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City Cast DC

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Welcome to our weekly D.C. mini crossword! The answers hinges on your knowledge of D.C. and local news. How fast can you complete it?

While people today consider Adams Morgan — belovedly nicknamed AdMo — a Northwest neighborhood stalwart, it actually didn’t get its full name all that long ago.

The area, which evolved from an upper-middle class neighborhood in the 18th and 19th centuries, 

 its cross streets, 18th and Columbia Street NW.

It wasn’t until the 1950s — in the wake of the Brown v. Board of education ruling — that people began using Adams Morgan to describe the area adjacent to the much older Dupont and Kalorama neighborhoods. This is because the area had two segregated elementary schools; the all-white John Quincy Adams School, and all-Black Thomas P. Morgan School.

In preparation for the school integration, Florence Cornell, the principal of Adams, and Bernice Brown, the principal of Morgan, partnered to create the Adams-Morgan Better Neighborhood Conference. The conference's work was crucial to making the schools’ desegregation quick and peaceful.

Other organizing groups in the area started using Adams-Morgan to describe their neighborhood groups and the name stuck. The hyphen was eventually dropped around 2000, making it the Adams Morgan we know and love today.

How community members gave Adams Morgan and a uniting cause.

How Adams Morgan Got Its Name

What Washingtonians have been wondering. We break down why things in DC are the way they are and how they work.

DC, Explained

 to housing and President Trump’s campaign to rebuild the East Wing and 

, D.C.’s architectural “look” has been in the headlines a lot lately. But in reality, D.C.’s neighborhoods are a patchwork of distinct architectural styles, each tied to a specific historical moment.

We chatted with architecture expert Joe Himali

 about why our houses look the way they do and how you can differentiate a “Wardman” from a “Lindy” once and for all.

The oldest style you'll encounter in D.C. is Georgian. Dating back to the 1700s, its red brick, perfect symmetry, and minimal ornamentation made it all the rage in colonial times. After the Revolution, it evolved into Federal style, which was similar but more refined with a fan-shaped window above the door.

Georgetown is the motherload for both Georgian and Federal styles. Look for the telltale austere red brick symmetry and federal fanlights. Capitol Hill also has a decent mix of both styles. The White House and 

"Victorian" is technically a time period that ended with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, but it’s often used to describe the more ornamental style of home that dominated the mid-to-late 19th century. This looked like tall, narrow row houses with bay windows and lots of ornate details — aka my dream house. The Romanesque Revival sub-style was particularly popular in D.C., with lots of heavy masonry, rounded half-circle arches, and a more monumental feeling.

Logan Circle and Adams Morgan have the highest concentration but Dupont Circle is known specifically for Romanesque Revivals, Heurich House being a prime example.

Suddenly, at the turn of the 20th century, the complex and moody Victorian look was out and Beaux Arts was all the rage. Bright symmetrical limestone facades, classical columns, and exuberant, almost gaudy, decorative details. Turns out, a lot of D.C.'s “Beaux Arts” buildings are actually just fashionable details grafted onto existing styles, but I think it makes it all the more charming.

 Embassy Row! Many of the Embassy Row’s grand limestone mansions were originally built for Gilded Age tycoons. Some other classic examples are the old 

 (now the Apple Store/DC History Center) and The National Museum of Natural History.

Finally, we get two distinctly D.C. housing styles, both tied to specific developers. Harry Wardman popularized the porch front row house (all hail the Porchfest godfather). The simple style was created cheaply to accommodate D.C.’s rapidly growing population of middle-income government employees. 

 to have housed 10% of D.C.’s population by 1925.

Then there's the Lindy, a sneaky Federal-style townhouse made popular by developer Barry Lindy that actually has two separate apartments, helping solve a big affordability problem in D.C. at the time.

Petworth is the mecca of Wardman homes but they are generally scattered throughout Northwest D.C. Lindy houses can be found in Capitol Hill and throughout Adams Morgan.

 to pull up the original building permits, architect, and developer for almost any property in the city.

🎧 Learn More About DC-Specific Architecture

D.C.’s neighborhoods are a patchwork of distinct architectural styles, each tied to a specific historical moment.

