Zagat's Where to Eat Near D.C. Monuments

1.  Capitol Hill - Johnny's Half Shell; Monocle; and Good Stuff Eatery
2.  National Cathedral - 2 Amys; Le Zinc; and Cactus Cantina
3.  Mall - Cafe du Parc; Central; Fiola; America Eats Tavern; Paul; Luke's Lobster; Meatballs; and Sou'Wester
4.  White House - The Oval Room; Bombay Club; BLT Steak; and Bread Line
5.  Zoo - District Kitchen; Palena; Ripple; and Sugar Magnolia

Zagat's Where Do You Like to Take Out-of-Town Guests?

1.  America Eats Tavern
2.  Ben's Chili Bowl
3.  Martin's Tavern
4.  Mussel Bar
5.  Old Ebbitt Grill
6.  Pizzeria Paradiso
7.  Sou'Wester
8.  Virtue Feed & Grain

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0034

1651.  During the summer, the Yards Park (in D.C.) hosts a free concert series (YardsPark.org/Events) out on the esplanade on Friday nights;
1652.  Dress in a way that is fashionable and expresses your identity;
1653.  Stand like you would if you owned the world;
1654.  Don’t be a dancing monkey. . . . Have fun and be fun, but don’t try to entertain;
1655.  Never leave a conversation because you “run out of things to say.”  Force yourself to stay.  Your brain will learn how to improvise, if it is forced to;
1656.  Guerin Austin (i.e., the host of Caps Red Line) is pretty tall. . . . She’s 5’ 10” at least;
1657.  John W. Marshall, son of Justice Thurgood Marshall, sounds like Barack Obama;
1658.  Mike Ribeiro (of the Washington Capitals) likes to dance . . . so does Guerin Austin;
1659.  Any emotion is better than no emotion;
1660.  Attraction is transferrable;
1661.  You should really open packages when you get them . . . not several months after the fact;
1662.  Robbie likes to scuba dive;
1663.  Cirque du Soleil (CirqueDuSoleil.com) is pretty amazing.  It’s like gymnastics on acid;
1664.  Cirque du Soleil wouldn’t be the same without the music (and lighting).  It wouldn’t have the same energy or sense of drama;
1665.  “The Hokey Pokey” is rather perverted;
1666.  The deviled eggs at Virtue (Feed & Grain) in (Old Town) Alexandria remind me of leftover, dark meat, fried chicken;
1667.  Robbie likes her burgers medium rare;
1668.  The world may not be perfect, but it’s where you live, so you may as well figure out how to navigate through it and meet your goals;
1669.  You can’t argue someone into liking you.  You can’t argue someone into being with you;
1670.  Beautiful women hear compliments about their looks all day.  Compliment her for her sense of humor or ambition or even just for what the two of you have in common;
1671.  As soon as you start blaming people, you’re missing the point.  Focus on you;
1672.  You are what you do.  Look at how you spend your time.  That’s you.  If you see anything you want to change?  That’s where you can start;
1673.  Taking care of yourself on the outside helps on the inside;
1674.  Negativity breeds negativity;
1675.  Negativity isn’t sexy nor a rational response to the world;
1676.  Be wary of simple answers to complex problems;
1677.  Your physical obstacles are much more of a problem if you believe them to be a problem.  If you hold limiting and negative beliefs about your looks (or any other physical obstacle), your behavior will reflect this.  Because you have unattractive behavior, the result is that you will manifest the limiting belief that you yourself created due to your physical obstacle;
1678.  Do what you can to minimize the physical obstacle.  Once you have done this, simply act in spite of your limiting beliefs;
1679.  Experience and willingness to learn breed experience;
1680.  Whenever you get good at something, you will find you periodically reach a plateau in your skill level.  At this stage, you need to experiment and start trying different methods and techniques;
1681.  It is important to realize that when you think something should be possible, you need to be persistent in order to achieve it.  Most people don’t have enough determination and will give up too soon.  But if you really believe something can work and you persist at it, eventually you will crack the secret;
