Saturday: Teaching + the Playboy No Tie Party
Man, I don’t even know where to start! You guys already know that I teach piano every Saturday at the Peabody Prep. Well, I’m usually too wiped to go out afterwards – I give my students all of me – but how could I pass up an event this epic? I honestly contemplated staying in, especially since my tires were effed up, but I decided to bite the bullet and go. I drove to Silver Spring and parked in front of La Belle Mel’s house and we carpooled to DC. We VERY miraculously found a spot right up front and went in at around 10! The Playboy No Tie Party was black tie so we both dressed up for the occasion. I didn’t feel like wearing a long gown or anything so I just threw on my favorite Alexis dress and called it a day.
Left: Me and Mel with Playboy bunnies || Middle: The Bumbys || Right: Miguel doing his thang!
Left: My personal “assessment” || Middle: Mel’s illustration || Right: I think she was this month’s playmate?
We thought there would be more bloggers at the event, but there were only a few that we knew – shout out to Alicia Tenise, District Dress Up, and Claire Ashley Beauty! Everyone was dressed to the nines, and there were a handful of celebs there. The event was held at The Living Room in DC, and they did an amazing job setting things up. They had the Bumbys giving people “evaluations,” an incredible artist drawing caricatures, and kickass live entertainment. Now, when I say “kickass,” I mean elite sh*t. They flew in Miguel and he literally performed 10 feet in front of us.
Let’s just sit and think about it for a minute.
They flew in Miguel, and he performed for us.
…
…
…that performance alone made my night. A huge thanks to Playboy for inviting me! I had an incredible time, and I’m so glad I went out. OH, and funny story – I ended up being featured on Playboy’s instastories (!!!!) Anywho, I got home at around 1:30, but it was totally worth it – I honestly can’t remember the last time I stayed out past 12, lol.
Sunday: Foodie Adventures with DCNomster + the Burning Man Exhibit at Renwick.
I’ve met some really great people through blogging, but Alex aka DCNomster is definitely one of the coolest peeps I’ve met. We’ve only hung out about 3 times in person, but I love him to pieces. He’s truly a wonderful person, and if you’re not following his food account on instagram yet, you definitely should! I’ve linked it above so def. make sure to click. Anywho, we scheduled a longggg Sunday Funday that started with brunch at District Winery. They just released a new rosé so I was STOKED.
We got a bottle of it to start, and man, I highly recommend it. It’s absolutely delicious, and I would definitely go back for more. Now, I wish I could say the same about their food. As usual, we got a slew of dishes to try:
- Cinnamon Roll ($7): cream cheese glaze
- Golden Beet Muhammara ($10): pomegranate, almonds, candied lemon, fry bread
- Wild Mushroom Toast ($11): mushroom “faux gras,” hazelnut, parmesan
- Rice Grits Porridge ($17): pork blade steak, poached egg, broccoli kimchi, cracklins
- Potato Pancake ($19): smoked salmon mousse, pomme paillasson, everything spice
- Burger ($17): gruyére, onion jam, garlic-truffle aioli, fries
- Ramen ($16): braised pork, spinach, soft egg, shoyu broth
Ok, so I’m going to start off by saying everything was wayyyyy too expensive for what it was IMHO. You’re paying top dollar for the view and vibe more than anything. I feel bad slammin’ them because the waitress was super nice, but what can I say? I’m picky about noms. Out of everything we got, I liked the mushroom toast, the cinnamon roll, and the muhammara the best.
If you come here for brunch, definitely go with the toast because it’s good, and they give you 3 large pieces. Everything else was just meh. The porridge was fine, but honestly, $17 for jook just doesn’t fly in my book. The ramen noodles were cooked well, but the broth just wasn’t cutting it (kind of watery). The potato pancakes were beautiful, but they went too crazy on the everything seasoning (aka too salty) so I wasn’t a fan. Andddd something was off about the burger – it was smoky, but not in a good way. At least the fries were good?
Left: LOVING their rosé || Middle: District Winery’s interior || Right: Cinna goals
Here’s a pic of the mushroom tartine!
Left: taking a picture of Alex’s picture || Middle: Yay for rosé || Right: Taste DCG’s incredible platters
Conclusion: go for their wine, not for their food! Here’s where you go to sign up for tastings:
Afterwards, Alex and I hit up Renwick to check out the Burning Man exhibit. I wish I could say I’ve always wanted to go, but I’m too much of an OCD germaphobe, ha. I can’t imagine camping in the desert for a week – just not my thing. I absolutely love museums so I had a blast browsing and walking off my food baby.
FYI, admission is free so definitely make sure to stop by if you’re in the area! There’s a lot to see. Think interactive installations on top of cool costumes, and even VR gameplay. I was DYING to play, but the line was way too long so I passed. I’m probably going to go back during the day to try it though!