Get To Know the Architecture of DC Homes

People, places, and scenes from DC's past.

DC History

Welcome to our rolling list of all the best new restaurants opening in the District!

As D.C.’s restaurant scene mourns the imminent loss of Chinatown’s wafu standby Tonari (closing May 3), I'm looking ahead to the city's restaurant openings. From a reincarnation of Tail Up Goat to a neighborhood favorite reopening, what’s old is new again this April.

Chef Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino just reopened his hit sushi counter 

 food hall. Hailing from Fukuoka, Japan, Chef Uchi started in D.C. at Sushi Nakazawa and more recently has led the

 (now Katsumi). So, needless to say, he knows what he’s doing. For now, Kiyomi is only open for lunch with a $40 sushi or handroll omakase menu, plus a la carte offerings. It’s the deal of the century if you ask me.

Tail Up Goat’s owners are back in the same space with a new, more casual concept. 

—named after their two dogs—is a counter service restaurant dishing up fancy-ish comfort food. Think fried chicken with chilli jam and black garlic, anchovy toast, and wild greens ravioli.

Unless you’re off the grid, you’ve doubtless seen this viral 

 come across your feed. The bagels have a crusty exterior and steamy fluffy inside that makes them perfect for pulling apart. D.C. has long fought accusations of being a bagel desert, and I must admit these do scratch that New England artisan bagel itch.

 is reopening in Dupont after a four-month, $1.5 million renovation with a new look and new menu. Dishes include kousayyah with zucchini, labneh, urfa spice and walnut, kufta bil batata with minced ribeye meatballs and aged basturma with thinly-sliced beef tenderloin and basturma spice.

Bar Japonais rebranded itself with a totally new look and menu. But the best part — its lead chef Masaaki “Uchi” Uchino, also of Kiyomi— is staying the same. 

 neon street art aesthetic makes way for a surprisingly well-crafted new Japanese menu with everything from nigiri to banging sour-cream-and-onion chips and an excellent cocktail program to top it off. Weekend and late-night DJs solidify it as the new what’s what of 14th Street.

Boulangerie Saint Georges (Eastern Market)

 finally opened last weekend on 7th St. Everything is made daily in-house, from viennoiserie and pastries to breads, macarons, salads and seasonal sweets. The kitchen is adding a bistro menu with more sandwiches, hot meals, and wine in the coming weeks. The lines have been excessively long — you’ve been warned!

 chain is opening its second D.C. location on April 17th in the restored 1950s Little Tavern building in the Union Market neighborhood (previously a 24-hour Subway). I’m obsessed with their Earl Grey cloud cake, so you will be seeing me there on the regular.

 is expanding its footprint inside La Cosecha at the Union Market District with a new all-day breakfast menu, plus lunch and dinner.

 is opening their first stand-alone location in the East End on April 20 with empanadas, sandwiches, and pisco sour slushies.

, from the owner of Bollywood Bistro and Commonwealth Indian, opened in NoMa.

Is that *sniff* Parmesan? Two new homestyle Italian spots are opening on opposite sides of D.C. this month along with a Korean-American cafe and a meaty revamp of José Andrés’ Waldorf Astoria restaurant.

 inside the Canopy Hotel at The Wharf. Housemade pastas, Neapolitan pizzas, fresh grilled fish, and sunny spritzes are all served in a bright open dining room meant to resemble a quaint Italian piazza. And the floor to ceiling windows and views of the water do

 like Venice. I’m begging you, don’t skip the tiramisu for dessert.

 Bazaar Meat is replacing his other restaurant, The Bazaar, in the Waldorf Astoria. The menu is centered around premium cuts and theatrical dining. Think bone-in New York strip, Japanese Wagyu, and even a whole suckling pig for those looking to dine communally. Signature Bazaar dishes — like the cotton candy foie gras and caviar cone — will remain on the menu alongside a jamón bar, raw bar, and cocktail program.

