2015 SWS Winter Meeting: Washington, DC
Museum, Tour, Dining, and Entertainment Guide
Compiled by Marisa Allison and Diandra Linder, George Mason University
The following Dining and Entertainment Guide is organized largely by DC neighborhood and the relationship
of the neighborhood to the conference hotel. Additionally, you will find lists of monuments and museums (most
are free unless indicated), some suggested walking tours and tour bus companies, and a list of events happening
in DC during the conference. It is not an exhaustive list, but will come in handy.
Dining Reference for Vegetarians
Too Chilly? Here’s a list of DC restaurants with fireplaces.
Georgetown Shopping and Dining
(not Metro accessible)
Georgetown Cupcake- from TLC’s “DC Cupcakes”; also offers delicious gluten free cupcakes
(http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/)
Old Glory- classic American good, have upstairs outdoor dining (http://www.oldglorybbq.com/)
Bodega- Spanish tapas restaurant with great paella and sangria (http://bodegadc.com)
The M Street area of Georgetown is an “outdoor” mall that has many shops.
(http://www.georgetowndc.com/explore/fashion/)
The Lantern Bookstore- This Georgetown shop uses proceeds to provide scholarships for women to go to college.
They specialize specifically in rare classic books, and have a great deal where when you buy four books the fifth is
free! (http://www.his.com/~lantern)
Foggy Bottom Dining and Entertainment
Founding Farmers- organic farm products served; delicious food; unique mixed drinks
(http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/)
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage- free concerts every day at 6:00 p.m. (http://www.kennedycenter.org/programs/millennium/)
Meiwah- Chinese; a favorite of Clinton when he was in office (http://www.meiwahrestaurant.com/)
Farragut North Dining and Entertainment
Sign of the Whale- (http://www.signofthewhaledc.com/)
DC Improv- (http://www.dcimprov.com/)
National Geographic Society- many different events- films, concerts, exhibitions, etc.!
(http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/)
Dupont Circle Dining and Entertainment
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café & Grill (http://www.kramers.com/) Bookstore and café. Open 24 hours.
Café Citron- Havana-inspired bar; delicious Bolivian potato cake appetizer; good happy hour deals; free salsa dance
lessons on Wednesdays, free meringue lessons on Saturdays (http://www.cafecitrondc.com/)
Mad Hatter- Restaurant and saloon (http://www.madhatterdc.com/)
Shake Shack- burgers and shakes (http://shakeshack.com/)
Bistrot du Coin- French inspired dining (http://www.bistrotducoin.com/)
Zorbas- Great Greek food (http://zorbascafe.com/)
Agora Restaurant- Mediterranean fusion; good food; unique drinks (http://agoradc.net/)
1.
2.
Phase 1- lesbian bar/club; new Dupont Circle location (http://phase1dc.com/)
Cobalt- Multilevel gay club contains restaurant, lounge & dance floor, offering DJs, drag shows & more.
(http://www.cobaltdc.com)
3.
Metro Center Entertainment and Dining
Ford’s Theatre historical talks and tours, Broadway musicals, and more (http://www.fordstheatre.org/)
National Theatre Broadway plays, musicals (http://www.nationaltheatre.org/)
Warner Theatre- concerts, plays, comedy shows, dance performances, etc. (http://www.warnertheater.com/index)
Madame Tussauds (http://www.madametussauds.com/washington/)
E Street Cinema –independent films (http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/washingtondc/estreetcinema.htm)
Haad Thai- delicious Thai food (http://www.haadthairestaurant.com/)
Hard Rock Café (http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/cafe.aspx?LocationID=102&MIBenumID=3)
McPherson Square Dining
(near the White House)
Georgia Brown’s (http://www.gbrowns.com/) ---“Low Country” Cuisine. Upscale Soul Food. Great Fried
Chicken, Sweet Tea and the Fried Green Tomatoes are the BEST!
DC Coast (http://www.dccoast.com/) ----upscale Seafood; owned by the same folks as Acadiana
Old Ebbitt’s Grill –Across the street from the White House. Excellent brunch, including their rendition of Eggs
Benedict which substitutes crab cakes for bacon and includes Old Bay Seasoning in the sauce.
