DC in June: Day 4

Day 4:

Again, the day began with conference presentations. Because after all, that’s really why I was here. Breakfast was coffee and an apple muffin from the continental breakfast they gave us. The big thing today was that we had to switch hotels for the night. The official conference ended today, but an extra day was available for those who chose to stay. My boss was presenting and gave us the option. Of course, I took it since it meant a bit more time to enjoy this city that I have completely fallen in love with.

At the NGA sculpture garden, expresses my feelings for DC perfectly

At lunch, I went and checked in at the new hotel which is across the street. I left most of my stuff with bell services to deal with later, so that I could use my break time to go get lunch. I was debating between two options – ramen or back to the NGA to check out the café. I went with the latter. It was a much warmer day, so by the time I arrived at the café, I was sweating up a storm. The sculpture park was very nice – a huge fountain in the middle, lots of interesting sculptural works. Unfortunately, my time was limited, so I really just had to order and eat (there was a long line). I did sit outside at one of many tables with umbrellas to take in my surroundings a bit more. I went with the Mediterranean salad which was mixed greens and romaine, topped with huge chunks of feta, cucumbers, olives, and chick peas with a Greek style dressing. It also came with two sesame crackers and a small container of hummus. I really enjoyed the salad, as feta and olives are basically my two favorite foods. I had to hurry back to get to my afternoon sessions.

Some sculpture at the NGA garden

Enormous fountain near the cafe

After finishing up the conference for the day and dragging my suitcase across the street to the new hotel, The Liaison, I met up with some co-workers for happy hour in the hotel lounge. The hotel is extremely nice, very modern and recently redone. The room was far nicer than the Hyatt room, though also had a tiny bathroom, probably a legacy of an older building. The furnishing and décor were all new looking, in cool grays and some splashes of red and blue. In addition to the lovely king bed, there was large sofa. I didn’t try out the TV. There was also a nice sidebar with $4 bottles of water, a coffee maker with supplies, and glasses. If I were staying for a longer visit, there is plenty of storage space and a nice desk with a charging station. The view left a lot to be desired. The hotel also has a rooftop pool and bar, but on this one day it was, of course, closed for a private party. I may ultimately check it out after check out when it is open again.

Sweet Room

Lounging area

Amazing view, lol

The happy hour was decent with a few food options a couple of drink specials. I went with the fried green tomatoes and a vodka, blackberry, sparkling wine drink. It was overly sweet, but ok. The tomatoes were excellent. With a nice dipping sauce.

After spending some time with my colleagues on the very comfortable couch in the lounge, I headed out for dinner. I had picked my dinner spot the night before while looking at the restaurants on yelp that were near the sushi spot. It’s called Partisan (love these DC-centric names), and is a charcuterie and head-to-tail style restaurant. Being solo, I took a seat at the bar where the serve the full menu. There was a wait for tables, but it did not seem overly busy. On a weekend, I am sure it would be much worse and a reservation would certainly help. The décor was rustic meets glam, which is always fun. Rustic wood and expose brick contrasting with crushed velvet wallpaper. The bar was large and pretty loud, but not crazy at all.

Charcuterie

The cocktail menu was long, with lots of different non-sweet cocktails, tons of beer, and a pretty extensive wines. The latter two were grouped by dominant flavor and were generally available in multiple sizes, including tastes of every beer and wine. I went with a taste of a wheat beer to start and enjoyed it so much that I got the full glass. The food menu is large and somewhat confusing for the uninitiated. There was a list of charcuterie options, mostly cured meats, but some pate and spreads, where you used a pencil to select your options. This would be a lot easier with a large group because you could try numerous things. The regular menu is a sort of flip chart with food in a few categories, starting with appetizers, sausage, veggies, pig, chicken, and beef. Each section had some unusual options reflecting the head-to-tail eating. It’s not a great option for someone who is a picky eater. I had a hard time deciding between several different options, though some, like pig’s head, I was able to rule out right away. I went with two charcuterie choices, cured meats with different herbal flavors – lemon verbena and herbs de Provence – as well as a bowl of olives to start. The olives came out right away. It was a nice variety and all tasty. The meat came out a little bit later. 

The "butcher's cut"

It was served with these amazing Italian flat breads that had the consistency of something like an English muffin or crumpet, but a little more dense. They were brushed with lard and grilled, giving them incredible flavor. I can’t remember what the waiter said they are called, but I plan to look it up. It also included pickled sweet onions. I piled the meat on the bread, topped it with sweet onions, and thoroughly enjoyed. I have never been a big fan of salami or anything like that, but at this level it is a very different experience than from your local deli. The combination of flavors was perfect. With the second portion, I ended up eating a lot of meat separately to get the full experience of that, then I nibbled on the bread, which was almost as good alone as it was with the meat. For an entrée, I went with the “Butcher’s Cut” which was sliced beef, served rare, with basil grits topped with lime zest and charred baby tomatoes. It also had 

scallions and other herbs over the top. The beef was apparently a portion of the ribeye close to the bone. It was extremely flavorful and surprisingly tender. The grits and tomatoes added a new spectrum of flavor that I have not usually had with my steak. It was a very small serving, though it was categorized in the menu as being a “medium” sized portion. Given the price, which was $12, it was still a good deal. 

I considered dessert, but compared to the rest of the menu, the dessert options were pretty unexciting, so I decided to hit up the gelato spot again. I was very glad I did because I went with hazelnut and pistachio which I enjoyed even more than the previous night’s choice.