Schofields eat in Washington

We rented a car and left town around 5pm. We bought some waters before we left, and figured we could make it to D.C. without having to stop since we ate a late lunch. Ha! We made it about 45 minutes before we stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike to a) buy some windshield wiper fluid (don't you love rentals?), b) hit the restroom, c) buy some caffeine along with a snack. When we got back on the road we realized we were in fast food territory (as in Wendy's, Taco Bell - Lyle, and Carl's Junior). I mapped each of these chains as we drove to find the most convenient one to stop at on the side of the highway. About halfway to D.C. we found a Taco Bell/KFC. Lyle worships Taco Bell, and I internally hate it, but if I'm hungry, I'm hungry, and I like to let Lyle indulge from time to time (since I pretty much get my way the other 99% of the time). So we stopped and had dinner. We placed our order from the Taco Bell menu, ate, then Lyle purchased another order from KFC. The guy kills me.

Guess where we ate the next morning on the way to our Segway tour? Burger King (which I also hate, UNLESS it's their breakfast and I get their french toast sticks). It seemed quite pathetic that we were choosing these places to eat, so for the rest of the trip, we carefully researched where to eat next.

For lunch, we ate at Matchbox, a recommendation from both our tour guide AND a friend who used to live here (thanks BROOKE)! It was pretty good. I know you'd assume it was chinese since it was in Chinatown, but don't be fooled. It was the hotspot for brunch in the area and pizza. We ordered the slider burgers (so SO delicious) and a pizza (good, not excellent). Still, we would recommend it. It is highly rated. Scho Stars: 4****

After we did some more touring, we had to pick up a cupcake from Red Velvet Cupcakery (Scho Stars: 3***) and went in for some special hot chocolate at Coco Sala, an AMAZING chocolate bar. It has a specialty menu of desserts and different kinds of chocolate and we are quite the fans of hot chocolate, so we were an easy sell. From the homemade marshmallows to the ambiance and presentation to the frothy smooth taste, it was worth trying and we would definitely go again. Scho Stars: 4****

We HAD to take some actual chocolate to go. It was a little pricey, but a week or two later after we got back from D.C. we finally finished it off and decided it was worth every penny.

While we dined we sat at the bar in front of this. It was a great atmosphere and very well designed (from my lowly perspective).

For Dinner that night (yes, we still had dinner that night after all this food - don't worry, our reservation was at 9pm), we went to Old Ebbitt Grill located directly East of the White House. People have even told me President Obama dines there with his family. The place is large and has an old school feel. It's got a fun atmosphere and not expensive at all! Another recommendation! Scho Stars: 4****

Sunday morning breakfast was room service (ha...don't be confused - Lyle had a cheap oatmeal, and I had a bagel - we were going for lighter and thriftier). Lunch was had at the Mitsitum Cafe. It was another recommendation from our tour guide. If you decided to eat at any of the Smithsonian museums, choose the Native American Museum. Not only will you be glad you saw the exhibits, but the cafe was great. We enjoyed a Schofield tradition - Navajo tacos. Scho Stars: 3***

Dinner was originally planned for the number one Indian restaurant in D.C., but fell through since they're not even open on the Sabbath (oops), but we fell back on Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse which is apparently the 4th best restaurant in D.C. and even though it's not Tucano's, it was still delicious and put us into a heavy sedation. Scho Stars: 3***

Can you believe we were able to get out of bed the next morning? Well believe it. Not only did we wake up and pack up to go home, but we hit one last spot for a good meal. We had breakfast at the Tabard Inn Restaurant. That's right, we went to a different hotel to have their breakfast and it was well worth it. In fact, Lyle gives the bacon a serious 5 stars. Overall it was a great, charming experience. It reminded me a lot of London, which is another reason we probably liked it so much. Oh, and if it weren't so far from the National Gallery, we'd definitely stay there next time. Scho Stars: 4****

Do you feel full from reading all that? Me too. I'm still trying to get back on the healthy track from our trip!