Downtown office workers everywhere cried when Poppabox closed last year. But now from the ashes comes this all-day 

 with bibimbap, cup noodles, katsu, and cream donuts. They are soft-launching until March 10 before opening officially.

 that opened late last month serves Chinese-style breakfast sandwiches and congee in the morning and transforms into a disco parlor with full plates at night. Get the roast duck or the honey char siu along with $12 specialty cocktails under the spinning disco ball.

Opened by a former banker, nothing costs more than $30 at this 

 — including the steak. Nick Perkins, formerly of Petite Cerise, leads the kitchen and the concise menu is full of comforting classics like Caesar salad, rigatoni, and bread pudding. The drink menu is mostly different takes on negronis and spritzes, because what else do you need?

A love letter to the streets of Bombay, steel plates clink and chai simmers endlessly at 

this new Indian street food spot in Alexandria

. The menu features bhel puri, vada pav, and layered chaats, alongside classics like butter chicken and biryani. The interior screams 90s with Bollywood posters lining the walls and fried dishes served in newspaper.

While some people have a “TBR" (to be read) list , I have a “TBE” (to be eaten) list , and this month it is absolutely stacked. From Nikkei-style hand rolls to celeb cocktail bars to pour-over coffee, these are D.C. best new spots to try.

This moody, 25-seat counter restaurant by Chef Carlos Delgado of Causa specializes in Nikkei-style hand rolls — a Japanese immigrant-inspired cuisine from Peru. Think cigar-sized handrolls with fillings like ceviche, fatty tuna, and scallops with parmesan sauce. It opens on Feb. 20 and is primarily walk-in only.

Opening Feb. 8 at La Cosecha, this cocktail bar is the brainchild of actor Wilmer Valderrama (from “That '70s Show”) and Colada Shop co-founder Daniella Senior. It draws inspo from Latin American traditions and communal hospitality and will serve complimentary hangover soup at last call.

This new cafe refers to itself as a “neighborhood salon.” By day it is a sun-lit cafe serving Swing’s coffee and pastries from Souk. Then after 4 p.m. it turns into a cocktail bar. Currently only the cafe is open, with bar operations coming soon.

Inspired by Cranes’ sold-out taco omakase collab, Chef Pepe Moncayo is transforming Cranes into a high-energy taqueria by day. The casual lunch menu combines Spanish and Japanese flavors into tacos like chicken karaage with napa cabbage and togarashi crema, garlic shrimp a la plancha with chili oil, and koji-marinated skirt steak with salsa macha and lime. If you go between 11-11:45 a.m. you get a free taco!

Real D.C. coffee snobs know Black Crown has been pumping out the best espresso on Capitol Hill for a while, but their gorgeous new cafe space on the 2nd floor of the Cannon House Office Building has brought it to a new level. You 

have to pass security to get in. But, it’s worth it.

Located above Sushi Sato, this cocktail and karaoke lounge has $1 dumplings after midnight to keep the party going. Cocktails include a matcha martini, a miso whiskey sour, and a deadly long Thailand iced tea.

Aka the Bitcoin bar (don’t worry, they also take card), this part dive bar, part tech hub is one of the oddest establishments we’ve been to. The massive space hosts two bars, a huge stage, a podcast studio, and bitcoin think tank offices. The drinks are strong and everything is fried in beef tallow.

January is a notoriously slow month for D.C.’s restaurant scene, but there are still a few great new places to check out, including showy steakhouses, a bitcoin bar, and several additional locations of D.C. favorites.

This massive new Gaúcho-style restaurant features traditional flavors from southern Brazil. Choose from different fire-roasted cuts of beef, lamb, or pork carved tableside as part of the price-fixed experience. They also have more untraditional options like bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, beer marinated chicken drumsticks, or grilled shrimp finished with a passionfruit and mango glaze.

Have you ever eaten at a Japanese-Brazilian steakhouse? Me neither, but I’m excited to try. One of the first of its kind in the country, Churasuko combines Japanese and Brazilian dishes with options like tableside shaved wagyu and sashimi, Brazilian cheese bread with gochujang, seafood towers, and fusion cocktails.

This will be the fourth and largest location of this female-founded, Mexican street food joint. Besides their classic cemitas, tlayudas, and tacos, this location will also have new items like a steak trompo and a lineup of house-made paletas. The bar includes a Mexican-inspired espresso martini and the “Mai Horcha-Tai,” a tiki cocktail with Mexican spirits and house-made horchata orgeat. Yum.

