Let me just say I ran around 18 miles today, give or take this or that. And let me also say that people need to learn how to WALK ON SIDEWALKS WITHOUT TAKING UP THE ENTIRE 8 FEET OF CONCRETE. I mean, I know America is going through a health crisis and sidewalks were meant for lesser, more meager people, but please, stick to one side of the sidewalk and don't swing your grocery bag like school just let out.


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Now that I have properly vented, which is probably just the runners high that I am still on, I must say that it has been quite the week in DC. I have learned that wearing a suit in over 100 degree weather will quickly put hair on your chest, and that Whole Foods does not clearly distinguish between bagged coffee that is either "pre-ground" or "haha, we made it feel like it was ground, but what you really paid $13 for were beans, and you don't even have a coffee grinder." Did I go caveman and just plop those beans in a plastic bag and smash them with a saucepan? You bet. Did I do it at 8am on a Monday? You bet your lucky stars I did. Did it work? Well, lets just say that I might as well go to Starbucks all week because it would be cheaper than my homemade concoction. Somehow locally sourced Maryland coffee bean guys:  1  ;   Aaron:  .5  (just because no one else would of smashed those suckers with a saucepan.)

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Let see, what happened this week, oh yea, it was the most glorious week of the year. When a certain man who is the author of this Oranje Blog was born. A yearly ceremonial procession of all things me. So, we went out to a little place called Busboys & Poets. It was a trendy spot, all sorts of hipster vibes (not necessarily a good thing, but it was pretty toned down and no outward hipsters around to ruin a decent time). Good down home cooking. That is what they have here. For starters we got some good old sweet potato fries, a staple of my college diet, and a wonderful plate of plum sauce covered coconut fried tofu. It tasted like what a vegan might think bacon tastes like, heaven. Nice for an appetizer, but Aaron likes real food. So, I decided on the shrimp and basil grit cake. As you can see above, it came in a red sauce, covered with asparagus and, as a friend said, "he gets silent when he likes what he's eating." Indeed I was quite quiet during this meal. Now after this, and my phone losing battery life and not being able to take any more pics, my bday group went to one of two breweries in DC, Capitol City Brewing. It was crowded, it was hectic, but the Kolsch and Bourben Barrel Aged Stout were soooo worth the hassle. The Kolsch was nice and light, though still missing that essential Koln taste (awwww I can taste that city now.....  :(  ). {Mark this---First emoticon used in this blogging apparatus}. The Stout was heavy, and it smelled like coffee liquor. But my oh my it had a dry coffee taste (something, because of Whole Foods, I am lacking right now) with the strong overtones of chocolate and whiskey. Anything aged in bourbon barrels is going to be good, hell someone should try pickles....

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Outside of work I can say I have been partaking in a pretty high-standard of living. I peruse the markets on the weekend (or should I say, EAT my way through markets...this week- Rugelach and Indirolls from Eastern Market, both = success). I do a lot of lounging, whether this is what real people do in the real world, I am not sure, but at least I am doing it outside, and getting a rockin' tan and reading like a fiend. I can say that my time here is incomplete......I have not witnessed the glory that are the DC Food Trucks.....this will be remedied within the coming days, to be fulfilled with such elation that I won't mind roasting in a suit to do so. Showarma, cupcakes, tacos, burritos, sushi, what is one to do? I mean sampling all is just too much, and I hate carrying around cash, but "thy will of the food truck gods must be done." I will try it out, and with an almost 99.99999% confidence, I will thoroughly enjoy every waking moment of it.
Now, if I can figure out how Whole Foods works, I will be set, and the search for pre-ground coffee will commence. I like you Whole Foods, your produce is good, your buffet thing is awesome, and you provided me with the best chocolate chip muffin of my life, but please give me a break man!

 
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This is a question that I won't soon be able to answer. Small, cake like beings topped with a gooey top layers and sometimes filled with a mystery flavor. Hmm, maybe the cupcake is the personification of a bureaucrat or lobbyist. Well, any how, all I can say is that with the plethora of cupcake trucks, cupcake-show oriented shops, and little holes in the wall (like Georgetown's Sprinkles) I can say that one of my least favorite pastries is quickly rising the ranks. Want a double chocolate cupcake? How about a cherry lime? Or does something with beer in it do? Little snacks for fancy suits, that's how this town rolls.

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One would think in this town of busy bodies that there would be no salvageable area worth laying down at and concentrating. Well, luckily, the good city of DC has laid out a wonderful area on the Potomac with fully fountain, grassy areas, and enough space to have two dogs, five crazy kids, and many cigar smoking old guys to just relax for a few hours. Between the crazy running that I have been up to, seeing sites, dodging bikes, getting hissed at by geese, almost running over small children, I've really had some great time to explore and see the other, non-people packed side of DC. Let me tell you first hand, it is there, there is quiet, and you can semi-ignore tourists for about a whole 5 minutes. Not to mention, that is city is home to some of the best things between two slices of bread that I have ever encountered. And, coming from Pittsburgh, I believe that garners DC a level of legitimacy.

