed a quick bite and walked around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful area of town near Dupont Circle.
We checked in with just moments to spare. We were thrilled with the room, the vibe and the little kitchenette!
Here’s a little tip, if you have a red car, the Hotel Rouge will comp your first night of parking!
We arrived at SiriusXM just in time to meet The Loft’s program director, Mike Marrone and
to say hello to our old friend and former WMMR alum, Earl Bailey!
Robert Gordon and David stopped to snap a pic in front of the Starship Enterprise 😉 then made their way to the studio.
Robert came up with a list of over 40 of his favorite songs to play.
While they recorded the show, I stayed busy roaming the halls of SiriusXM.
If you have SiriusXM tune in to The Loft (channel 30) on Sat., Oct. 4th at 3pm to hear the 3 hour show.
The little bit I heard was truly wonderful!
Around 6pm, we caught the Metro back to Dupont Circle.
Emerging from the subway was spectacular!
We got back to the hotel just in time to freshen up and head out to dinner. When we got to our room, we were surprised with fruit, cheese and a nice bottle of wine! We had had a little bit of a bumpy start when we checked into the hotel. So, this was their way of saying “thank you” for your patience. Very nice touch!
With such a hectic day, we decided to have dinner in the neighborhood. The hotel suggested Floriana.
The walk to the restaurant was lovely. The architecture was more beautiful than I had ever expected.
We came upon this colorful basketball game along the way.
When we arrived at Floriana, we were pleased to see it was a charming little restaurant that,
like the hotel, was highlighted in red.
Dinner was great! We started with Caesar Salad and Mussels,
followed by Pappardelle Cacciatore made with hunter style chicken, mushrooms and house made pasta, and
Sunday Gravy with pork ribs, meatballs, sausage braised in tomato with rigatoni …Oh yeah!
We finished dinner with a Pistachio & Strawberry Panna Cotta.
We found this beautiful building on our walk back to the hotel. Although, I am not certain what it was.
We made a quick stop in the lounge and the lobby before calling it a night.
The view from our room was beautiful!
It was a long day and we were exhausted. So, it was time for bed.
The next morning started with a walk to THE White House…Not the other White House 😉
Apparently, this is the back of the house.
So, we walked around to the front.
You can see the Secret Service with telescopes and machine guns on the roof!
While we were there, there was some kind of security concern and we were all asked to move along…quickly!
The Washington Memorial was just across the street…
As we explored the area, we found more great memorials, museums and architecture.
We walked a couple of miles and worked up an appetite for brunch. Our hotel recommended Le Diplomat.
We didn’t realize at the time, that it was a Stephen Starr restaurant!
Very much like Parc, it did not disappoint. We went for two favorites, the Burger (of course) and Chicken Paillard.
But, we were so hungry, that I forgot to take photos before we devoured our meals!
After lunch, we decided to take a drive around the city. George Town was bustling and very cool. So many shops and restaurants. The view of the Patomac River at the bottom of Wisconsin Ave was beautiful. But, it was so packed we couldn’t find a parking space and decided to keep driving to cover as much ground as possible, during our short stay.
After we drove around most of the city, we decided to head over to the Capital Hill area to get in line for dinner at Rose’s Luxury. This was very exciting for me, as Rose’s was voted #1 New Restaurant in the Country by Bon Appetit.
We arrived to find the street filled with people, young and old, watching an event that celebrated the Marines.
After watching their incredible drills, we took our place in line at Rose’s Luxury.
We lucked out by being 3rd in line. Tip: If you want to get in on the first seating, get there an hour or so before they open.
Otherwise, it could be several hours to snag a table.
Here is a shot from the back of the line. See me all the way up front?
I snuck this shot through the open door, when they were preparing for the evening’s dinner service.
Rose’s is warm and casual and everyone is super friendly.
We decided to sit at the bar, overlooking the open kitchen, to watch all of the action.
They have a full bar on the second floor and a roof top dining area (their only reserved table) for a party of ten people.
We started with the Bigeye Tuna with freshly grated Matsumoto Wasabi
Followed by the Pork Sausage, Habanero & Lychee Salad
I thought that the Lychee Salad was the best thing I have ever tasted, until we had the
Mexican Grilled Corn Salad, Guajillo, Lime & Cilantro!