Fast-casual NYC chain Springbone Kitchen opened its first D.C. location in Georgetown in December. The menu includes grain bowls with housemade hot sauce, but the highlight is definitely the plethora of cozy bone broths that come in potable coffee cups. My favorite thing I got there was the bone broth hot chocolate. Don’t knock it til you try it.

This unassuming tavern — dubbed D.C.’s crypto bar — is 50% dive bar, 50% crypto think tank, and 100% nightmare first date spot. The tallow-fried bar menu includes burgers, half-smokes, and chopped cheese sandwiches, crab cakes and a $100 tiki drink only purchasable through bitcoin. But the cocktails are admittedly good, and it does open at 11 a.m.

JINYA is opening yet another D.C. location next week, but it’s okay because we can’t get enough. Rich ramen broths, dumplings, creative cocktails, and affordable prices make it a welcome addition to the Georgetown food scene.

Welcome to our rolling list of all the best new restaurants opening in Washington, DC!

Washington, DC's Best New Restaurants and Bars

DC's Best New Restaurants and Bars

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in DC. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

DC Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Madeline Weinfield

Cherry blossom peak bloom may be behind us, but D.C.’s most colorful season is just getting started. The city is filled with flowering trees and bushes that get overlooked thanks to the spotlight-stealing cherries. Here are the other best blooms to look out for.

Marjorie Merriweather Post – cereal heiress and mid-century D.C. hostess extraordinaire – is known today for her palatial Forest Hills home and her lifelong love affair with orchids. The vast grounds contain over 1,200 different species of orchids. March was “Orchid Month” but you can find varieties blooming year-round, including in Post’s greenhouse. Staff at the visitors center will even loan you a picnic blanket and map if you ask nicely.

, it’s well worth a trip to these gardens at the far edges of the D.C. diamond. Go in late July when the blooms are at their peak, but don’t wear your best shoes, since it 

a marsh after all. Besides the blooms, don’t miss the marsh boardwalk at the far back corner of the park. The natural wetland is home to over 250 species of birds.

 are an instant serotonin boost and essential part of D.C. spring. The estate was once owned by Mildred Dumbarton (a laxative heiress) but is now open for all. The grounds feature incredible flowering plum trees, an orangery, and voluminous forsythia bushes. For me, the highlight is the hanging Wisteria that blooms in April at the pebble garden. Get tickets ahead of time as service there is spotty. Food and drinks aren’t allowed, so finish your coffee beforehand.

The Arboretum’s 446 acres are full of flowering trees. Come for the magnolias (mid-March to June), dogwoods (mid April to early June), and the crab apple trees (early April to May). But the most magical time (IMHO) is when the azaleas bloom in April, covering the hills with swaths of red and pink. The Arboretum’s 

Situated between the Smithsonian Castle and Independence Avenue, this garden is flanked by rows of old magnolia trees, especially around the Moongate Garden. It's the perfect spot to get away from the National Mall crowds and steal some photo ops away from tourists. For something more local, try Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown, which has rows and rows of magnolias lining its paths.

DC Blooms Better Than the Cherry Blossoms

Find the best of everything that DC has to offer.

DC’s Best

DC's Best

The Holocaust Museum has been quietly changing its content since President Trump returned to office to avoid drawing the administration’s ire. 

 — to break down what happened and what it means for D.C.’s cultural institutions.

The museum preemptively pulled a web page on “Teaching Materials on Nazism and Jim Crow,” and cancelled a one-day civic education workshop called "Fragility of Democracy and the Rise of the Nazis,” citing funding pressures and concerns about the current political climate.

The Holocaust Museum is a federal museum whose board is mostly appointed by the president. At the beginning of his second term, President Trump removed about a dozen of President Biden's appointees just months into their five-year terms and replaced them with loyalists.

“That's never happened before. A president has never fired from the board a former president's appointees before their terms were up,” Sentner told us.

It’s unclear if the directive came from the board itself, but Sentner confirmed it came from ongoing conversations by "museum leadership.”

