For breakfast, grab an Ethiopian coffee and pastry from eclectic Sidamo Coffee & Tea. Then, it’s time for a museum. You could spend an educational morning at the National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet University, which focuses on the history and culture of deaf and hard of hearing people. Or check out the Mehari Sequar Gallery, which primarily highlights artists of the African diaspora who identify as women.
It’s possible to spend hours walking around Union Market and its surroundings, but let’s home in on what’s new: Leesburg-based Crooked Run Fermentation opened in January, the first brewery in the sprawling marketplace. It offers its own housemade beer and is teaming up with Pizza Serata to serve personal pan pies, Italian deli–style sandwiches, and more. Once you’re full from lunch, you can explore all the shopping and cultural events Union Market has to offer.
For dinner, try Bronze, an imaginative new restaurant inspired by Afrofuturism that connects sci-fi and gastronomy with the culture of the African diaspora. The menu is divided into “garden, land, and sea,” with dishes such as braised oxtail with pappardelle.
Later on, catch a show at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, a historic community landmark where you can find a variety of theater, dance, music, and film offerings. But if you’re more in the mood for some trivia with a side of happy hour beers, there’s always Biergarten Haus, which hosts a popular trivia event on Tuesday nights.
Starting to miss NoVA after a long day in DC? Stop at Irregardless, a cozy bistro with a focus on Virginia wines, for a quiet nightcap. The owners met in law school at the University of Virginia. It’s also a great idea for dinner, with lots of vegetarian options, if that’s your speed. And if your nightcap of choice is a nonalcoholic one, Binge Bar — DC’s first no-alcohol bar and event space — recently opened with zero-proof cocktails, booze-less wines and beers, and small bites inspired by founder Gigi Arandid’s Filipino background.
Feature photo courtesy Washington.org
This story originally ran in Northern Virginia Magazine’s March issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
