Sunday: Checking out the National Portrait Gallery + trying Declaration for the first time with DCNomster!
It’s been a while since I last did a recap so I decided to do one for the past week! I was in San Francisco the week before so expect a detailed travel guide soon – it’ll be up within a week so keep an eye out, friends. Anywho, it’s been raining like crazy, but that hasn’t stopped me from going out and exploring the area.
I met up with Alex aka DCNomster, and we decided to hit up the Portrait Gallery together. We were supposed to meet at 3, but I was late AF because parking was an absolute nightmare. I swear to god, driving in DC is the worst. People do crazy sh*t and they have no skill whatsoever so there are accidents left and right. I ended up parking in a garage because there was NO street parking, but it was only $10 for the day so it wasn’t too bad.
I’ve done photoshoots here before, but I was always in and out. I never took the time to look around, but I’m glad I did because there was a lot to see. The main attraction here for me (and everyone else, ha) was Michelle and Barack Obama’s portraits. If you can, go during the day when it’s far less crowded. I didn’t get good shots of either painting because there were so many people, but I’m sure you guys have all seen amazing photos of them online already. We spent a good 2 hours there before heading to Declaration in Shaw. Located right across the street from Haikan, Declaration “specializes” in artisanal pizzas and American favorites.
…I had to put it in quotes because I was super disappointed with the food.
I feel bad writing negative things because the service was SO good, but I gotta keep it real. Alex and I ordered a bunch of different things to try, but I only liked two things, lol. Here’s a breakdown for you all:
- The Meatball ($7): presentation was good, but the sauce was WAY too salty for my taste.
- Cape May NJ Clams ($7): Alex really liked the sauce, but this dish was a no-go for me because I had a bad clam, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
- Beet Salad ($8/$17): One of the few things that I liked. It contained crumbled feta, pickled raspberries, chocolate, fall greens and black rice vinegar. We got the larger portion for $17, and it was big enough for us to share…and still take home! The chocolate was an interesting touch, and it enhanced the flavor of the beets, which I really enjoyed.
- Samuel Chase, MD Pizza ($17.76): Topped with ricotta cheese, butternut squash, mozzarella, truffle honey, and garlic. This definitely tasted better than the Thomas Heyward, but it was still weaksauce. The crust was cooked nicely, but there was SO much oil and grease. All in all ok but so not worth $18.
- Thomas Heyward, SC Pizza ($17.76): This was topped with pepperoni, wild mushrooms, kale pesto, tomato, fresh mozz, olive oil and parmesan. This looked SO good when it came out, but it didn’t really taste like anything? I don’t know how or why, but it was SO bland.
- “Mel’s Mortal Sin” ($12): Omfg was this good. This was by far THE BEST thing we had there, and I’d honestly go back for it. A piping hot flourless brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream and fudge? Hellllll yes.
Conclusion? Grab dinner somewhere else and then come back for dessert, haha.
Monday: An incredible tasting at Cultured + judging Peabody exams!
Low key obsessed with Cultured now that I’ve tried their food and drinks. I absolutely LOVE Mount Vernon Marketplace, but I usually just get a kale bowl with spicy chicken from Brown Rice and/or a green juice from Fresh Monday’s. A huge thanks to Chyno aka The Baltimore Foodie for throwing this tasting! There was SO much good food, and I genuinely can’t wait to go back for more.
Their menu features amazing sandwiches, salads, soups and charcuterie along with an impressive cocktail menu. Chef Andrew Cole brought out a TON of food for us to sample and photograph. The truffle cheese and spicy hummus were my favorites, but everything was yummy! I recommend going for happy hour with a friend – split some apps and get your drank on. On a related note, he also owns “Between 2 Buns” so hit them up for burgers. I haven’t tried their food yet so I can’t vouch for them personally, but I’ve heard really good things about their noms. I’m planning to go soon so I’ll make sure to update you all ASAP.
I don’t know how long my other foodie friends stayed, but I had to leave at 6 because I had to adjudicate advanced piano exams for the Peabody Prep! We only had to be there for 2-3 hours though so it wasn’t too bad – I actually really enjoy judging the advanced level because I get to hear some pretty talented kids. I was supposed to grab dinner with the piano chair afterwards – I’ve known him since fivever – but it was raining hardcore so we took a literal raincheck, ha.
Tuesday: Shooting with a new photographer frand and an influencer happy hour at 16 on the Park with some of the best company around!
I started my day off with the wonderful Anthony Bolognese at Alexandria to shoot some looks! I absolutely love linking up with fellow creatives and collaborating. I’ve met some truly amazing people from blogging, and I’m so, SO grateful. We took turns photographing each other before heading our separate ways.
Below: a sneak peek of what’s to come!
Then I drove to Baltimore to attend Maroon PR’s influencer happy hour at 16 on the Park. It’s located on the top floor of the Residence Inn Baltimore, and the view’s wonderful. Shoutout to DCNomster for driving all the way out to hang!
Thursday: Attending Baltimore Brew Club’s event at Monument City Brewery!
I’m not big on beer, but I’m always looking to expand my horizons so when Rachel from Fleet Street Write Up invited me to BBC’s event at Monument City, I jumped at the chance. Plus, two of my favorite foodie friends were attending as well (Like the Tea & Food Nomad) so I braved the weather and drove on over.
I was actually really impressed with their beer. As invited influencers, we got a flight of beers to taste, and I discovered that I actually really like sour beer, lol. I’d definitely go back for happy hour! The owner was SUPER friendly, and I loved the space…especially the giant parking lot, ha.
We also got free grub courtesy of Local Fry. This was my second time trying their food, and I honestly liked it even more than the first. Their fried tofu was lifechanging, and I really liked the fry combo they made for the event. I hope they add it onto their menu because I would totally get it again!
Friday: Modeling for Preakness – going on air with Fox Baltimore & Lana Rae
Omg guys, I had to wake up at 3:30AM for this. I went to bed at 1 so I only got about 2.5 hours of sleep! Luckily, I’m used to waking up early so I was good to go. I got to the station at 4:30AM and got my makeup done by the wonderful Sarah Goldsborough – check out her insta to see clips from the segment I was on!
Anwyho, Lana picked out two outfits for me (a cute polka dot jumpsuit and a beautiful floral minidress), and I got to wear the cutest fascinators ever. We filmed the segment outside with Fox 45, but it was raining out so my hair died, ha. I still had a blast though!
Below: wearing look no. 2 with the other models + Lana
Alright friends, that’s it for today! I have another fun-filled week coming up so I can’t wait to update you guys next week. What are you all looking forward to? Definitely let me know by leaving a comment below. To read more about my adventures in the DMV area, click here!
Nice pics of the Portrait Gallery — one of my favorite places to visit in DC. And love your dress at the Preakness modeling shoot — very pretty and bright. Have a great week.
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Thanks so much, Michael =D