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Every Day is the First Thanksgiving at NMAI

[Publisher's note: Newly minted Jaunted contributing editor Zulkey tells us why she loves re-visiting the District. Enjoy.]

Having attended college in Washington DC, I return to our national's capitol on a fairly regular basis to visit friends and return to my favorite haunts. The last time I went, a friend of mine who works for the Washington Post Weekend section suggested that I try lunch one day at the National Museum of the American Indian. "What do they serve there, maize?" I asked mockingly. I always figured that unless you planned on hiking several blocks, the only reliable lunch options on the Mall were those hot dog stands offering "half smokes," whatever those are.

However, my parents are currently in DC and I dutifully told my mother that the cafeteria at the NMAI was recommended by a friend. I'm not laughing anymore. The word from Mom:

"I had lunch at National Musem of the American Indian. I had two side dishes: pureed squash with nuts and cranberries and a wild rice salad. Very good."

And living in Chicago, recently declared GQ's Best Restaurant City in America, she knows from "very good."

So if you're in DC and trolling the Mall, be sure to stop by the Mitsitam ("Let's eat!" in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples.) Café. According to the site, "The museum's Mitsitam Native Foods Café enhances the museum experience by providing visitors the opportunity to enjoy the indigenous cuisines of the Americas and to explore the history of Native foods. The café features Native foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Meso America, and the Great Plains. Each food station depicts regional lifeways related to cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavors found in both traditional and contemporary dishes." Especially good for tourists looking to eat healthfully during their visit.

[Photo: NMAI website]

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