Dining in DC

We have been enjoying the delights of North American cuisine and I thought I'd share with you.  We spent 4 days in Washington DC and that was an unexpected culinary delight.  We stayed at the Tabard Inn in Dupont Circle.  This was recommended by a friend and I am recommending it to you.  Breakfast was included in the room rate and this was a great breakfast.  We also spent some time in the hotel lounge enjoying the pre- and post-prandial cocktails.  I recommend the Don't Bring me Down, Spruce. 
Washington is located by the Potomac river and seafood abounds.  On our first day The Old Ebbitt Grill caught our eye and we dined there that evening.  They had an extensive oyster menu and we shared a dozen as a starter with the recommended glass of Jules Taylor Sauvignon, which was named Grand Champion in the Old Ebbitt Grill 2011 International Wines for Oyster Competition!
I followed these briny delights with lobster which I have never eaten before.  It just seemed the right thing to do.  It's a bit fiddly but well worth the effort if you haven't tried it.  This is definitely a seafood town. 
Peter had the crab cakes which are a speciality of the region.  They are essentially a fish cake so comprise fish and potato.  These and the ones I enjoyed later in the week at the Tabard restaurant were definitely a very high ratio of crab to potato.
They did not disappoint.   I am not sure if they are seasonal or if you can enjoy them year round. 
The rest of the time we enjoyed diner fare.  A good American diner is a delight and we enjoyed 2 in Washington.  The Luna Grill and Diner nearby served classic diner fare including delicious salads, burgers and somewhat over-sized sandwiches.  This is proper food at affordable prices.  Yes, some of the meals are over-sized but you don't have to eat it all.  Your lettuce will be fresh and crisp, your vegetables will be perfectly cooked,  your burger will be grilled to your specifications and the service will be impeccable. As you can see I am a fan of the diner.  When we spent a morning strolling around Georgetown we had lunch in a diner there.  Martin's Tavern claimed to have served every sitting president since it opened and that JFK proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier there.  Certainly their home while he was a congressman is just around the corner.
I was really delighted with eating in Washington.  I hadn't been expecting anything special and was saving my eating for the next leg of our trip - New York City.  Here we enjoyed more cocktails, classic NY Italian fare, the deli sandwich and a hurricane.  More on that to come.