Back in the day, I was born in Baltimore. But I haven’t been back to the area in ages. Presenting at the Historians of Islamic Art & Architecture this month was a great excuse to make a trip to the nation’s capital, eat some spectacular food and re/connecting with old and new friends.
Walking on the Mall
Autumn on the east coast is particularly spectacular for a girl like me who was raised in season-less southern California. The seven mild October days I spent exploring the city were decorated by a swirling sea of mustard, gold, tangerine, crimson and fresh green leaves. This kept my eyes dazzled wherever I went by foot, bus or car, and I was sad to have to descend underground into the Metro every now and then.
The three-day HIAA conference was held at the Smithsonian Freer Gallery, which gave me a chance to get to know the cluster of world-famous galleries near the Mall quite well. Oh, and just in case you’re wondering my paper was titled “Documenting Oil Cities” and discussed my research on Oil Company films about Iraq and Iran. It went well I’m happy to say! But I digress.
Beyond my evening strolls on the Mall, I also had plenty of time to wander around Georgetown, nearby my hotel. I managed to find a fantastic little coffee/cupcakery around the corner called Baked & Wired (serving Intellegensia/Stumptown beans). Near Dupont Circle I tracked down the superb coffeehouse Filter, which was the perfect place to retreat from a brief yet vicious summer rainstorm.
Georgetown waterfront
Enjoying the very warm autumn streak, I indulged in a few gelato tastings at two spectacularly creative gelaterias: Dolcezza and Pitango.
Gelato break #1: avocado/honey & pistachio
Gelato break #2: Cardamon & Straciatella
After consulting the expert opinion of my cousin Salma, I decided it best to sample a couple of restaurants created by the ever-innovative chef Jose Andres. I enjoyed halloumi flatbread & roasted cauliflower at the popular Zaytinya, and later in the week gobbled up some spicy fresh guacamole, blood orange agua fresca and spicy goat and chicken & chorizo tacos at Oyamel.
At Busboys and Poets, I fed not only my stomach but also my mind. There I attended a fantastic DC Green Muslim’s event, which featured a book talk by the author of Green Deen about the environmentalist movement within Muslim-American communities. I hope to learn more about this and hopefully bring Ibrahim to Berkeley for a book talk on campus in the near future.
All in all, it was a wonderful week reconnecting with a city I had neglected for too long. My only regret is that I didn’t stay for Jon Stewart & Steven Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear…followed by a B&P event with Amy Goodman.
Truth is, I just couldn’t miss Halloween with my niece in San Francisco! She’s going to be a tiger.
