36 hours (to a hangover) in Washington, D.C.

Mr. C and I are a big fan of the New York Times travel section. We even used one of their articles as a guide during our honeymoon and had a fantastic time (tipsily) biking from brewery to brewery. I am particularly fond of their "36 hours in . . ." series. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that they published a "36 Hours in Washington, D.C." last month.  Would they talk about the city's penchant for all you can eat, all you can drink brunches? Would they cover our fantastic local beers, like DC Brau, (that kick Brooklyn Brewery's ass)? Or the widely acclaimed Newseum? Or point out that you can drink sangria in the sculpture garden and pretend to listen to jazz every summer friday?

No. Instead, they talked about the Botanical Gardens and Eastern Market . . . Apparently, anyone visiting DC for 36 hours is either 80 yrs old or boring. The only time anyone goes into the Botanical Gardens is to get some free air conditioning without the hordes of children that plague every other Smithsonian museum. Obviously, the record has to be set straight. I'm by no means an expert, but as someone who frequently finds herself in DC for quick weekend trips, here's my (non-definitive) guide to how to spend 36 plus, cocktail-fueled hours in our nation's capital.  

1. Mini Bar Crawl in Shaw | 6:00 PM 

You've just gotten off the bus at Union Station. After spending the last 4.5 hours listening to your neighbor complain loudly about their boss and draining your phone battery searching for the mysterious "wifi" signal that Bolt promised . . .  you're in desperate need of a libation. And, more importantly, a little separation from your fellow man. You could hit up one of DC's many fantastic happy hours (check out: www.dchappyhours.com). More likely, however, you need something a little stronger . . . something like a mini-bar crawl. I'd recommend heading over to 7th St NW and checking out Derek Brown's three bars, conveniently all located on the same block. Start with a cocktail pitcher, some raw oysters, and a bowl of the Chowderhead at Eat the Rich (and no, I would not judge if you got a pitcher for yourself. In fact, I'd join you). Next, stumble head next door to Southern Efficiency. You can't go wrong with the White Whiskey and Smoked Cola (I know it sounds weird, but I promise, it's delicious) or if you really want to get serious, one of their mint juleps. Warning: you will have bourbon breath the rest of the night. Finish off the bar crawl with a flight of sherry (just trust the bartenders recommendations) and a charcuterie plate at Mocking Bird Hill. 

2. H St | 10 PM

At this point, you're probably feeling more charitable towards the world again and are ready to kick it up a notch. Grab an uber and head over to H St. The NYtimes guide did a fairly good job of covering the best H St bars. Though they tragically neglected to mention the dancing and peach schnapps slushies at Little Miss Whiskeys. 

3. Saturday AM | whenever you wake up:

If it's your first time to DC, you probably feel obligated to see at least a few of the sites. This is where, as your good friend, I would kindly point you in the direction of the National Mall and then go back to sleep for a few more hours while you got all cultural. I kid . . . sort of. Actually, my favorite way to see the monuments is to go for an early-ish morning run around the mall, which lets you soak in all of the key sites (which actually are quite beautiful, especially the Jefferson), while giving you an excuse to dodge around all the tourists. If running's not your thing, you can rent a bike from the Capital Bikeshare.

4. Day Drinking on 14th St | Saturday 3 PM

After touring the monuments (and a shower) if you're really into site seeing, you can pop into National Art Gallery, which is always lovely (and currently has a Van Gogh and Degas exhibit), or forego the free options for the Newseum, which I've heard is amazing and really do mean to visit one of these days. But don't linger too long because you're going to want to head back up 14th street to grab a table at the Garden District Beer Garden (previously known as the Standard) before the post-brunch crowd descends on it. Don't be daunted by all the wannabe hipsters . . .   or the lines for the bathroom. Just nonchalantly perch yourself at the edge of a table and wait for a spot to open up. Put on your big girl (or boy) pants and order a liter of the kostritzer schwarzbier or the heffe-weisbier. Also, make sure you flag down the donut guy making batches of fresh, piping hot donuts for a dollar. If you're seriously brave, or aggressively want to scare away your neighbors, you can also get a whole, smoked hogs head.

Sidenote: If it really is too crowded for you, a solid second option is American Ice Company, where you can sample the local beers (get the DC Brau Citizen) and indulge in pulled pork nachos on their patio.

5. Mediterranean Feast | 8:30 PM

If you haven't fill up on too many pulled pork nachos or donuts, grab dinner at Kapnos, Mike Isabella's (of Top Chef fame) Mediterranean restaurant. It opened last year and has quickly become one of my favorite new spots in DC. Definitely go with a group so you can sample a bunch of their mezzes. My favorite is the whole roast bronzino. Or you might be tempted by the leg of lamb roasting on a spit. The cocktails are pretty amazing as well.

6. 14th St/U St Bar Crawl | Till the wee hours of the morning

There are a lot of great neighborhoods in DC but the 14th St corridor is one of my favorite and has a wealth of options for whatever suits your mood. Craving some more beer? Hit up Churchkey, which has over 500 beers including a huge selection of beers on tap. Last time I was there, the bartenders were also offering their own, homemade fireball-style cinnamon whiskey. Feeling more like dancing? Try Dodge City, which has the added advantage of two large patios. Or, do you want to risk some green-fairy inspired hallucinations? 1905 is a small, but quirky bar that serves absinthe. Just be warned, you’ll have to wait ten minutes while your drink drips over a sugar cube from some elaborate contraption. If cocktails are more your scene, you could try Two Birds One Stone where the menus are freshly sketched and illusrated every week.  Or, my all time favorite bar, Bar Pilar, which quietly has some of the best cocktails (and people watching) in the city without the side of pretention that you might find at The Gibson. Pilar always have something new and surprising. Last time I was there, they were doing pina coladas with a fermented strawberry syrup  . . . or you can’t go wrong with one of their house made gin and tonics.