It was very cool watching the chef and all of the food coming out of the kitchen!
Next, we had two pastas… The first was Linguitinni with Saffron, Shrimp, Butter & Lemon.
This photo does not does not do it justice
I dreamt about this pasta last night!
The other amazing pasta was Sfoglini Rigatoni with melted Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil & Eggplant.
Our friendly neighbor, next to us at the bar, had the
Caramelized Cauliflower, Greek Yogurt & “Some Other Stuff.” It looked so good, I asked him if I could snap a photo.
Our last savory course was the Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken, Honey & Benne Seed.
in one word, excellent!
For dessert we shared the Goat’s Milk Stracciatella & Raspberries with Spicy Meringue.
Yes, it was that good!
Our neighbor decided on the Foie Gras French Toast with Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream.
At the end of the meal, our server brought over an additional dessert of Chocolate Ganache. She wanted to wish us a happy 32nd anniversary. But, I didn’t hear her say that and didn’t have a chance to catch her before she walked away. It was obvious that no one sitting near us was having a 32nd anniversary, so we enjoyed the final bite of the night.
I felt guilty. But, couldn’t resist 😉
We were totally blown away by dinner.
So much so, that I asked the chef/owner, Aaron Silverman if he wouldn’t mind taking a photo with me.
Another thing that is very cool, is that the staff has permission to give away food and drinks to keep customers in good spirits. Our extras were listed on the check as “Side of Winning,” “Helluva Time,” “Side of Awesome” and “Happy Anniversary.”
After dinner, I felt fat, happy and ready for our ride back to Philly. But, we mistakenly went the wrong way on 695!
We eventually found our way and made it home in a snap.
This was my first real trip to DC. I feel like we barely scratched the surface.
We will plan another trip this spring and hope to see even more of what this beautiful city has to offer.
See ya soon, DC!
xoxo
Dallyn & David
Colleen Helm
Sunday, September 28, 2014
I was there in April, actually, to run a 1/2 marathon. A “Girls only” road trip. Had no idea how charming the city was, since my last visit was on my 6th grade class trip! The race course lead us past the White House, and along the Potomac. It was a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing yours with us! And just like you, we barely scratched the surface while we were there. Another visit is in order.
thelatestdish
Monday, September 29, 2014
I still can’t get over what a beautiful city it is. I never even knew about the incredible architecture!
Lois
Sunday, September 28, 2014
always look forward to reading about your excursions! Great ideas for dinner! Sounds like a very exciting time. Happy anniversary!!
thelatestdish
Monday, September 29, 2014
Thanks Lois…Although, it wasn’t really our anniversary. Just a nice little mistake on the restaurant’s part 🙂
linda slemmer obrien
Monday, September 29, 2014
Dallyn and Dave, this was a really remarkable stroll through DC, the food looked amazing and the description …perfect! on a side note, I’m glad you wore THE belt
thelatestdish
Monday, September 29, 2014
LOL Linda…I keep forgetting how much you like my belt. You should do a search for it on FreePeople.com or eBay!
Anonymous
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Wow Dallyn-Looks like fun….You still have that incredible figure…Skinny and shapely!
Anonymous
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Flip Flops?
thelatestdish
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
DC is a walking town. I wish I realized that BEFORE I got there! 😉
Anonymous
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Amazing blog-You can really feel the vibe of the city!
thelatestdish
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Truly a beautiful city. The architecture was so impressive.
Kate Kennedy Ryan
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
I’ve been wanting to get back to DC. It’s been way too long. This blog may just set the trip in motion….perhaps I’ll just follow in your footsteps….you found some great spots!
thelatestdish
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Kate…You will loveit! And be sure to go to Rose’s Luxury!
Sue Sweeney
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Wow. I truly never realized how intersting DC can be. Or maybe it’s just the places you go to and the food always looks AWESOME!! You guys make places intersting. You guys rock!! Once again nice pics , thanxs for sharing 😊
thelatestdish
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Thanks for taking the time to read about our travels, Sue!