Hey, friend. City Cast DC team lead Priyanka Tilve here, swooping in with a guide to one of my favorite mini-neighborhoods, the stretch of 17th Street NW between P Street NW and R Street NW.
First, coffee: Start at Au Lait Cafe for strong espresso, fast service, and great pastries. They also have nice sandwiches. Eat them at the patio tables and soak up some vitamin D.
Where to eat: Astoria is one of the best restaurants in the city, in my opinion. Make sure to get the water-boiled beef if you like that numbing Sichuan spice. For something (slightly) milder, get the beef soup with chewy hand-pulled noodles. Around the corner is the Nordic cafe Mikko with delicious shepherd's pie and other cultural staples. It's also the only place in D.C. to get lonkero, or Finnish long drink, which is a canned cocktail of gin and grapefruit soda.
The water boiled beef is not for the spice adverse! (Adam Perkins/Hey DC reader)
What to do: I don't even have a dog, but S Street Park holds a special place in my life. It’s like a doggie nightclub in there, with all the dogs jumping around. For a human club vibe, Dupont Italian Kitchen has karaoke nearly every day (exceptions: Monday and Wednesday) and it's a blast. They've got space for dancing, mics for belting, and laser lights to set the mood.
After dinner: Head to hotel bar Lyle’s for a nightcap or continue the festivities at the sea-themed dive bar The Commodore. Or, grab some olive oil ice cream from Happy Ice Cream.
