Tidbits and more of Washington DC

April 9, 2018

By Michael Higdon and Colin Bill

The Washington Cherry Blossoms were on their way to reaching peak bloom this past weekend, the city has sprung alive with spring-breakers dotting around to visit the many historical and cultural sites that make DC one of the most enriching cities in America, and the MSA FORWARD 2018 Conference & Expo is fast approaching.  As the excitement builds of getting to network with your many friends and colleagues, some of life’s basic instincts will start to kick in and you may find yourself questioning…”where am I going to eat?” and “what am I going to do with my free time outside of conference?”

Washington DC in recent years has become quite a food town.  Not since the day when Jean Louis’s restaurant opened at the Watergate has there been as many exciting restaurants in the city.  Just last week there was a post on the web announcing the opening of three new restaurants that are expected to be some of the best competitors for giving DC some more Michelin Star restaurants. The 2018 Michelin star rankings for DC are here, and two new restaurants have joined the prestigious list. Komi, Chef Johnny Monis’ veteran Greek/Mediterranean tasting room in DuPont Circle, earned its first one-star rating. So did Métier, chef Eric Ziebold‘s elegant prix-fixe dining experience below sister restaurant Kinship, which retains one star from last year.

In the immediate area of the conference hotel there are many culinary treats to explore using this mobile-friendly Google Map of Nearby Restaurants. Or you may wish to focus on visiting the restaurants that can be found in its three surrounding neighborhoods:

Penn Quarter/ Chinatown

Downtown

Shaw

Finding ways to spend your free time outside of conference while in DC will be a challenge only in that there is so much to choose from. Downtown is a bustling center for business, shopping, and nightlife. Here are some of the Nearby Bars. Exploring the walkable neighborhoods adjacent to the conference hotel will provide you with an abundance of entertainment.  One of the most exciting things to visit this year in DC is the No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery.  This exhibit takes over the entire Renwick Gallery and the surrounding neighborhood with some of the spectacular experimental art installations from the Burning Man community of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.  You can explore the many different exhibits that Washington area museums have to offer through this google map of Nearby Museums.  If you are still looking for some ways to spend your time then visit Destination DC and explore the city.

Michael Higdon is the Retail manager for the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.  An MSA member for more than 20 years, Michael has served on multiple chapter committees and twice as Chapter President. At the national level, he served on the Program Resource Group, the National Program Committee, as a blog writer, a webinar panelist, and he is a 4-time session presenter. For the MSA Board of Directors, he has served on the Chapter Policies and Procedures and Governance committees, on the Education Resource Group, as Director at Large, and as Secretary.

Colin Bill is the creative artist and brain behind Hero Heads®, a Washington, DC based company creating product featuring inspirational heroes, like Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo and Sally Ride.  Hero Heads® hopes to empower people to project positivity out to the people and the world around them. Hero Heads® is a proud Vendor Member of the MSA.  

Photos: Michael Higdon (left) and Colin Bill (right)