When I was watching the Washington Nationals beat the Astros for their first title in the modern era (post iPhone), I never imagined that two days later we would be trapped on Constitution Ave, trying desperately to swim out of the Red Sea (parade crowd). We spent roughly 24 hours, which was also the amount it took me to plan for this last minute getaway. Arlington and Indian – that was pretty much my base, the starting point for this trip. I’ve never been to Arlington, and I got sick and tired of hearing the praises of Rasika.
Saturday
11:50 am – We park at Colonial Parking (reserved via Parking Panda), and checked into the super convenient (for our purpose), State Plaza Hotel. We accidentally found ourselves in the middle of a quiet, and picturesque George Washington University where my youngest is applying. This school visit was not planned, but of course we told her it was.
12:30 pm – Plan was to check out Momofuku CCDC, but that means potentially missing our tour at the Capitol. A Brunch menu makes this decision easier as I feel places like Momofulu and Brunch dont mix. But a dumb down eggified version of a Momofuku is still probably better than most brunches out there. Instead we do a quick take out from errr.. Cosi, along with roughly 654 National fans.
1:23 PM – An uneventful walk through the White House, on our way to the Capitol. The crowd is getting bigger, and rowdier. Its like the Astor Place riots except that everyone but us is wearing red. Not fully knowing the parade route we get caught in the middle of it all. At some point I even lost Mrs Z for a minute. One can only dream…
2:03 PM – At this point it feels like we just completed an Amazing Race task as we are greeted by an Anne Hathaway look-alike at the Capitol who gives us the next clue. Go downstairs and join a group led by an Elisabeth Moss look-alike (whats going on here). A 45 minute tour of the Capitol is one of the many cool freebies this city has to offer.
3:10 – Still feeling safe underground we cross the tunnel to the granddaddy of all free attractions, the magnificent Library of Congress. The largest library in the world, with over 168 million items. It will add 15,000 items by the time I finish writing this post (I’m a little slow). Since 2006 it started collecting every one of the 50 million tweets.
3:48 PM – We peep out like Meerkats and it looks safe to come out and walk outside. After a Starbucks emergency (for Coffee…), we are off to walk the 2.6 miles National Mall, arguably the greatest outdoor museum and memorial in the world. The plan was to check out the National Museum of the American Indian (Free), but long lines and… jet lag kicks in. It was a 3.5 hour drive after all. From the outside the museum resembles something that belongs in Bilbao. Thats a good thing.
4:17 PM – We enjoy a local refreshment called Coca Cola. “Refreshments” are the US version of the Cicchetti or Tapas. Small, in between meal snacks like Hot dogs, burgers, fries, etc. Refreshment stands are the only food options in this part of the capital.
4:38 PM – We are now staring at the Washington Monument. Not at the actual monument, but at the row of people lying on their back against it with their feet up. Clearly we missed an Instagram opportunity, or they are just very tired. This was the world’s tallest building until it was surpassed by Eiffel Tower. No building in Washington is allowed to be taller. We end at the Lincoln Memorial, and perhaps the biggest surprise of them all, the mesmerizing Korean War Veterans Memorial.
9:00 PM – Dinner at Rasika West End. I was curious how a restaurant offering dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala can be considered one of the best Indian in the country, but I get it now. Its really is just solid Indian offering a full menu of inventive, and expertly cooked mainstream dishes. The signature Palak Chaat is a beautiful combination of baby spinach fried to a nice crisp along with tamarind, dates, and yogurt. A lesson in texture and balanced flavors. Another highlight surprisingly was a perfectly flaky Snapper sitting on top of rice vermicelli. The Dal Dhungaree was like a very rich Dal Makhni. And if you like your curries spicy and complex, give the Andhra Chicken Curry a try. The Date and Toffee Pudding will take you back to Grand Cayman (I imagine only 1% of my readers will get that, but its worth noting)
Sunday
8:10 am – a 20 deep line forming for brunch at the appropriately named Founding Farmers. In a house that can fit roughly 400 diners, we somehow managed to get the worse seats, right between the kitchen, and the line to the bathroom. I was in perfect position to trip anyone coming out the of the kitchen but I figured we should try the food first. Excellent French Toast, and Pastrami hash with eggs, a la pastrami egg Benedict.
