Inlaw Visit = Trip to DC

When you live in VA and family visits from TX, invariably you end up in DC. The good news is, we have finally become experts in the "DC Tour" business. We rely on parking at Union Station and taking the Old Town Trolly around the museum district. And really, if you are looking at a trip around DC, the trolly is the way to go!

Being a foodie, of course the highlight of our daytrip for me was lunch! I had heard about the cafe tucked away in the National Museum of the American Indian and how it served authentic native foods. I wanted to share that this cafe definitely lived up to the hype! But, like anything else tucked into a tourist mecca, the price tag is a bit high. Four of us ate for $85. But, we all agreed, it was worth every penny!

The name of this spot is Mitsitam Café, which, according to their website, means "Let’s eat!" in the Native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples. It also allows "visitors the opportunity to enjoy the indigenous cuisines of the Americas and to explore the history of Native foods. The café features Native foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Meso America, and the Great Plains. Each food station depicts regional lifeways related to cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavors found in both traditional and contemporary dishes."

Three of our party loaded up with the buffalo ribeye steak, cut fresh and wood grilled to order right in front of you. I added mashed new potatos w/corn and wild mushrooms as well as a sour dough roll and blueberry tart. My husb. opted for the buffalo burger, which he really enjoyed.

The steak smelled like a strong cigar to my husband and it definitely had a "charred" odor that had me a little worried before we got to the table, but it was all for naught. The meat melted in my mouth and whatever wood they were using gave it amazing flavor. I would also like to mention that it was also seasoned perfectly which is my usual complaint about steak. That potatos with gravy disappeared effortlessly as it melted on the tongue. I have to admit I expected the blueberry tart to be cloyingly sweet, as most tarts with custard are. Not so in this case, the tart was perfectly balanced w/a light, crispy crust, tart berries and a winsomely vanilla custard.

And I will tell you, the dessert selection is ridiculous! Carrot cake, apple crisp, fruit tarts, cookies, chocolate covered peanuts, key lime tarts, bread pudding and even tres leche cake! So, even if you run by here too late for lunch, it would be great for a mid-afternoon sugar "pick-me-up." :)

I would definitely recommend popping into this cafe for a treat if you're touring the area!