Pat Kennedy - Your Washington, DC Real Estate Connection

The big boxy-looking building on the cusp of Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, looks nothing at all like it should e a Tex-Mex restaurant, but it is.  And one of my favorites, and I went to dinner there tonight with an old friend.  

I've never had a bad meal at Lauriol Plaza.  In fact, I've never had one that wasn't pretty wonderful.  Tonight, there was ceviche, I had a seafood chimichonga, and key lime pie.  And there were all the trimmings with guacamole, black beans and rice.

The menu pretty much covers all the bases.  And there is bruch fare with Huevos Rancheros, Chorizo con Huevo, Crab Quesadilla and other standards, like French Toast and Eggs Florentine.

They also have an impressive Margarita menu, with strawberry, peach and mango.  

There is an outdoor cafe where you're almost sure to see someone you know pass by, and roof deck has a wonderful view of the neighborhood.  

It's a favorite with people who live in the neighborhood, and with people like me who drive down - they actually have a huge parking lot (a good thing in Dupont Circle.  It's also a favorite because the atmosphere is fun, with a huge mural of a fiesta you can stare at while you enjoy your meal.  And the staff is wonderful and they seem to really enjoy their jobs.

Lauriol Plaza is at the corner of 18th and T Streets.  For more information, call them at 202-387-0035 or go to their web site at www.lauriolplaza.com.

DuPont Circle is an historic neighborhood just inside the “Old City”, that part of Washington included in Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for the capital.  It was a popular place for the late 19th century captains of industry to build mansions for their families, although all too many of these lovely historic residences have fallen to the wrecking ball. 

Today, there are many Victorian bay front town homes on the side streets, and a few of the original mansions remain as clubs and embassies.  At 15 DuPont Circle, The Washington Club occupies the only remaining  original mansion on the Circle.

After World War II, the neighborhood lost its chic.  When I first moved to Washington in the early 70’s, DuPont Circle had a really high funk factor, and was the neighborhood of choice for gutsy urban pioneers and the local Bohemians.  (In the 1970's, my sister, Joan, even wrote a folk song about some urban pioneers whose house was for sale, and they were bribing a wino to leave their stoop during the Open House and go over to the next block.)   By the time I got my real estate license, it was still a little dicey, with run down mansions being purchased by people who wanted to restore them to their original glory days. 

Now, DuPont Circle has reclaimed its luster and is a favorite neighborhood for people who want to be close to downtown where the action is.  It is an historic district with a combination of restored townhouses, condominiums and rental apartments.  And once again, the neighborhood is chic and trendy.

It’s an easy walk to downtown offices and a healthy walk to the White House and Old Executive Office Building.   And along Connecticut Avenue, 17th and 18th Streets, there are lots of great restaurants and some interesting shps.  The Metro station, which is about 200 feet below the Circle, makes the neighborhood an easy commute to many downtown offices, National Airport, Union Station and other parts of the area.

I guess back in old days, before the Congressional Medal of Honor, if you served with great distinction, you got a traffic circle!    DuPont Circle had it’s name changed from Pacific Circle to honor Rear Admiral Samuel Francis DuPoint, who served in the Civil War and was the superintendent of the US Naval Academy.

The Dupont Circle Farmers Market is the local Mecca for Washingtonians who take their foods seriously.  The market is open Sunday mornings and is set up on 20th Street between P and Q Streets

The produce is organic and is locally grown.  It’s fresh.  And it tastes different

The peaches are sweet and juicy.  You can eat the tomatoes without worrying about getting botulism.  And for the first time ever, I met some fresh currants!  They’re orange.

There are exotic mushrooms and cute little carrots.

There are few farmers selling meat from animals who actually grew up in a real honest-to-gosh barnyard and pastures where they munched organic grass.  They lead happy, healthy lives with no nasty hormones or chemicals.

If you want to grow an herb garden, you can get some beautiful specimens that got off to a healthy start.

And the flowers around this place are just totally awesome!

And I couldn't resist buying a loaf of rosemary sourdough bread!

I was even amazed at this wool, from happy sheep - although it was a little hared to really appreciate it in the 100 degree heat!

When I get home and take a nice, cold shower, I'll use some of these pure, home made soaps to wash off the sweat!