(http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?Section=Main&Category=About_the_Ebbitt)
U Street Dining and Entertainment
Ben’s Chili Bowl- DC institution; Black owned; President Obama, and French president Nicholas Sarkozy among
many others have dined there; delicious chili dogs and fries and great atmosphere (http://www.benschilibowl.com/)
Eatonville – DC favorite; Zora Neale Hurston-inspired restaurant named for her Florida hometown and the country’s
first, post-Civil War, African American incorporated town and focal point in her most famous work, Their Eyes Were
Watching God. (http://www.eatonvillerestaurant.com)
Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is a community gathering place that offers delicious local food for all dietary needs (including
vegan and gluten free options), a full bar, good company, and entertainment. Busboys and Poets allows you to be
among fellow artists, writers, activists, thinkers, and dreamers at their 3 convenient locations (see U Street, Mt. Vernon
Sq., and Arlington below)
http://busboysandpoets.com
9:30 Club- Billboard #1 rock club in the country; DC institution (http://930.com)
Nellie’s Sports Bar- gay bar with drag brunch on Sundays (call about reservations/walk-ins for brunch)
(http://www.nelliessportsbar.com/)
Town- gay dance club (http://towndc.com/)
Busboys and Poets- Flagship 14th St location (http://www.busboysandpoets.com/)
Gallery Plan B- (http://www.galleryplanb.com/index.html)
Black Cat- music and comedy club; co-owned by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, a hometown boy
(http://blackcatdc.com)
El Centro tequila bar (http://www.richardsandoval.com/elcentrodf/)
Chinatown Entertainment and Dining
Verizon Center (http://verizoncenter.com/)
Smithsonian American Art Museum- currently housing Annie Liebovitz exhibition (http://americanart.si.edu/)
Shakespeare Theatre Company- Lansburgh Theatre and Sidney Harmon Hall (http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/)
Clyde’s of Gallery Place (707 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 | Phone: 202.349.3700) Great ambiance, food
for all tastes, lots of fresh fish including crab, lobster and catfish
(http://www.clydes.com/main/RestaurantsDetail.cfm?Restaurant=clydes_of_gallery_place&Section=Main)
Acadiana—Seafood with a Cajun Twist! A short walk from the Verizon Center but well worth it!
(http://www.acadianarestaurant.com/)
Tangysweet- frozen yogurt (http://www.tangysweet.com/)
Red Velvet Cupcakery- DC location; also offers a daily gluten-free cupcake (http://redvelvetcupcakery.com/)
Zpizza- DC location; also offers gluten free and vegan pizzas (http://www.zpizza.com/)
H Street NE/Atlas District Area Dining and Entertainment
(not metro accessible)
Union Market- A year-round indoor market featuring 40 local artisans. Union Market is the culinary
epicenter of the Capitol City. (http://unionmarketdc.com/)
Ethiopic- Ethiopian (http://www.ethiopicrestaurant.com/)
Toki Underground- Ramen House (http://www.tokiunderground.com)
Horace and Dickies- Fried Fish, DC institution (http://www.horaceanddickies.com)
Eastern Market Dining and Entertainment
Located in the heart of the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood, Eastern Market is DC's destination for fresh food,
community events, and on weekends, local farm-fresh produce and handmade arts and crafts.
Ted’s Bulletin- adult milkshakes; 20’s Prohibition-era themed (http://tedsbulletin.com/)
Phase 1- oldest continually open lesbian bar in the country! (http://phase1dc.com/)
Capitol Hill Books- Amazing used bookstore. Packed to the rafters! (http://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com)
Van Ness Entertainment
Politics and Prose Bookstore: A DC staple indie bookstore. (http://www.politics-prose.com)
Events Happening While You’re Here
Rising Up: Hale Woodruff's Murals at Talladega College
now-3/1/2015
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
http://nmaahc.si.edu/Exhibitions/Rising
Free
Talladega College in Alabama commissioned prominent African American artist Hale Woodruff to paint a
series of murals for its newly built Savery Library in 1938. Woodruff painted six murals portraying significant
events in the journey of African Americans from slavery to freedom. This will be the first time the murals have
been exhibited in the Washington metro area. The murals were removed from Talladega College for a five-year
collaborative restoration project organized by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, which also organized a
multicity tour of the works.
Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea
now-4/12/15
National Museum of Women in the Arts
http://nmwa.org/exhibitions/picturing-mary-woman-mother-idea
$10 for adults, $8 for visitors 65 and over and students
Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea explores the concept of womanhood represented by the Virgin Mary as
well as the social and sacred functions her image has served through time. This landmark exhibition organized
by the National Museum of Women in the Arts brings together more than 60 Renaissance- and Baroque-era
masterworks from the Vatican Museums, Uffizi Gallery, and other museums, churches, and private collections
in Europe and the United States. Picturing Mary is part of NMWA’s ongoing program of major historical loan
exhibitions that
examine humanist themes related to womankind.
New York Ave Sculpture Project
now-9/2015
National Museum of Women in the Arts
http://nmwa.org/exhibitions/new-york-ave-sculpture-project
Free
The New York Avenue Sculpture Project is the only public art space featuring changing installations of
contemporary works by women artists in Washington, D.C. From September 27, 2014–September 27, 2015,
five works by internationally renowned artist Magdalena Abakanowicz are on view in the median of New York
Avenue, NW, between 12th and 13th Streets. Abakanowicz’s monumental bronzes representing human figures
and her dynamic stainless steel birds in flight exemplify universal issues: the power of nature, the force of
destruction and the resiliency of hope.
Practice with Love Yoga Event
2/21/15 10:30 a.m.
U.S. Botanic Gardens: Conservatory West Gallery
http://www.usbg.gov/events/2014/12/15/practice-love-yoga-event-1#sthash.hb7b7B6V.dpuf
Free
WithLoveDC is a movement to spread love, joy, and acceptance throughout the district. The Practice With Love
classes aim to create an accessible space for all people to tune into their breath while enjoying the amazing
spaces around our beautiful city. WithLoveDC is thrilled to bring their free yoga gatherings to the U.S. Botanic
Garden; come flow with us! Please note: Visitors are encouraged to bring their own mats.