The Holocaust Museum's response represents a broader pattern at D.C. cultural institutions.

While Holocaust museum staff was pulling divisive programing, the Kennedy Center was undergoing a 

 by the Trump administration. In that instance, Trump was able to use his newly-appointed board of loyalists to push his priorities, ultimately announcing the institution would be shut down for two years starting in July for reconstruction.

Additionally, last August the White House ordered 

an extensive review of eight of D.C.’s Smithsonian museums

, in which they identified areas that needed revising to “

” with the administration’s view of American history ahead of the country’s 250th birthday.

Sentner explained that staff at the Holocaust Museum saw their programming changes as necessary to avoid similar public confrontation and board upheaval What makes the Holocaust Museum's situation significant is that this all happened under the rug, without the Trump administration having to order the changes.

"There's a lot of self-preservation happening,” said Sentner. “Looking at what has happened at the other peer institutions…it's a realist choice to make."

Listen to the full conversation 🎧

Why the Holocaust Museum Self-Censored Before Trump Even Asked

What's being decided in DC City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and DC City Council.

DC Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

The food critic at the Washington Post has long been seen as an all-powerful — and totally anonymous — figure in the local restaurant industry. But the paper’s new critic, Elazar Sontag, is rejecting that anonymity for a more transparent approach. The first thing he did after replacing long-timer 

 was bring back the star review system and introduce himself 

”The work of being anonymous has largely become kind of a theater act,” explained Sontag. “ Sometimes I do get [special] treatment, but I want to be able to talk about it openly and transparently because critics have gotten that treatment for a very long time.”

Since November, Sontag has been eating out seven nights a week to get a sense of he DMV’s food scene. “ I am not trying to pretend that I understand D.C. as well as even [locals] might,” he explained. “I am just offering people a way to see the city and the region anew through my eyes.”

 about D.C.’s changing dining scene, the role of a critic, and the best spots he’s been so far. Below, a list of some superlatives we threw his way.

Best place to go on a third date with someone you want to impress?

“When I really want to impress my partner, who I've been with for closer to five years, I take him to 

…It’s very special and very romantic without feeling too stuffy.”

Best place to take your enemy, someone you can't trust.

. It's a little pasta bar that's standing room only. And I would position myself close to the door, so if they pulled out the butter knife, I could just run.”

] in Vienna serves a dish of century eggs, which are these long-cured eggs in Chinese cuisine that turn black….They're served with crushed chilies, fermented bean curd, and eggplant.”

“It's rare in this line of work that I eat something that feels totally novel and exciting to me. And when that happens, it's like that moment in Ratatouille.”

"The awful thing about a martini is you so rarely remember that you drank it. I had a nice one at 

. It's a great little modern bistro, by the Popal group…Chef Matt Conroy's very talented and it's a very romantic little place for just you and your mother-in-law. If you can get in!”

…there is a Basque cheesecake, which is a pretty wild dish. The center is barely baked. So it's just this lovely layer of cheesecake on the outside. And then at the center, it's this runny, sweet, funky, intense cheese.”

DC's Top Food Critic’s Favorite Spots

Picture this: you’re a new grad spending $600 a month on a makeshift room in a Columbia Heights group home. You’re basking in the sun with friends on the Wonderland patio sharing a plate of tots just a 

hungover. Life is full of possibilities. That’s the beauty of the 11th Street strip.

While I’ve since moved (my tolerance for Craigslist roomies hit its limit) the area is still my favorite hangout spot in the District. You can garden, snack on crispy pig ears, and grab frozen margs — all within a few blocks.

, but you won’t catch me complaining. They may not have the most dialed-in espresso but the seasonal flavors (pistachio dragée latte?!) and complimentary side of animal crackers put my coffee snobbery to rest. A little farther out, you have 

 pulling shots from small-batched beans which are well worth the extra four blocks.

