DC Metro Food Tours

Part of the Eat, Write, Retreat experience was a walking food tour of the Capitol Hill area of Washington, DC with DC Metro Food Tours. Conference attendees boarded buses on Saturday evening, and we met our fun guides for an evening FULL of food, history, and fun conversation.

dc metro food tours

I had never wandered he Capitol Hill neighborhood before, but it is gorgeous. Neat little brick houses, many painted in bright colors like pink and purple, sit side-by-side with slightly overgrown gardens full of bright greens and rainbows of flowers. It was both stunning and an allergy nightmare. But I tried to ignore my inability to breathe and soldiered on in the name of food.

capitol hill

Our first stop was the Capitol Hill Tandoor & Grill where we met the owner and had a few Anglo-Indian bites. 

Capitol Hill Tandoor and Grill

We started with Mulligatawny Soup with a squeeze of lemon which made the soup bright and flavorful.

Mulligatawny Soup

Next, plates of naan bread, Basmati rice, and spicy chicken and vegetables came out. The sauce on the chicken really had a kick; I wanted to scrape every last bit off of the plate. Both courses were delicious.

Indian Food

The tour left plenty of time for meandering and checking out some historical homes and a generally lovely neighborhood. This one’s for my Canadian friends, eh. Winking smile 

Capitol Hill

We also passed the Commandant’s house where the Commandant of the Marines has always lived. A Marine barracks sprawls behind it, taking up several blocks.

Commandants House

capitol hill gardens capitol hill gardens image

This was one of my favorite yards on the tour. I loved how the yards and gardens weren’t impeccably manicured. It gave them a Secret Garden feeling.

Our next stop was for some Southern soul food at Levi’s Port Café. This is the best soul food in DC, and we certainly filled up.

Port Cafe

Port Cafe

I sipped on sweet tea and sampled a plate of collard greens, cornbread, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese heaven, and Carolina style pulled pork.

SWEET TEA SOUTHERN BBQ

 

After this filling feast, we luckily had plenty of time to walk. We viewed this historical church.

Capitol Hill

And checked out some of the last alley dwellings in DC. These adorable little homes are literally in an alley. They don’t face a street at all.

alley dwellings, DC

image image

As darkness set in, we made our way to the final stop of the night, Las Placitas Restaurant, a family-run Salvadoran restaurant that was packed!

Las placitas

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat any more, we were served up chips and salsa, margaritas, and large plates of plantains, pupusas and shredded beef

Las Placitas margarita

And finally dessert, sopapillas with honey, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. Oooof. I think we all rolled out of there!

sopapillas

During each stop of the tour, we sat with different bloggers, allowing for a little time to chat and get to know new people. It was fun but also tiring! Our guides were really fantastic; they knew everything off the tops of their heads and didn’t stumble or fumble once. You could tell they were seasoned pros, and they had lots of recommendations for eating in DC.

I am actually going on a new food tour of Boston this afternoon, so stay tuned for more food tour fun!

Have you ever been on a food tour?

Tags: DC, event, Food, food tour, Washington D.C.

  1. Michelle’s avatar

    I’ve never been on a food tour but I love Capitol Hill! One of my best friends lives in that neighborhood and it is so charming!

    Reply

  2. Charlotte’s avatar

    Wow, a food tour sounds amazing! Your photos are great, and I got hungry just reading about it. What a unique experience!

    Reply

  3. Daisy’s avatar

    That is a serious tour. How fun! The only time I was in DC was 5th grade on a family trip. We ate at classy joints like Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe. Looks like I need to go back!

    Sorry I couldn’t join you this afternoon!

    Reply

  4. Megan’s avatar

    I would have loved that last spot! Sopaipillas and margaritas – I’m in!

    Reply

  5. MelissaNibbles’s avatar

    Looks like fun. I did a food tour when I visited Seattle. It was SERIOUS. A great way to see the city too!

    Reply

  6. alicia’s avatar

    The gardens in DC are so gorgeous! What a great way to get to know a neighborhood.

    Reply

  7. Valerie’s avatar

    Hi Meghan!

    This was my first food tour and I thought it was awesome. I’m local in DC, so I’m planning to go back to these places sometime, especially Levi’s Port!

    Reply

    1. traveleatlove’s avatar

      I would definitely go back to Levi’s Port! And on another DC Metro Food Tour, so fun!

      Reply

    2. Emily’s avatar

      I’ve never done a food tour but this is such a great idea!! Glad you enjoyed DC – it’s one of my favorite cities.

      Reply

    3. Tiffany’s avatar

      This looks like SO much fun!

      Reply

    4. Jason Phelps’s avatar

      I haven’t been to DC since I was a kid so I am jealous of your foodie tour. My wife and I keep saying we are going to plan a trip to DC, but something else always comes along!

      Jason

      Reply

    5. Deborah Dowd’s avatar

      I love DC and get to visit fairly regularly since I have a son there and there is amazing food to be had there- what a fun tour!

      Reply

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