1682.  Don’t be someone who makes assumptions as to whether something is possible or not, be willing to test those assumptions with your actions;
1683.  (In general,) I think you’re penalized if you work ahead.  Most people put things off until the last minute.  It’s easier to have fun now and put off work until later.  When a deadline approaches, your coworkers are staying late and working longer hours.  But you’ve already put in the time to get your work done (i.e., by staying late and may be working weekends), so you’re leaving at a normal time.  People see you leave and they think you’re not a team player and that you’re not willing to sacrifice to get the job done.  When in reality, the opposite is true.  You’ve already put in the time and sacrificed.  In fact, you’ve probably put in more time than your coworkers have at that point and you’ll probably put in more hours than everybody else will by the time the deadline’s over;
1684.  The Big Hunt (TheBigHunt.net) in D.C. has a pretty good Happy Hour.  Every day from 4 o’clock to 7 o’clock, they have PBRs, Bud Lights, Lite Ass Brews and Bad Ass Ambers for $2.50, rail drinks for $3.00 and all other drinks for a $1.00 off;
1685.  The salmon B.L.T. (i.e., grilled salmon with bacon, lettuce and tomato on toasted ciabatta) at the Fish Market (FishMarketVA.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria is pretty tasty, but not as tasty as the one at Rustico (Restaurant & Bar);
1686.  Wearing rock climbing shoes is probably a lot like wearing ballet slippers;
1687.  It’s amazing how little training you get for doing some things that could seriously hurt or possibly kill you . . . (indoor) rock climbing you get may be an hour . . . and (tandem) skydiving you get about thirty minutes;
1688.  If you don’t know what you want . . . if you don’t know how to get it . . . if you don’t know how to tell when you do get it . . . then your odds of success are very small;
1689.  You can’t manage what you can’t measure;
1690.  Lobbyists can be kind of douche-y;
1691.  Bruce (Springsteen) doesn’t believe in opening acts;
1692.  Bruce (Springsteen) has some gospel influences;
1693.  It takes Bruce (Springsteen) a couple of hours to get warmed up;
1694.  Every Wednesday, the Chadwicks (ChadwicksRestaurants.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria has $5.00 (midrange) martinis from 4 o’clock to 12 o’clock;
1695.  I can remember growing up without the Internet.  It’s kind of sad that I’m so dependent on it now that a few days without connectivity can really inconvenience me;
1696.  “Compostable" products have to turn into carbon dioxide, biomass and water at the same rate as paper in less than 180 days.  “Biodegradable products,” on the other hand, have to be able to turn into simple compounds, but they can still leave a toxic residue;
1697.  Cantina Bell isn’t as good as California Tortilla or Chipotle;
1698.  People who dominate any field are only a “hair” better than everyone else.  However, the difference in the success they enjoy is enormous;
1699.  Self concept is how much you truly believe that you are capable of doing something.  Your overall self concept will determine your success in life.  It is impossible to act in a manner inconsistent with one of your self concepts.  You have an overall self concept and it is made up of all of your individual self concepts.  You have a self concept for everything in your life (i.e., dress, income, how you drive, etc.);
1700.  Want to get better at something?  Then you must change your self concept in that area.  It is impossible to act inconsistent with our self image, but if we want to get better at something, then it is crucial that we change our self concept in that area;

Zagat's Best Crab Cakes in D.C.

1.  Blue Duck Tavern
2.  Clyde's
3.  Hank's Oyster Bar
4.  Johnny's Half Shell
5.  Kinkead's
6.  Nage
7.  Oceanaire Seafood Room
8.  PassionFish
9.  Ris
10. Tabard Inn

Zagat's 8 Must-Try Cheap Eats in D.C.