One of my favorite rooms was this ballroom filled with wood? I don’t even know what to call it or how to describe it – you just have to go and see if for yourself. This was one of the interactive pieces I was talking about, and it was located upstairs. The “piece” was the entire room, and people were invited to contribute by writing personal messages and adding onto the room – similar to the final exhibit in Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors. I wrote my personal mantra on mine: either suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret. Sidebar: if you missed my latest adventure post on Renwick, click to see my coverage on their Wonder exhibit.
Left: An especially touching message || Middle: Kaleidoscope-inspired art || Right: A MUSHROOM PIECE!!!
Afterwards, we drove over to Georgetown to hit up restaurant no. 2: District Chicken & Gyro. Not gonna lie, this was the best food we had all day. I’m a HUGE fan of Halal, and I absolutely loved their combo platter. It’s just like Halal Guys except locally owned with slightly different ingredients. Here are the main differences:
- The hot sauce isn’t as crazy.
- You get bigger pieces of lamb.
- They don’t give you pita.
- Their salad has bits of cucumber.
- The price is $12 a bowl.
Honestly, I liked their food more than the ginormous chain! I know that’s a bold statement, but I stand by it. For those of you who know me well, you KNOW that’s high praise because I am a die-hard fan of Halal Guys. Anywho, definitely head over STAT and get a platter for yourself to judge. You can come back and thank me afterwards when your tummy is happy and full.
Alex + halal = serious awesomeness
Monday: Checking out Oath Pizza in the Navy Yard and then grabbing dessert at Thai Chef.
I met up with Natalie, one of my besties from music school, in DC to check out Oath Pizza in the Navy Yard. They opened not too long ago and invited me to come eat at their restaurant so I happily obliged. My favorite fast casual pizza place is still Gusto, but Oath’s definitely up there. The taste was great, and I love that they use sustainable and ethnically sourced ingredients. They’re the first pizza chain that’s been granted certified humane approval so that’s yet another reason why you should support them.
The Navy Yard location was spotless, and service was super on point. We got the Spicy Mother Clucker (mozzarella, pickled red onions, spiced chicken, sriracha, spicy aioli, and scallions), the Bella (mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, rocitta, balsamic drizzle, grana padano cheese, and fresh basil), the Spring Forager salad (romaine/radicchio blend, roasted asparagus, garden peas, white beans, grape tomatoes, red onions, house-made croutons, fresh oregano and vinaigrette, and their Chocolate Chunk Cookie Pizza (chocolate chunk cookie dough, ricotta, and powdered sugar).
My favorite was DEFINITELY the Bella. I honestly could’ve eaten the entire pizza, but I exercised mad restraint and limited myself to one piece…of each, ha. The Spicy Mother Clucker was really good too, but it needed some more chicken. The dessert pizza was just meh for me personally. I wouldn’t get it again, but I’d totally come back for their regular pizzas. The crust was really chewy, and they had some really interesting flavor combos available.
The Spicy Mother Clucker
Left: Oath Pizza || Middle: the delish Bella || Right: Our beautiful waffle cone
We were stuffed at that point, but we still hit up Thai Chef for dessert. We got a green tea bubble waffle ($7.95) with boba bubbles, mochi, and pocky sticks and a drink to share! There’s nothing better than a warm egg waffle with cold ice cream. Although this “cone” was delish, the drink was even better. It’s called the “unicorn nom yen,” and it’s their version of Thai children’s favorite drink: sala (tropical fruit) flavored milk with whipped cream and sprinkles ($5.95). It was definitely on the sweet side, but I really enjoyed it. It was strangely addicting, and now I kind of feel like I need more, ha!
Tuesday: A press lunch at Dog Haus Bethesda and then chillaxin’ in Baltimore!
I had to give makeup lessons in Baltimore so I drove to Bethesda beforehand to get some food with Alex (aka DC Nomster). We hit up Dog Haus Bethesda and ordered three trays of food, lol. We got a frosé and a margarita to start and sipped leisurely while studying their menu.
…sipped leisurely after taking 40 pictures, ha! Anywho, we ended up getting the following items:
- Free Bird: turkey dog, avocado, tomato, smoked bacon, miso range
- Sooo Cali: wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions, spicy basil aioli
- Pig Lebowski: polish kielbasa, fries, haus slaw, BBQ sauce
- The Freiburger: white american cheese, fries, haus slaw, fried egg, mayo
- Bad Mutha Clucka: beer battered chicken breast, lettuce, pickles, miso ranch
- Chili Cheese Tots
- The Love Boat: fries, haus chili, haus slaw
Their dogs were DEFINITELY the best part! I got to try all three, and I really loved each and every one. If I had to pick a favorite though, I’d either go with the Sooo Cali or the Free Bird. You wouldn’t think turkey sausage would be good, but they do it SO well. Anywho, their sausages have great “snap” to them, and their toppings won’t overwhelm. Also, I LOVE that they serve them on Hawaiian rolls – what a brilliant idea! Here’s a creation that will taste just as good as it looks. Definitely go for a splurge meal that won’t disappoint! Note: the chili cheese tots were good, but honestly, unless you eat them quickly, they get soggy. I’m definitely gonna go for the regular tots or fries next time, but to each his own.