10:00 am – Ever since I visited the cemeteries in New Orleans many years ago I’ve become fascinated with them. My so called Food Tour of Brooklyn includes a visit to Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn a place near and dear to my heart. Arlington Cemetery was at the top of a very short list of cemeteries on my bucket list. Its crucial to visit cemeteries with a tour and Free Tours by Foot proved to be a fine option. Tip: At The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, dont leave immediately after the changing of the guards is over as many do. There may be an important and moving wreath laying ceremony that follows. Another Tip: Dont miss the US Marine Corps War Memorial, a short drive away with easy parking.
1:30 PM: We have important unfinished business in other states, so bye for now
Bonus for New Yorkers or anyone driving from the north…
2:45 PM A crab fest like no other at Nick’s Fish House in Baltimore, right off the highways. If you never had proper Maryland crab cake, this is a good place to have one. And its such a great place to experience the Chesapeake Blue Crab. Yes its an experience. If you never had them, its worth watching some youtube videos and/or ask the waitress on how to crack them open. I would go to Baltimore just for this.
Remember that old commercial.. “Stay Fresh a little longer… say goodbye a little longer..”, The actual products dont stick, but the songs often do. If you dont remember this one its probably because, well, it doesnt exist. Its actually a Wrigley Big Red gum commercial that goes “So kiss a little longer…”, and the fresh part was only in my head. But the idea of the commercial is that the gum will keep you fresh longer than normal so you could kiss longer, for some reason. Why would anyone want to do it in public is beyond me. Kissing in public for more than 3 seconds is rare, awkward and should be banned frankly for the safety of the individuals and motorists. You practically asking for herpes. And at home you have Listerine for that.
Much of Santina’s originality is attributed to one item, Cecina. While Santina bills itself as coastal Italian, mainly Liguria and Tuscany, this chickpea pancake is different than anything we had between Genoa and Lucca. Its softer and spongier, but not in a bad way. On recent visits I enjoyed it with tuna infused with Calabrian chili, and avocado thats essentially the best Guacamole within a two mile radius. Once wrapped with the Cecina ‘slice’, you get four tasty snacks. Add the accompanied red sauce to the second or third Cecina for a change of pace and maximum oomphness. The Cecina is reason #365 why you should stop reading 
Nano 
This is it folks! The moment none of you have been waiting for you. Fresh, off the boat, Cinque Terre pictures that look the same or worse than the millions of CT pictures out there. It took me 8 trips or so to finally see the famous five villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Rick Steves, Monterosso. Its not official yet, but as you can see, there’s a strong push to rename one, so I’m just one step ahead.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may or may not have noticed a slow moving shift. A shift in the type of establishments I frequent, and write about. Gone are the days of the almost weekly expensive meals. Hooray fast-casual! There was a time when I would enthusiastically read the power rankings and 
Owners Riccardo and Elena live upstairs, and the only thing missing in their little place on Court Street is a bell. “Like eating in someones house” is a cliche these days, but there’s no better way to describe this one. Perhaps one day they’ll get busy enough to hire more staff and function more like a regular restaurant. But for the time being, its like walking into your neighbor’s house, grabbing a newspaper, pretending you can read Italian. And after chatting about politics, and 80’s Eurotrash with the owners, about an hour later, maybe eat something.
The Crescia is like a cross between a Piadina and Laffa flatbread where you can mix and match various meats and cheeses. The Mortadella and Gorgonzola settle nicely once the taste buds get over the initial Gorgonzola funkiness. One thing about the new Italian immigrants is they dont mess around with the raw materials. No need to bastardize much these days like the old Sicilian immigrants did. Another such example here is the excellent Tiramisu.
