PUT YOUR PAWS TOGETHER FOR KIMPTON HOTELS!

If you have a dog or cat and love to jet set, remember the name Kimpton Hotels the next time you travel. The Kimpton chain has luxury boutique hotels in over 20 big cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington D.C...and they are all pet friendly! Having just come back from D.C. with my dog Riley and my sister-in-law's dog, Lexi, I wanted to rave about the Kimpton Hotels. We stayed at the Kimpton Palomar in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.From the moment we checked in, Riley and Lexi were greeted perhaps even more than we were! :-) They offered us things like pet food, treats, food bowls, a mat, a bed, pickup bags and even tags with local contact information for the Hotel Palomar. Every evening from 5-6pm, the hotel had a happy hour where they served wine and champagne (for free), and Riley and Lexi were able to hang out during that time enjoying treats at The Dish, the pet lounging area. The best thing is that this hotel doesn't mind if you leave your dog in the room for a bit while you go out. They just ask you for contact information before you leave in case they need to reach you. This is great because you still get to jet set to a cool city without the restrictions of bringing a dog. The other great thing about staying at a pet friendly hotel is that when we did go out with Riley and Lexi, they got to see the sights like we did. Including the White House...and the Lincoln Memorial.If you do decide to stay at a Kimpton hotel with your pet, be sure to ask the pet concierge for info about:
- Dog walking
- Pet playtime
- Doggie and Kitty daycare
- Grooming services
- Pet massage
- Gourmet treats at turn down
- Yesterday's newspaper
- Local dog-friendly parks
- Local places that welcome your pet
- Emergency veterinarian hot line for unforeseen circumstances

The next time we go somewhere, I will be sure to look up if the destination has a Kimpton Hotel...Riley should be able to jet set more too!

D.C. DINING SPOTS

By now, you should know that two of my all time favorite things are travel and food! Having just returned from a trip to Washington D.C. to ring in the New Year with my family, I thought I'd share some of the great restaurants we checked out while we were there.

Pizzeria Paradiso has two locations in D.C.- one in Dupont Circle and one in Georgetown. It's a great go-to spot for lunch or dinner if you are craving pizza! Their pizzas are cooked in a wood burning oven- so their crust is light, crunchy and delicious! A large pie will run you between $16-$18. You can choose one off their menu (I recommend the Atomica which comes with tomato, salami, black olives, hot pepper flakes and mozzarella), or you can create your own pie!
The atmosphere is casual. They have a great beer list too...so you can wash it all down!

For a good night-time scene, I would go to Veritas Wine Bar.

We tried their Washingtonian Red Wine Flight for $17. It included:

a merlot, kennedy-shah, from rattlesnake hills

a red blend, cuneo “bricco,” from columbia valley

and a red blend, fidelitas “m100,” also from columbia valleyWhen you want to rest your feet from all of the walking around town, head to Teaism.
This is an Asian-inspired tea house and restaurant and there are three locations in the D.C. area.

When you go to Teaism, you must try their Teaism Chai (black tea from India cooked with spices, milk & sugar) for $2.75. The other must haves on their menu include a Salty Oat Cookie(basically an oatmeal cookie with a salty outside that is so yummy for $1.95) and a Ginger Scone for $2.25.
Some good dinner spots include: Meiwah Chinese Restaurant. As the Washington Times says "Meiwah provides worthy food at competitive prices in an atmosphere that is both dramatic and comforting." They are definitely right! The Darlington House restaurant was where we had one of the most fantastic meals in D.C.! It is a contemporary Italian-American restaurant right in Dupont Circle. The restaurant is set inside of an old brownstone. When you eat dinner here, you feel as though you are eating inside somebody's beautifully decorated home.

Kramerbooks & Afterwords was a good spot for brunch. It's both a bookstore and a cafe, that also turns into a bar after hours. This place is very hipster/trendy. It reminded me of a place you would find in Toronto or L.A. You can find everything on the menu from eggs and pancakes to salads and soups.
Founding Farmers in the Foggy Bottom area of D.C. tops my list for best brunch spots that I've been to around the country! Everything goes fresh from the farm to the table at this restaurant.
The decor is both modern, but casual. The food is either "homemade" or "scratchmade" as they say here and trust me...it's good!An order of Mel’s Hot Donuts & Coffee or Hot Chocolate is a great way to start off the morning! You get Made-to-Order Glazed Yeast Donuts Served with a Pot of French-Pressed Coffee or Homemade Hot Chocolate for $8. The donuts come with chocolate, caramel, and rum dipping sauces. Just talking about it is making me drool!!!I ordered the Fried Chicken, Eggs and Waffles. Its Crispy-Fried Free-Range Chicken Tenders with Gravy, Two Eggs Any Way and a Golden Waffle with Whipped Farm Butter for $12...and yes, it is worth all of the calories!They are also known for their different varieties of bacon. Their Artisan Thick Cut Bacon is Apple-Smoked, Glazed and Caramelized on the Griddle. You can try it with one of these Flavors:
• Black Pepper Maple • Joe’s Texas BBQ Sauce • Buck’s Hot Sauce • Golden Boy Sweet & Sour for $3. You cannot go to Washington D.C. and leave without stopping off at Ben's Chili Bowl. It's a Washington Landmark that's been around since 1958. When President Barack Obama visited this spot, he ordered their cheese fries...so we did the same. Boy were they good! Ben's Original Chili Half Smoke is Bill Cosby & President Barack Obama's favorite!!! It's also what has made Ben's Chili Bowl so famous. It's a hot dog made of half beef and half pork that's grilled & split on request & served on a warm steamed bun with mustard, onions, and chili for $5.20...DELICIOUS!!! This is where all of the magic happens...

Hot dogs and half smokes on the grill...

We definitely left satisfied and happy!