Check out one of the community events at the 

, a community run urban garden that hosts open mics and volunteer opportunities in the warm seasons. If that’s not your thing, head to the bougie bodega 

 to peruse expensive spices and kombucha before settling on a freshly made onigiri. On Thursday evenings you can find trivia at The Coupe 

(tip: the music played between rounds always includes a hint).

 is one of my all time faves. It’s an upscale Hong Kong-style restaurant with a rotating seasonal menu and impeccable interior design. But it's not an everyday affair. For that you’ll want to head to 

 for their dependable neapolitan pies with a neighborhood vibe.

Now that Makan has closed (RIP) I’ll also throw an honorable mention to the 

 rooftop for days when you really just need some al pastor and a frozen marg with Tajín on the rim.

 — it is a D.C. rite of passage. But in my old age (30 😉) I’ve come to prefer soaking up sun and mimosas on its patio instead. Plus, I’ll never say no to their greasy brunch (except the mac n’ cheese pancakes; they’re not made for human stomachs).

. I don’t follow sports, but luckily, Buddy’s is more of a good bar where sports just happen to be playing. The roomy outdoor bar is equipped with TVs, lanterns, and lots of seating — perfect for a lazy afternoon.

More DC Neighborhood Guides

11th Street in Columbia Heights is one of my favorite hangout spot in the District. You can garden, snack on crispy pig ears, and grab frozen margs — all within a few blocks.

Get to Know 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights

Everything to know about DC neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

DC Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

Remember the days before Elon Musk's DOGE, when the major discussion in D.C. was his fantastical hyperloop? No? Hardly surprising as it’s considered one of the biggest transport flops in D.C. history. We talked with 

What’s the Hyperloop and Why Did DC Want It?

The hyperloop concept dates back to 2013, when Elon Musk and a team of SpaceX engineers proposed what they called the "fifth mode of transportation" — a vacuum-sealed tunnel between D.C. and Baltimore, eventually adding Philadelphia and New York — that would eliminate drag and propel passengers in pods at roughly 700 miles per hour.

In 2017, Musk suddenly took to Twitter to announce he had "verbal government approval" to build a hyperloop connecting D.C. and New York, a trip that would take 29 minutes. He claimed it would be 100% privately funded and would be done in two years.

 what he was talking about. Reporters reached out to state agencies, governors' offices, and mayors' offices along the proposed route — and found…nothing. “Eventually you actually get this trail of breadcrumbs that leads back to none other than real estate heir Jared Kushner, who seems to be the driving force behind this project,” 

It quickly became clear that The Boring Company — Musk's Hyperloop venture — struggled to answer even fundamental questions when meeting with transit officials. Had they accounted for D.C.'s notoriously wet, unstable soil? What if it ruptured? What about seismic activity? The answers were consistently no. “ Those [meetings] were described to me as an unmitigated disaster,” 

Additionally, the technology itself was non-existent with prototypes struggling to make it work safely at even 200 mph, nevermind 700 mph. By 2018, the goalposts shifted dramatically. The new vision became essentially 16-person buses in a tunnel. Then 

 became Tesla sedans, which they showed off at a press demo.

By the time a draft environmental assessment was released in 2019, the project — now just called “The Loop” — was essentially an alarmingly unsafe lithium-powered underground shuttle with a daily capacity of less than a single Metro car. Nobody was on board. Eventually, the Boring Company stopped communicating at all, and by 2021 

In short, nothing. The project quietly died in 2021, and Ribel unearthed its history for his 

. “ Nobody wants to revisit this chapter,” 

, “People are embarrassed by this, as they should be.” The proposed Hyperloop terminal in NoMa was sold to a developer for luxury apartments, its web domain was taken over, and it effectively disappeared from the DMV zeitgeist.

In the meantime, the transit improvements that would actually move the needle — light rail, expanded bus service, increased Metro investment — are the unglamorous options that keep getting passed over. For this reason and others, many were 

. But if you close your eyes really hard on the red line, you can almost pretend you’re on a 700 mph hyperloop, right?

Listen To The Full Disaster 

Before Elon Musk's DOGE there was his fantastical hyperloop. But, it went down as one of the biggest transport flops in D.C. history. We talked with Matt Ribel for the full story. 

Inside the Story of Elon Musk’s Failed DC Hyperloop

The answers hinges on your knowledge of D.C. and local news.