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Art Travel / Design Travel / Washington / Museum Travel / → All Tags

Washington DC Knows About the Light At the End of the Tunnel

For all of you who headed out in the middle of winter for the Washington DC party of the year, also known as the presidential election, but didn't have enough time or personal space to enjoy the rest of the sites of the city, spring may just be the perfect time to plot a return.

Along with the millions of blooming cherry blossoms on the Mall, the National Gallery of Art will have the "Multiverse," a light show with 41,000 LEDs rocking out to rhythmic patterns in a 200-foot-long tunnel between the museum's wings.

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Inauguration Eats / Inauguration Travel / Food Travel / Barack Obama / → All Tags

Is Inauguration The New New Years Eve?

That's what it looks like from the elaborate (read: pricey) inaugural menus popping up at DC restaurants. The most lavish we've seen so far is the three-day extravaganza at the wine-centric Mediterranean spot Proof in Penn Quarter.

If you're in town early, Proof gets things going with a $120, four-course tasting menu and live jazz show on the evening before the inauguration. Cheapskates can view the show from the bar for just $40, but you don't get dinner, so we're not exactly sold on that idea.

On the afternoon of inauguration, Proof is offering a $75 buffet brunch, which includes tax, tip and unlimited Champagne, while the parade and swearing-in are broadcast on four flat-screen TVs.

Finally, for those who hoped to go to a swanky inaugural ball but didn't score an invite, Proof's Tuesday evening bash is a Cristal-and-caviar-until-3 am kind of deal, but it'll set you back $250 a head.

Related Stories:
· Proof [Official Site]
· Inauguration Eats [Jaunted]
· Inauguration Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Proof]

New DC Restaurants / Restaurants / → All Tags

New DC Restaurant: Nando's Peri-Peri

Fast food restaurants usually start in America and then make their slow, unhealthy crawl across the globe, so it's nice to see the rare occurrence of an international chain encroaching on these shores. Nando's Peri-Peri is South Africa's most popular chain restaurant--well, after KFC and McDonald's--and recently opened its first stateside branch in DC's Gallery Place neighborhood.

The namesake Portuguese-East African peri-peri sauce is made from a spicy red chili and can be found on tables throughout South Africa and Mozambique; it's smothered on grilled chicken here. The menu has been Americanized just a bit, with additions like a steak sandwich and a portobello wrap, but the browned spicy chicken is certifiably how they do it in SA.

Need another reason to pass by this crowded neighborhood's other fast food options? Nando's has Portuguese beer, and wine by the glass and bottle.

Related Stories:
· Nando's Peri-Peri [Official Site]
· New DC Restaurant: Commonwealth Gastropub [Jaunted]
· Washington, DC Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Nando's]

Museums / Summer Travel / Buildings / Architecture / Architecture Travel / Eero Saarinen / → All Tags

Eero Saarinen Travel: Heaven for Architecture Geeks in DC

Eero Saarinen is the Finnish-American architect who designed the St. Louis Arch, JFK's Terminal 5, Dulles International's Main Terminal and the instantly recognizable tulip chair. But he never got the praise that other modern architects enjoyed, either because his style was so revolutionary or because he died young, the victim of a brain tumor.

Through August 23, the National Building Museum in DC is hosting the first-ever major retrospective of his career, including documents, photos, models, videos and furniture. We went to check it out a few weeks ago and were pretty impressed. While the whole exhibition takes only about an hour to see, it was very cool to immerse ourselves in the work of a single architect. And, hey, the show is free.

But since seeing drawings and photos is only half the fun of architecture travel, we'll be taking a deeper look at some of Saarinen's most interesting buildings this week. Stay tuned.

Related Stories:
· Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future [Official Site]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]