1.  Amsterdam Falafelshop
2.  Cava Mezze Grill
3.  El Pollo Rico
4.  Five Guys
5.  Shake Shack
6.  Sweetgreen
7.  Taqueria Distrito Federal
8.  Taylor Gourmet

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0033

1601.  Pay the cost to be the boss;

1602.  Remember the sun burns out in 3 billion years and none of this is going to matter; you might as well go for what you want;

1603.  Your actions and behaviors are manifested from the thoughts you host most often.  If you think a group of thoughts enough times with enough emotional intensity, they eventually become beliefs.  Once these beliefs are hardwired, all of your actions will be filtered through this belief system.  A strong belief system will lead to strong action and a long-term proactive outcome.  Weak belief systems will result in weak or non-action and low self-esteem, and restrict you from achieving your goals;

1604.  Sadly, it’s easy to take on weak belief systems and harmful mindsets.  Due to the fact that most of these mindsets and beliefs are picked up from the combination of modeling others and from our own positive or negative reference experiences, we often pick up mindsets that don’t serve us;

1605.  Your freedom lies in your ability to take control of your thoughts and engineer beliefs and mindsets that serve you.  Don’t be a slave to old mindsets and beliefs you accidentally absorb from those around you;

1606.  Compete only with yourself;

1607.  Set realistic goals.  Always have a list of small goals leading to your bigger long term goals.  These small goals will help you create momentum;

1608.  Competence builds confidence.  Remember that confidence is your mental capacity to rise above a mistake in that situation;

1609.  Be willing to try new things – push your comfort zones – that’s the only way you evolve;

1610.  Become self-correcting, but not self-punishing;

1611.  The Jack Rose Dining Saloon is only a few blocks away from Rosemary’s Thyme Bistro . . . and Adams Morgan is only a few blocks away from the Jack Rose Dining Saloon;

1612.  Even the sun sets in paradise;

1613.  The people in Cumberland, Maryland, are really nice;

1614.  I can say I’ve been off-roading;

1615.  There aren’t a lot of Asian, Persian or (for that matter) black hippies;

1616.  Hippies are pretty friendly;

1617.  When you go camping, remember to bring toilet paper;

1618.  People ride ATVs (i.e., all-terrain vehicles) instead of motorcycles in West Virginia;

1619.  (Some) hippies do like sports;

1620.  (Young) hippie girls are fit and thin (even though they drink like fish);

1621.  Hippies aren’t on their phones (i.e., taking pictures, texting, recording videos, etc.) during concerts;

1622.  (Some) hippies do have “real” jobs and careers;

1623.  It's probably not a good idea to take a swig from an opened bottle from a (total) stranger . . . especially from a hippie;

1624.  There is such a thing as hippie electronica;

1625.  Sleeping on the ground isn’t so bad with a sleeping pad;

1626.  It's amazing how (simply) brushing your teeth can make you feel so much better;

1627.  There’s a hard way to get to the Sunshine Daydream Memorial Park in Terra Alta, West Virginia, and then there’s the easy way;

1628.  Apparently, there’s “commercial grade” diesel fuel;

1629.  If there’s a wad of chewing tobacco lying next to a gas pump, you might be in West Virginia;

1630.  There are a lot of “Liberty” gas stations in West Virginia;

1631.  You’ve got a better chance at winning (concert and/or movie) tickets and other prizes from DC101 at one of their events than you do calling or entering online;

1632.  During the summer, Pentagon Row in Pentagon City, Virginia, hosts a free concert series (PentagonRow.com/Events) out on the plaza on Thursday nights;

1633.  District of Pi (Pi-DC.com) in D.C. has deep-dish pizza that isn’t swimming in grease;

1634.  Attraction is a feeling that manifests as a result of the emotional state the other person puts us in;

1635.  People buy for emotional reasons and backwards rationalize their purchase with logical reasons;

1636.  The Ritz-Carlton in D.C. (by Foggy Bottom) is really nice;

1637.  Cornmeal cookies are like shortbread cookies;

1638.  After regaining power, (most) HVAC (i.e., heating, ventilation and air condition) units wait (at least) five minutes before continuing to heat or cool. . . . It’s to protect against power surges damaging the unit;

1639.  (Most) HVAC technicians are paid (at least partially) on (sales) commission;

