Ultimate Comfort Food in DC

Only two more legs left on this three-week trek. Since packing up and leaving Denver on November 1, I’ve visited Kansas City, Washington, D.C., Toronto, NYC, Atlanta, Seattle, back to Washington, D.C. , and now back to NYC. Still on the schedule are visits in Houston and Toronto before I finally return to the mountains of Colorado on November 22nd.

Make note of two new discoveries. Having lived in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. for the better part of the past 25 years, I confess, I know far less about that city’s hotels than I probably should.  Now, as a frequent visitor rather than resident , I’m discovering the hotels of the Nation’s Capital, and this week I found a real treat--The Hotel Monaco. Located in Washington, D.C. ’s high energy Penn Quarter, this hotel will tickle the funny bone of anyone who has even a minor fascination with interesting architecture. Long before it was as oasis for weary travelers, the building in which The Hotel Monaco now resides was a federal tariff office. Designed by the same man who designed the Washington Monument , it is the first 100% marble building to be constructed in Washington . 

From a travelers perspective why might any of this be important? The beauty of the marble may take your breath away, but it’s the thickness of the stone that I truly appreciated. No need to worry about hearing the conversations of guests on the other side of an adjoining wall here. The rooms are quiet and spacious. Remember, what is now a hotel was once government offices, so virtually every guest room is comfortably large and decorated with the funky contemporary  decor with which Kimpton Hotels are so frequently associated.

One important recommendation: skip room service at The Hotel Monaco and instead walk one block west to Zola (8th & F streets). I stopped by around 5:15 p.m. on a Sunday evening, just shortly after the restaurant had begun its dinner service, and was shown to one of the few remaining empty tables. I ordered a small green salad and an appetizer that I urge you to try. Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. The latter was delivered to my table in its own, large casserole, and it proved to be much more food than I could eat. Imagine this, real macaroni noodles (not penna or rigatoni pasta), perfectly cooked, tossed in a sauce of lobster stock thickened with butter, lots of butter, topped with great chunks of lobster and covered with melted fontina cheese. I’ll remember it as the ultimate comfort food and commend it to you. If you happen to live in the Washington, D.C. area place a visit to this restaurant on your to-do list for the first snowy day that hits town.

Finally, a quick mention for those of you who work in HR Departments. Grab the November 17th edition of the Wall Street Journal, in particular, the Personal Journal. Appearing on page D1 you will find Sue Shellenbarger’s "Work & Family" Column, which addresses flex-time policies. According to Shellenbarger, among the keys to making flex-time schedules more fair are the following. Allow all employees to apply for flex schedules, require proposals that will outline how the plan will work, evaluate flexible setups regularly, make scheduling a team responsibility, and train people to back-up co-workers.

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