Apparently, cocktails make me really happy =P I highly recommend their frosé.
A shot of their mutha clucka sandwich!
…and a pic of their chili cheese tots.
I drove home and did some work on the blog before heading to Baltimore to teach for a few hours. I was hungry afterwards so I met up with Fleet Street Write Up and Food Nomad to get dinner at Local Fry. I absolutely LOVE trying new restaurants. This place is located in Fed Hill, but they’re opening a new place in Hampden soon. This was my first time here, but it definitely won’t be my last. They very obviously specialize in french fries, but they have a lot of other yummy dishes available, too – think banh mi, asian bowls, and wings! I got an order of their buffalo chicken fries ($9) and 5 piece wings (to share with the table).
To be honest, I really wanted to try their banh mi sammy, but I have a hugeeee canker sore on my mouth so I had to pass. I’ll definitely be back to give it a try though!
After dinner, we walked over to Bookmakers for drinks to celebrate Leandro’s (very belated) birthday. It had a really cool vibe to it, and the drink I got was SUPER yummy. It was definitely on the pricier side, but it was totally worth the moolah IMO! On a related note, if you’re looking for cool happy hour joints in Baltimore, definitely make sure to click here. I compiled a list of the BEST places in Charm City for Nomtastic Foods, and you’ll get to hear from your favorite foodie influencers.
Wednesday: touring my new house, teaching and meeting up with Dine Well Bmore for dinner!
I started the day off with my realtor touring my new house (!!!!) ahhh, I’m so freaking excited to move in guys. It’s still being built, but I’m moving in late June or early July. It’s a beautiful four-story home with a rooftop terrace, and I’m already planning the interior. I chose everything myself (granite, floors, fixtures, etc.) so it’s going to literally be all I’ve ever wanted. Life can be stressful at times, but I feel so blessed! Afterwards, I drove to Baltimore to teach some more and then met up with the gorgeous Dine Well Bmore for dinner at Mount Vernon Marketplace.
I’ve only eaten here twice, but I am SUCH a fan of the food hall. I got fresh juice and a brown rice/kale bowl from Brown Rice. The juice was definitely pricey, but they gave me a big cup with zero ice so I was happy. I highly recommend their Green Machine. It’s made with apple, cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, pineapple, lemon and mint. Super healthy and super yum! I’ve talked about Brown Rice on here already, but it’s basically a korean Chipotle. You choose your toppings, base, protein, etc. I got their spicy chicken with half kale/half brown rice and topped it with pickled veggies, pickled radish, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and onions.
Thursday: Trying Sospeso DC with Justin Schuble and then attending Hotel Revival’s grand opening!
Yet another day of makeup lessons, but of course, I had to make the most of my day so I drove to DC first to meet up with another one of my favorite foodies, Justin Schuble aka DCFoodporn. We hit up Sospeso for lunch and had a fabulous time sampling everything. For those of you interested, it’s located on 1344 H Street NE. If you go, I recommend getting the lamb flatbread, housemade strawberry soda and their spread (hummus + htpiti + labneh).
Left: JUSTIN!!!! || Middle: Our epic spread at Sospeso || Right: Strawberry soda FTW
A closer look at their spread! These were all SO good.
Anddd their lamb flatbread served with a side of salad.
I rushed back home and prepped for lessons! I taught until about 7:15 then headed to Hotel Revival for their grand opening party. To be honest, it was kind of a big shock to me because I used to stay there as a teen with my family when I went for competitions or lessons. Back then, it was Peabody Court! I had fond memories for sure. It was always a classy hotel, but they did a DAMN good job upgrading everything. It has everything from karaoke rooms to foosball tables, and the rooms were swanky AF. The event they set up was really well done, and they gave us a sweet goodie bag, which is always a nice treat.
Left: the epic cheese display || Middle: Hot sauce galore || Right: the drank Leandro got me
Anddd that’s it for today’s recap guys! Today (aka Friday the 4th) I met up with the gorgeous Eva Liz to shoot some looks and am working all night! I teach all day tomorrow and then rush home to catch my flight at 6:45 ish. I haven’t seen my bf in THREE MONTHS so I am so freaking excited. I’m seriously going to be dead though because my entire week is packed. Make sure you guys follow along via instagram stories to keep up with my adventures! Sending so much love from the DMV.
Beautiful!! Have a great week dear!
❤ Mary María Style ❤