A Touch of Teal | Washington, DC Lifestyle Blogger

dc food + drinks

11.17.19

Dinner Club: Le Diplomate

My birthday was on Friday, and to celebrate, I took the day off work and did all of my favorite things. I went to Soul Cycle, got my nails done, and went to out to margaritas with my friends—it was the best birthday yet. I also went to lunch at Le Diplomate here in DC with my mom, which is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. The atmosphere is unbeatable, and the burger is the best in town. Despite living just a few blocks away from Le Dip and eating there often—including last NYE!—I realized I have never done a dinner club recap of this institution, so we’re fixing that today.

Located on 14th Street, one thing that’s really striking about Le Diplomate is that it’s one of, if not the only, one-story structure on the street. The building is historic, so a developer couldn’t tear it down and build housing or office space over the ground-floor retail. Both the inside and outside invoke a Parisian brasserie, and the atmosphere is welcoming and warm, despite the level of sophistication the restaurant espouses.

I’ve never had a bad meal at Le Dip—it’s one of those places where the food and service is reliably great. It’s also one of those restaurants that is perfect for any occasion—a birthday, a holiday, a goodbye dinner, or just because. But regardless of when you go, I’d recommend having a reservation—this spot is popular for good reason.
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washington, dc

11.16.19

Newsies is in Town at Arena Stage!

I was lucky enough to see one of my all-time favorite musicals this week for the fourth time: Newsies! If you’re in the DC area, it’s playing at Arena Stage now through December 29. Once I shared that I was lucky enough to see the show opening night over on Instagram Stories, a few DC folks reached to to me that they had no idea in town. So I thought it would be a good idea to share a little write-up about it here since it seems like many of you share my passion for Newsies!

If you’ve never seen the show, you’re in for a real treat—the dancing is amazing! The story is based on the real newsboys strike of 1899, when the newsies of New York City took on two of the most powerful men in journalism—Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. It follows the engaging group of newsboys and girls as they seek justice for better working conditions and fairer labor practices. Seeing Newsies would be the perfect activity for the whole family over the holiday—I think it’s something everyone could enjoy.

And, if you want a sneak peak or a refresher, the Broadway version of Newsies is on Netflix! The show at arena stage is blocked a little bit differently than the Broadway show, given there are seats 360-degrees around the stage. It makes for such a fun, engaging performance—and the cast even runs up and down the stairs and around the perimeter of the theater a few times! Read more “Newsies is in Town at Arena Stage!”

travel

11.11.19

The Best App for Traveling With Friends

Happy Monday! I was lucky enough to have the day off work today—and am thankful for all the Veteran’s that keep our country free and safe. I read this quote on Instagram, and it was too good not to share, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, ‘for your tomorrow, we gave our today.’”

This weekend was a really fun one—my best friend got married! This was my friend, Lauren, who we took to Nashville on her bachelorette party earlier this year. Her wedding was at a resort in the area, and I’m biased, but I have to say, she was the most beautiful bride. Those festivities took up the most of my weekend, but I did have a little downtime to watch some cheesy Christmas movies, clean my apartment, go on a nice long walk, and make some returns. (One thing I’ve been so much better about this year than year’s past is not keeping clothes that I know I won’t wear!)

I wanted to write a quick post about an app I love to use when traveling with friends. It’s one I’ve known about for a couple of years because a few of my friends were living in large group houses and used it to settle up on utilities—but sometimes when I mention it people haven’t heard of it so I wanted to drive some awareness since I think it’s such a helpful tool. It’s called Splitwise, and you should download it ASAP!