When you visit Montefalco, a medieval stunner, smack in the middle of landlocked Umbria, it wont take you long to see which is the star restaurant. About 5 minutes in fact after you enter the main gate. 30 minutes if you get distracted by more truffle sauces and hanging grandpa’s balls (Palle di Nonno). Its the one in the main square with all the happy people occupying every inch of the space. Some of the happiest ones are munching on pigeon done five different ways. And while the star restaurant does not always deliver the results you’d expect, this one shines.
But the undisputed shining star, and a dish of the trip nominee is the pigeon. Just like Onion Parmigiana, pigeon just never jumps out at you when you read a menu as such. But then we recall the tasty pigeons of nearby Tuscany, especially the one made by another female magician 
Its been 8 months since the last update. 5 in, 5 out this time. The Z-List is essentially my favorite 50 restaurants in NYC today. I try to conduct surprise inspections as frequently as I can. I show up wearing a hat and fake mustache. Even though they dont know what I look like, you can never be too careful these days. Rumors out there that I look like Tom Branson from Downton Abbey are unfounded. I know because I founded them. Anyway here are the changes…
EV Bites is a [whenever I feel like it] feature that showcases five places in or around East Village you should know about. I will occasionally extend the border to surrounding hoods and maybe even mention a name more than once. The neighborhood of East Village in case you are not aware is an incubator for top industry talent, and a goldmine of world cuisine.
886 – Sometimes new places “expire” in my head, and I forget all about them, before they resurface somehow out of their hiding. This Taiwanese was hiding in plain sight right on the busy, glitzy side of St Marks. 886 offers one of the better lunch specials in the area where you can choose dishes like the visually pleasing sweet Taiwanese Sausage and Fried Rice, and the absolute best Popcorn Chicken I’ve ever had.
Village Square Pizza – Pizza joints in all shapes and sizes come and go in that part of the island. The intense competition in the area created a survival of the fittest environment, except that its almost impossible to determine the fittest. Sometimes I try new pizza and can pretty much pinpoint the month they’ll close (Rolio Pizza), but then there’s the curious case of Martina. Village Square is run by former employees of the famed Prince Street pizza in Soho. This is where you can get the famous Pepperoni Sicilian (square) without the hoopla (meaning tourists), and their signature white (fresh ricotta, garlic, mozzarella, honey).
Foxface – I 
When was the last time you did the chicken dance? They still do them in weddings and events all over the continent as far as I know. Legend has it, the first chicken dance was in Florence in the 13th century when Florence seized control of much of Chianti from rival Siena (more on that later). So in order to give the proper homage to this famous wine region, and unless you’ve been to a Bar Mitzvah lately, start practicing that ancient dance. You will see that famous black rooster all over Chianti, sometimes proudly presented as larger than life statues. Wish to visit Chianti on a day trip from wherever (I recommend basing 
Head to Osteria Le Panzanelle, 5 km south of Panzano, with reservations in hand of course. Its an institution, popular with locals and visitors alike. Start with the luscious eggplant Involtini and/or green bean flan. Move on to the fresh, eggy Papardelle with a wild boar ragu that carries some serious depth. Then your choices are an excellent fried rabbit and chicken, or the very fine, and surprisingly affordable 
After lunch, your options are to head to the nearby hamlet of Volpaia, and/or perhaps skipping the next destination, but I suggest not. Castello di Brolio is yet another stunner. You can participate in more activities and tours, a la Castello di Verrazzano. But for the purpose of this post, we’ll just pay the entrance fee, walk around the castle, enjoy the views, and read about the history. This one feels more subdued and isolated, adding about an hour of travel time overall. You are entitled to a glass of red on your way out, but then you have more driving to do and its getting late. Safety 6th is the motto of Eating With Ziggy Tours.
Eating With Ziggy 