1640.  ALDI (ALDI.us) is really cheap;

1641.  Some hippies will tour ten months out of the year;

1642.  You should break up bagged ice before ripping open the bag;

1643.  The members of “DELTAnine” (and their friends) are pretty good camping neighbors;

1644.  “Molly” tastes awful;

1645.  When you go camping, remember to bring a jacket. . . . It gets cold at night;

1646.  Being the only person awake while camping on a cold, rainy day without anything to read or listen to is really boring;

1647.  Every Thursday, Lucky Bar (in D.C.) has baskets of fish and chips, cheeseburgers and fries and chicken tenders and fries for $5.75;

1648.  It’s okay to be scared; when taking on something new being a little scared is natural and can inspire you to prepare well and do your best.  It’s fear that we have to watch out for.  Fear is paralyzing and stops you from taking chances in life;

1649.  As a rule, the strongest frame in an interaction wins;

1650.  The Yards Park (YardsPark.org) in D.C. has a little something for everyone.  For the adults, it’s a great place for a picnic.  For the kids, they can run around and play in the water features.  And, for man’s best friend, there’s even a dog park;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0032

1551.  Weak men lie to get what they want.  Strong men are honest about their desires;

1552.  A drink “straight up” means that it’s been chilled, strained and served in a stemmed glass (without ice). . . . A drink “neat” means that it’s unmixed liquor served without being chilled and without adding water, ice or any other mixer;

1553.  Experience and willingness to learn breed perspective;

1554.  Rush hour traffic in D.C. starts before 4 o’clock in the afternoon;

1555.  “Toad the Wet Sprocket” can now say they’ve played at a(n outdoor) shopping mall;

1556.  Most people’s social lives can be mapped to a series of concentric circles.  There’s an innermost “core” of one or two close friends.  Then, there’s an inner core of another 3-5 people and an outer core of another 5-15 people.  These aren’t arbitrary numbers – this is how the human mind subconsciously qualifies social relationships.  The people in these cores comprise the people who most influence your life.  It has been said that “You are the average of the five people that you hang around the most.”  This is partially true, but it is more accurate to say that most people are influenced by up to fifteen people at a time, as different relationships ebb and flow in intensity;

1557.  Alexandria’s Food & Wine Festival (AlexandriaFoodAndWine.com) is in June . . . and so is the Del Ray Music Festival (DelRayMusicFestival.com);

1558.  You can't really know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been;

1559.  Life is full of rules and you have to play within them.  But once you know the rules and accept them, they can be bent to great effect;

1560.  The optimal state of affairs is not to feel like you have to be the sole dominant male in every group that you are a part of and to “out-alpha” all the other males.  The optimal state of affairs is to be considered among the “leadership of men” in the groups that you are part of;

1561.  People align to value.  Value or perceived value augments almost all human social behavior;

1562.  By being the connector and by having the perception of the opportunity to add value (even if only perceived value), you are far more likely to be considered amongst the leadership of men;

1563.  When you bet somebody a dollar to steal a cupcake from a bachelorette party, make sure that that person knows the cupcake’s for you and not him/her;

1564.  (Stretched) Hummer limousines are terrible on (steep) inclines;

1565.  Even though the human sex drive is actually highest in the afternoon, most people are culturally attuned to associate sex with nighttime;

1566.  Don’t count the days, make the days count;

1567.  You might spot Mike Isabella (i.e., former contestant on “Top Chef”) at his restaurant, Bandolero (BandoleroDC.com), in D.C., but be (fore)warned, on Mondays, it doesn’t open until 4 (o’clock in the afternoon) and it doesn’t serve food until 5;

1568.  The grilled salmon B.L.T. (with tomato jam, bacon vinaigrette and smoked pepper chips) at Rustico Restaurant & Bar is pretty tasty;

1569.  People will make judgments about you based on your friends and how you interact with them;

1570.  Watch out for molesters at rooftop barbeques;

1571.  (Some) flies do bite;

1572.  The Chesapeake Bay seafood stew (i.e., clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, crab, tomato-saffron broth, Old Bay aioli and croutons) at the Majestic (formerly the Majestic Café) in (Old Town) Alexandria is really tasty;