Finally, you’re probably going to be a little peckish at 3 A.M. (especially after lifting those liters of beer all afternoon). Don’t let anyone talk you into a jumbo slice (google it if you don't know what I'm talking about). Trust me, your stomach and your arteries will thank you. Instead, stop at Taylor Gourmet for a hoagie or check out &Pizza for a chipotle-style, build-your own flatbread.

7. Brunch Like A Champion | 1 PM ('cause who brunches before noon?)

DC is all about brunch . . . especially in the summer when there’s no lack of outdoor patios. So make sure you have a late return flight or bus scheduled and save time (and room) for one of the city's many bottomless brunches. Mr. C and mine's two favorites are are El Centro DF (“Mexican comfort food”) and the less well known, Agora, (Turkish/Mediterranean). The thing these two brunch spots have in common is:  excellent food, served in small or mid-sized portions meant for sharing; excellent brunch drinks (mimosas at Agora and Aqua Frescas at El Centro); and an all-you-can-eat-all-you-can-drink brunch special for under $35. If you go to El Centro, make sure to try the French toast and the Chile Relleno. At Agora, save room for several orders of the Htipiti (roasted red peppers, thyme, feta, and a bit of magic) and the Cilbir.

8. Who's Counting at This Point? 

I'm pretty sure that's more than 36 hours and possibly more than any one person should drink in a weekend . . . 

T-Shirt Reviews: Everlane vs. Gap vs. American Apparel

Where did the time go? Yesterday I was wrapping up finals and now I'm realizing I only have a week left in DC. I can't really complain. It's been nice to play housewife for a few weeks and soak up all the time I can with my friends and family (not to mention actually live with Mr. C rather than shuttle back and forth between apartments). One of the side effects though is that I have been separated from the majority of my wardrobe. On the plus side this has given me an excuse to go shopping forced me to be creative with the six outfits I remembered to stuff in my suitcase. On the downside, it's made it a little difficult to work on my closet cataloguing project. It's probably not a good sign that I can't remember how many dresses I own off the top of my head . . . 

So in lieu of updating my spreadsheet, I have been taking stock of my summer basics. First up? Solid, cotton t-shirts. After last summer when I couldn't seem to find any breathable (aka sweat-trap) tops. T-shirts quickly became essential. Add a belt, skirt, and some wedges and you're ready for brunch or a casual friday. Or switch it out for boy shorts on those too-hot-to -wear-anything summer days. But, after a summer in DC, my stock of t-shirts were definitely worse for wear. All but one had some combination of stains and tiny holes, or had simply disappeared into the mysterious abyss that also swallows single socks. 

My initial instinct was just to re-order the same Everlane T-shirts that I had last summer. But (because I may have too much time on my hands right now), I thought I'd take a step back and objectively evaluate the three brands I currently have in my closet to see how they measured up against each other: the American Apparel 50/50 shirt, Everlane's Cotton V, and the Gap Essential T.

So how did they stack up? 

Price: In terms, of price, they're all close (and all $20 or less) but Everlane was checked off as the cheapest at $15. The reason Gap got a question mark is that they've been running so many 40% off sales that I actually haven't seen this t-shirt at full price any where in the last month. American Apparel got an "x" because they were the most expensive and because I was annoyed they don't give a student discount #gradschoolproblems. 

Material: Both Gap and Everlane are listed as being made of 100% pima cotton and I can attest that they both feel really soft, without being too thin or at all see through. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the American Apparel shirt I'd picked up was actually their 50/50 poly-cotton blend, so I can't compare it directly to the other two. However, in my un-professional opinion, it's pretty nice though not as soft or quite as breathable. 

Fit: This was where I realized my Everlane t-shirts where falling short. Even in the smallest size, they're baggy on me (this is actually true of all the Everlane products but it's particularly pronounced in their t-shirts). If you look at this year's version on-line, it looks baggy, even on the model, so it must be intentional. But, in my opinion, this makes them look sloppy on me. In contrast, both the Gap and American Apparel t-shirts fit really well--not too snug, but they're easy to tuck into skirts or my new favorite printed pants. I would note that some reviewers found the Gap essential T to run a little large, but this wasn't the case for me.

Style: I was happy with the style and cut of both the Everlane V and the Gap Essential T. The Everlane V is very flattering and not too deep if you're more endowed than I am and showing too much cleavage is a concern. I haven't tried their u-neck style but I assume it's similar. (judging from their baggier cuts and more classic style I don't think overtly sexy is their thing). In contrast, the cut of the American Apparel t-shirt is a little . . . off. It's comes up oddly high on your neck--almost like a kid's t-shirt instead of an adult woman's. It's not terrible but it's enough to make me hesitate before buying this style again. 

Final verdict? While I love Everlane for their silk shirts, sweatshirts, and acceptably adult backpacks . . . I've realized that I'm not really that big a fan of of their t-shirts. At the end of the day, the fit is really important to me. And, given that Gap's comparable shirt is not that much more expensive (and probably on sale as we speak), for me, it's the better buy. The only downside? It comes in a ton more colors, which may tempt me to buy one of each . . . 

*Note: In full disclosure, I will be working for Gap this summer, but that had nothing to do with this post. I just like their t-shirts.