Cherokee
2/18/15-2/22/15
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
http://www.woollymammoth.net/
$40-$68
Two couples, one black, one white, flee their suburban pressures and re-connect with nature by going camping
in Cherokee, North Carolina. But their lives are upended when a member of the group mysteriously vanishes,
and the others are visited by a charismatic local who just might help them live off the grid forever… Lisa
D’Amour’s latest comedy—a companion piece to last season’s hit, Detroit—pushes a group of middle class
characters to their emotional limits. Who has an “authentic” relationship to the land? Can we escape the
trappings of comfort and technology to forge a healthier civilization?
Mary Stuart
2/18/15-2/22/15
Folger Theatre
http://www.folger.edu/wosummary.cfm?woid=933
$40-$50
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, has been imprisoned under charges of attempted regicide. Her captor and
cousin Queen Elizabeth I cannot bring herself to sign the death decree. In a society where woman are
considered inferior, these two queens charged with ruling as kings, battle sexism, greed, lust, and climactically
each other. Peter Oswald’s bold new translation of Schiller’s vivid re-imagining breathes life into a Tudor world
flush with subterfuge and revenge—and ruled by two extraordinary women.
Riot Grrrls present The Tempest
2/18/15-2/22/15
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
http://www.taffetypunk.com/shows/shows.html
$15
Under the direction of company member Lise Bruneau, the Riot Grrrls return in February to conquer The
Tempest. Overthrown duke (and magician) Prospero conjures a storm to bring his usurpers to the mystical
island where he and his daughter have lived for twelve years—just to set things straight. The play has exactly
one female role...not that that's ever stopped the Riot Grrrls from doing their thing. The celebrated Isabelle
Anderson, who played the title role in Titus Andronicus, returns to play Prospero.
Rapture, Blister, Burn.
2/18/15-2/22/15
Round House Theatre Bethesda, MD
http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/performances/rapture-blister-burn/
$35-$50
In a comedy hailed by The New York Times as “intensely smart and immensely funny,” Gina Gionfriddo
(Becky Shaw) takes a sharp, unflinching look at 21st century gender politics. After grad school, Catherine built
a career as a rock-star academic while Gwen built a home with a husband and children. Decades later,
unfulfilled in opposite ways, each woman covets the other’s life, and a dangerous game begins as each tries to
claim the other’s territory.
Living the Dream…Singing the Dream
2/22/15, 7 pm
Kennedy Center
http://www.washingtonperformingarts.org/calendar/
$25-$70
For more than 20 years, the Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choirs have shared the inspirational gift of
gospel music to audiences throughout the D.C. region – and beyond. The choir’s annual concert with the Choral
Arts Chorus, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a joyful celebration of the power of
music and the human spirit.
The National Mall Monuments and Museums
Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial - beautiful at night, less crowded
(http://www.nps.gov/wamo/) (http://www.nps.gov/linc/) (http://www.nps.gov/thje/)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial- (http://www.nps.gov/frde/)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (http://www.ushmm.org/)
National Museum of African Art (http://africa.si.edu/)
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (http://hirshhorn.si.edu/)
National Museum of the American Indian (http://www.nmai.si.edu/)
National Gallery of Art (http://www.nga.gov/home.htm)
U.S. Botanic Gardens (http://www.usbg.gov/)
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (http://www.nps.gov/mlkm/index.htm)
Tours of the Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress
(http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/) (http://www.supremecourt.gov/) (http://www.loc.gov/visit/)
Smithsonian American Art Museum- (http://americanart.si.edu/)
Tours
Women's History Self-Guided Walking Tour
(http://www.tailoredtours.com/pdf/TailoredTours_DC_WomensHistoryMaps20_21.pdf )
Big Bus Tour- See Top Tourist Attractions in DC (24 and 48 hour tickets available. Bus goes through
Georgetown.) (http://eng.bigbustours.com/washington/home.html)
Women In The Abolition Movement: Historic Sites In Washington, DC- Best by Car
(https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/activities/abolition-movement-tours/washington-dc)
National Women's History Museum Walking Tours of Women's History Sites
(https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/activities/self-guided-tours-home)
Old Town Trolley Tours- (http://www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc/)
DC by Foot Walking Tours- Multiple Tours in various locations including Georgetown. To plan on your
own. (http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/washington-dc-tours/)
Want to go with other SWSers? Follow the scheduled tour link to sign up for a private group tour.)
DC Museums Dedicated to Women
Sewall-Belmont House
144 Constitution Avenue Northeast
(http://www.sewallbelmont.org/)
$8 for adults
Headquarters of the historic National Woman's Party. One of the premier women's history sites in the
country, the Sewall-Belmont House & Museum maintains an extensive collection of suffrage banners,
archives and artifacts documenting the continuing effort by women and men of all races, religions and
backgrounds to win voting rights and equality for women under the law.
National Museum of Women in the Arts(http://www.nmwa.org)
$10 for adults, $8 for visitors 65 and over and students
NMWA is the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to recognizing women’s
creative contributions.