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I give you, The Good Stuff Eatery. Phenomenal. Simply delicious. The burger had all sorts of weird asian dressings, sprouts, bamboo shoots, kim chi, but for the first time in my life, I feel in love with mayonnaise (obviously on this continent, as if you read prior Dutch posts I feel in love with Belegte Mayo). It was juicy, slightly burnt (a big win), and the bun was not that slimy thing that you frequently get at almost all other establishments. The mayo was simply to die for. Old Bay Mayo, chipotle mayo, and the one of the weirdest (and I thought impossible) combos, Pineapple Mayo. To say the least the pineapple mayo was slathered on everything; burger, fries, fingers, though not the shirt. But the star of the show were the fries, a greasy combo that was crunchy yet soft, with loads of rosemary, thyme and other spices that knocked my Congressionally heard head off its rocker. Unhealthy, you bet, but a few clogged arteries can get worked out over time. Just add, because it deserves it's due justice, a cold pastrami-avocado-mushroom monstrosity wrapped up in a kaiser roll from The Booeymonger in Gtown is the best way to cap a two hour run.

Germans. Deutsch. Spatzle. Futball. They are everywhere around here. And for my liking, it is a good thing too. With Germans come German food, and therefore, it makes me very happy. To add to my gastronomic week of adventure, a short Friday garnered a trip to the Biergarten Haus. Over spatzle, currywurst, und Kolsch, und ein bisschen ukraine-britain futball.  Me and my fellow studentinarbeiteren went and gobbled up some deutsche-grub. Big barrels, big hall, and all wood paneling, my type of place.
Thus far, all is well. The city empties out on weekends because the bureaucrats see enough of it, I am slowly starting to understand the "American Fietser", and I have quite a good group of people (and restaurants) to keep me busy. Off to another week of DC life, meaning high 90s and lots of spontaneous protests!
 
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Before I start writing about anything, I must simply say this; that Old Ebbitt Grill a block from the White House exudes DC cuisine. Not expensive, yet a little daunting due to the mahogany everything, beast heads, and seemingly endless droves of pin-stripe suited offiziellen that come tromping through the door, only to find out that they still have to wait on their reserved table. Personally, I've been born again, and in the shape of lump crab. From the Bethesda Crab Shack, to singular, yet dense and expertly crabbed up tower sitting in between plain green beans and a potato (and a potato, I must say, which is astonishing crispy, old-bay seasoned potato). First official restaurant stop was a success, with, of course, many more to follow.

I"ve also can say that I've tasted DC. First because I got a (nasty) swig of it as I dunked my head in the Georgetown Waterfront Park giant squirting fountain. A task that I will now forever execute with more caution. (But hey, I was hot as I ran past, and no one was messing around, so what's one to do?). Second, I ingested a beer not necessarily to my liking.....I blame our Scandinavian (Swedish??) waitress who didn't know the beers and I believe screwed up what I want. But, anyhoo I ended up getting a hoppy monstrosity from DC Brau, some local guys up north. Not my favorite, but I can say I've been DC baptized (see 1st picture below)

(The 2nd pic is from the apt, the World Bank literally keeps me up at night because they leave all the lights on, I mean bailing out the world's developing countries is one thing, but be sustainable! ; And I was elated to find stroopwafels chilling in a grocery store...just in time for a 1-0 Denmark-Holland loss.....)


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I love running, and one thing I love more than moving fast is running on level terrain with minimal hazards. I have found that this city presents both. Much better than the hurried, annoying, "hey cars have the right-of-way-right? drivers of Pittsburgh. Oh and did I mention there are barely hills here? Nothing but straight lines, random memorial parks, and hidden monuments for me to get distracted by. I've ran Arlington, I've ran the Jefferson Tidal Basin, I've ran fast, I've ran slow, I've run past Karl Rove (twice, in different places). So about a week in, and I've founder runners heaven. Plus, I don't look like a tourist, I mean what overachievers would workout during a vacation? Another great thing is that if you catch the stoplights right, one can have almost a full day to cross them. I could practically lay down, and crab walk across the 6 laned Pennsylvania Avenue, and still have a ton of time left over for lunch. But, of course, you hit it wrong, and you have to start the whole running thing all over again. (Body goes, "Huh?").

Lastly, talk about a young city. And eine deustche Stadt. There are as many interns milling about as there are German restaurants. I'd have to say that if you come from DC, your ancestory goes something like, "Well I've got a little German, a little something else from somewhere in Europe, and about a quarter from Internistan." Literally, everywhere, The Hill, on the Mall, sipping at Starbucks, in the elevators, at the pizza places (oh no, those are people who don't work for the government, but do get a paycheck).  I can say I am peachy-keen here. It's a young town full of people obsessed with running, and has about as a diverse culinary spread as you'll find. I think it'll be a great summer. Oh, and did I mention I had a chorizo-black bean-rice emapanada the size of a small rabbit?