1573.  For lunch on weekdays, the Majestic has the “Royal Pick” (from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM).  You get an entrée and an iced tea or soda for $12.00, but only at the bar;

1574.  You increase your chances for a heart attack when you run in hot weather.  The heat and humidity make you sweat more, which in turn dehydrates you faster.  The dehydration reduces your volume of blood.  With less blood, your heart has to pump harder to circulate the blood you do have, which can induce a heart attack;

1575.  If you like French pastries, you should go to PAUL (Maison de Qualité) (Paul-USA.com) in D.C.  Their desserts are phenomenal;

1576.  What do you get when you run into the fountain at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden?  The answer is: An angry security guard;

1577.  I can say I’ve been water boarded at “Jazz in the Garden;”

1578.  Women are looking to share their lives with a man.  It’s not particularly compelling for a woman to share her life with a man when she is the most interesting thing going on in it;

1579.  You don’t get extra time at the end to enjoy your life just because you were late getting started;

1580.  There are a lot of foreign nationals at a Coldplay concert;

1581.  You waste a lot of your life by trying to make people like you;

1582.  Who do you call when luggage is left in front of a federal courthouse and the bomb squad’s not around?  The answer is: A homeless man;

1583.  July 11^th is free (7.11 oz.) Slurpee day at 7-Eleven (from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM);

1584.  The Brazilian men’s Olympic basketball team can (really) play (some) ball;

1585.  Barack and Michelle (Obama) aren’t fans of the “Kiss Cam” (at the Verizon Center) . . . at least not initially;

1586.  London is the largest city in Europe with a population of twelve million people;

1587.  If you like piano bars, go to Mr. Smith’s (MrSmiths.com) in D.C.  It’s a sing-a-long piano bar.  Performances are from 9 o’clock in the evening until last call Sunday through Tuesday nights, from 9 o’clock in the evening until after midnight on Wednesday and Thursday nights and from 10 o’clock in the evening until after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights . . . and there’s no cover (charge);

1588.  To create more (office) space for coordinating the war effort during World War II, the U.S. Patent (& Trademark) Office was moved from (the Commerce Building in) D.C. to (the old Export Leaf Tobacco Co. warehouse at 900 North Lombardy Street in) Richmond, Virginia;

1589.  Don’t believe her/him when your server says s/he can’t split the check.  S/he can, s/he just doesn’t want to;

1590.  Apparently, I look like I’m married;

1591.  Everything I say is right.  Everything is going according to plan;

1592.  A(dding a) little (dried) oregano on frozen (and/or reheated) pizza, gives it a nice little (flavor) boost;

1593.  Repetition is the key to mastery;

1594.  The more times you do something, the easier it becomes and the less you have to ‘consciously’ think about it.  This hardwiring process is called “long term potentiation.”  Short term potentiation is obviously the opposite.  It is when you do something so few times or with so much distance between the repetitions that the brain decides it must not be important and decides it must not be worth hardwiring;

1595.  Nothing in life means anything until you decide to apply a meaning to an event;

1596.  Rejection means nothing.  It’s simply feedback telling you to try a slightly different approach next time.  Have a 3 second memory only lasting long enough to learn whatever lesson might help you correct your course for the future;

1597.  You must set numerous small goals on the road toward your larger goals;

1598.  In order to change the world, you have to change yourself first;

1599.  Do what you’ve always done and you will get what you’ve always gotten.  If you want something different, then it’s time to change and try something different.  As humans, change (which is essentially jumping out of our comfort zones) feels weird.  You’ll hate it, and people will react differently to you.  But that’s okay; just accept that and realize it will feel weird for a while.  Once you are comfortable with this, it makes the learning process ten times smoother.  So unless you’re happy with what you’re always getting, you have to make a change, and you have to become comfortable with it feeling uncomfortable at times;

1600.  Rejection isn’t a great feeling, but it’s what you relate rejection to and how you handle it that really matters;