5 Favorite Places in Washington, D.C.

I am sharing with you all some of my favorite places in Washington, D.C.. We spent 3 days exploring the city on our week long road trip down the East Coast.  It's a beautiful, historic, and multicultural city with so much to do and see! 

5. Oyamel Cocina Mexicana. We stumbled upon this spot after a morning of museum hopping. It serves authentic Mexican food with a creative twist. The menu consists of antojitos or "little cravings", ceviches, tacos, and my favorite, the guacamole made from scratch right in front of you. It is a great place to order a bunch of plates to share! The decor reflects the menu, a modern take on Mexican favorites. 

4. Cava Grill. This Mediterranean and Greek take on fast-casual dining is awesome. You choose a base of greens, grains, or pita then a protein of either falafel, chicken, lamb, or beef. Next up is choosing from a variety of dips (all of which are sold at Whole Foods!). They also have different toppings to choose from like cauliflower quinoa tabbouleh, feta cheese, or cabbage slaw. Last step is drizzling on some dressing; my favorite was the yogurt dill, but they also have interesting flavors like sriracha Greek yogurt. 

3. Georgetown Cupcakes. The hype about Georgetown Cupcakes is real; they are delicious! So if you are looking for something sweet and an atheistically pleasing spot for your Instagram then this place is just for you.

2. United States Botanic Garden. If you love nature and are looking for something different than a historical museum to spend your time, then look no further than the botanic gardens. The conservatory is divided into separate rooms each imitating a different environment ranging from the tropics to the desert. The humidity, sunlight, and temperature are all monitored to maintain the ideal conditions for the plants in that determined environment. When walking through the different rooms, you can immediately feel the conditions shift. My favorite installation was the orchids! It was interesting and beautiful to see the variations in the flower based on their origin. 

1. Paradiso Pizzeria. If you love pizza and beer then you will love this place. They make their pizza using a wood burning oven, and it's definitely not your "neon sign, one dollar pizza" type of place. They use quality ingredients, and it reminds me of the type of pizza you would get in Italy. They also have an extensive list of local craft beers as well as beers from all over the world.