dc + va.

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Last weekend I headed down to Washington, DC for a family reunion of sorts — my father’s older sister was turning 70, and so there was a wee dinner party planned to celebrate the occasion.  My parents flew over from Los Angeles, and I met them in DC on an incredibly pleasant Friday evening.  There was a nice breeze, and the early evening skies were just gorgeous.  Though we’d made reservations at a restaurant in Adams Morgan, there was another one a couple of doors down, Mintwood Place, that had been recommended by a friend and which I’d really wanted to try, but which had no available tables according to their online reservation system.  We walked over there anyway, fingers crossed, and were rewarded with an outdoor table, just like that!

It was a great dinner — my parents were quite hungry, so they ordered just about half the menu: pork cracklings, chicken liver tartine, octopus salad, grilled asparagus, an insane steak tartare topped with roasted potatoes, lamb tongue, duck breast, and my gigantic cast iron chicken.  (Seriously, half the menu.)  Everything was delicious, and at the end, Mom and Dad tried their first baked Alaska (that’s the waiter’s hand in the photo above, pouring the alcohol over the dessert before lighting it on fire).  Happy bellies all around.   (Also, as a sidenote: portion sizes in DC are enormous. )

On Saturday, it was off to Arlington, VA, for my aunt’s party.  Lots and lots of great homemade food, including my aunt’s spectacular bun oc, and a new, 10-day-old baby to boot!  Hi baby Emily!  Welcome!

[Yup.  I went to DC and VA and did nothing but eat.  Monuments? What monuments?]
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