We really prefer to shoot out of town rather than in Chicago. In town you just want to finish the job and get home, but on the road the mundane activities of life are gone- no dog walking or telephones to answer- and there is no rush to get back to the hotel. You focus more on the work and frankly spending more time on the job and thinking about the job is only beneficial. I know we have done lots of good work in airport lounges, hotel lobbies and rides to and from the hotel. Of course another benefit of working on the road is per diem. In addition to my writing and directing duties, I also scout for restaurants.
I have three simple dining rules.
1) Never eat at the hotel. Sorry Jim, but we are in another city, let’s explore.
2) Never eat at a place that advertises the cuisine in their name. So no, Macaroni Grills, Spaghetti Warehouses, Pizza Huts (who thought adding the word Hut would class it up?) and with apologies to my sister, no, Olive Gardens.
3) There must be a bar.
Actually, that’s default rule 1. We learned that lesson one rainy night when I made a dash across a 4 lane highway in Camden, NJ to Bob’s Liquor Barn to get wine. Our restaurant of choice was BYO, who knew?
So from time to time on this page I am going to share some of our favorite eating cities and restaurants. And to our clients who read this, we stay within budget, or put it on our own tab. We are going to start the tour in Washington D.C. and work our way south down Connecticut Ave. from about the Zoo to DuPont Circle.
1) The Lebanese Taverna. http://www.lebanesetaverna.com/menus/rest_menu.php
2641 Connecticut Ave. NW. Great food. You can make a meal on appetizers alone. I like the Chicken in a Bag. A roast chicken in a paper bag. We were there the night of the second Gore/Bush debate when Al Gore decided “Lock Box” was not the grabbing voters the way he thought.
2) Bistro du Coin. http://www.bistrotducoin.com/menu.html
1738 Connecticut Ave. Authentic French Bistro. You know it is good because a lot of authentic French people go there. A very reasonably proced wine list. We had a Cote du Rhone for only a few dollars more than Bob’s Liquor Barn’s prices. It must have been a great place to see the World Cup finale, until the head butt.
3) Pesce. http://www.pescebistro.com/Menu.html
2016 P St. NW. A destination restaurant for us. (And since it is the Italian form of the word, it doesn’t break rule #2.) Fish like you have never had it before. A small restaurant, make a reservation and let them take care of you. Everything is good and the menu changes daily.
Please add your comments and suggestions.
PeterH
