The road less traveled in DC...

Beyond the monuments, museums, and crowded memorials there's an entire city waiting to be discovered. While DC was originally designed as purely a Federal City, by the end of the Civil War it had become a bustling residential city as well. DC's neighborhoods are chock-full of history and culture and offer a diverse variety of options for entertainment, dining, and recreation.

Highlights include:

U-Street/Shaw: These neighborhoods were once among the wealthiest African-American communities in the city. They were the epicenter of the city's jazz scene and were visited by many famous musicians. The eighties and nineties hit these areas hard, and they're now beginning to return to glory, albeit of a different kind. Both areas are rapidly gentrifying thanks to a real estate boom, and the completion of the new convention center. Come see them before the past glory is erased!

Adams Morgan and Mt. Pleasant are two of the most diverse neighborhoods in DC and are host to a bevy of dining and nightlife options for any budget and any palate. Home to large immigrant communities, both neighborhoods have a unique flavor that can be experienced simply by walking through.

Eastern Market: home to the city's largest flea market and hundreds of historic homes and buildings this area is home to many of DC's wealthiest residents yet maintains it's old-time charm. The market is best on weekends when in addition to fresh food of every variety artists and vendors from across the region come to hawk their wares.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Ben's Chili Bowl is a must-see (must-taste?) diner in DC's rapidly gentrifying U-Street corridor. Once the epicenter of DC's African-American community, U-Street maintains part of its jazz history while catering to a new kind of neighborhood resident. Ben's is one of a few institutions that remains from U-Street's heyday, and it is certainly the tastiest.

Ben's can be reached by Metro's Green line at the U-Street/Cardozo/African-American Civil War Memorial stop, alternatively you can take the 52/3/4 bus or the 66, and exit at U street.

When you first see the place from the street you immediately get a sense of its old-time vibe. There is no wait staff. When you get inside peruse the menu posted above the counter or grab a paper version while you wait in the line. With chili-dogs for $2.95, and Bill Cosby's favority chili-half-smoke for $4.15, meals are cheap and delicious. Most things are served with a side of potato chips, and delicious-looking slices of cake are displayed in a case near the register. Vegetarians will hardly be disappointed with the hearty bowls of chili. Once you pay for your selection grab a seat in any of the restaurants booths (and look at the walls for photos of celebrities who regularly visit when in town). Your food will be delivered to you there.

As an added bonus, Ben's is open until 2 am every night, and 4 am on weekends. Carry-out is also available.

Bukom is a taste of West Africa in the midst of the numerous Ethiopian joints on 18th Street in Adams Morgam.

The restaurant is fairly casual during dining hours, sometimes you will seat yourself and at others one of the staff members will guide you to a table. The menu may be a bit intimidating to those who haven't been to Africa, but many of the dishes are suitable for even the pickiest palate. Chicken with peanut stew (Kumasi Nkatekwan) and jollof rice are tasty without being too spicy, while egusi with goat, fried fish with kenkey, and red-red satisfy the adventurous eater. For an appetizer try the fried plantains--delicious!

Some things on the menu may sound unfamiliar, but the written explanations are adequate, and your server will also help you choose a dish.

Also a full-service bar, Bukom has a variety of beers, and is a popular spot for DC's West African community. It's not uncommon to come here for a meal and end up spending a few hours talking with Nigerian diplomats, Ghanaian immigrants, and others.

At night live music, usually a reggae band, makes Bukom a different sort of bar to frequent on the 18th St. strip. Tables are pushed aside to facilitate dancing, and the bartenders are quite friendly.

Johnny Monis, Komi's chef, is something of a wunderkind. Not yet out of his twenties, he consistently turns out delicious and thoughtful food in his small Dupont Circle restaurant. On weekdays the menu is available à la carte and features decadent pastas, interesting appetizers and fantastic house-cured meats. If the suckling pig is on the menu, it is a must order, even the polenta served on the side is amazing.

On weekends the restaurant serves a prix fixe menu at $69 per person. This is an incredible value for the amount and quality of food. The meal begins with a parade of small plates, sometimes as many as eight delectable items. Burrata and beef carpaccio are among the highlights. Then comes a pasta dish, and a meat or fish dish, each selected from a menu of six or seven choices. Homemade crackers are also brought to the table. These courses are followed by a small cheese course and dessert. Monis' beignet-style doughnuts should not be missed, but choosing a dessert is a challenge as they are all great.

Wine pairings are available for $30 per person. The wine list is fairly priced, and features interesting Greek and Italian wines. This restaurant is an absolute gem, and DC residents are lucky to have such a talented young chef in our midst.