Quintessentially DC Items?
Last year, when I went to Austin, one my friends down there pulled together gift bags that represented things that were unique to Texas, such as Lone Star beer, Mesquite BBQ chips, buttons that said "Everything is Bigger in Texas", etc...
So one of my good friends has a crew coming into town next weekend, and I suggested she do the same thing for their time in DC. But now we need to pull together a goodie bag of DC stuff... sample ideas include Utz Crab Chips, Washington landmark refrigerator magnets, but we need more good ideas.
Since I'm a native to the area, I'm actually a bit uncertain what some of things we have here are, that the rest of the country may not have.
Any thoughts? Anything you crave when you first return to DC from your respective homes?? All ideas are appreciated...
posted by J @ 6:38 PM
19 Comments:
Well, Old Bay definitely. Old Dominion Beer, Virginia Wines... I'm drawing a blank. I know there's more. There's a couple of Ice Cream shops that are unique to this area as well.
Whenever I'm in DC I always make a point to get some huge slices at Pizza Bolis
Crack pipe, .38 shell..
anything featuring the cherry blossoms.
A GoGo tape (FYI that’s music), maybe a bad brains, fugazzi, thievery corp cd, stuff a half smoke in there. Perhaps there room in your bag of DC for one of the highest adult illiteracy and HIV rates in the industrialized world.
Please don’t forget always pissed off CVS employees, the no food at Safeway, those “ethnic” restaurants that serve $12 hummus and pita plates. Hummas and pita is as fancy as white bread and mustered in most of the middle east word STOP CHARGING A FREAKING ARM AND FOR IT because the culturally isolated chicks from the Midwest think they’re ordering something exotic. Oh and please include a recording of “so what do you do” because that’s seems to be the extent of the creativity of most people in the District even when it’s 2am and your grinding on a drunk chick at a bar.
Can you fit that all in your bag?
Foggy Bottom beer (is that still around?), redskins stuff, something cherry blossom oriented (there is japanese cherry blossom lotion at bath and body works), five guys (though I saw that in philly recently), any kind of anti-bush paraphernalia, secret service men figurines (ha ha), cookies from firehook or marvelous market (not that they are that good), an american flag...ummmm....im running out of good ideas...not that many of those were necessarily "good"...ps- how nice are your friends that they give gift bags when people come and visit?! My friends are lucky if I give them an air mattress to sleep on...
Murky Coffee...best, a cup brewed. Second best, a bag of beans (ground or unground).
Peruvian chicken....mmmmmmmm
Wow, check out the response... most of which were quite helpful, so thanks!
Jo- Love me some VA wine... (Hate me some too). What are your personal favs? VA Wine Fest is 2 months away!
Anon1- Jumbo Slice is pretty tough to leave in a gift bag, but maybe if they're drunk.
Marion- Any chance we could get an autograph?
Ek- Good call, hopefully they'll be in bloom that weekend.
DRock- I know my GoGo... Northeast Groovers, say what? Although it does sound like you have some DC anger issues you may need to work out. It's a transient city, we just have to accept it sometimes.
Stalker- Yes, my friends are nice, but I don't think these will be very expensive gift bags, so its all good. Yeah, Five Guys will be a stop during the weekend I'm sure. But only one of the first few locations, since the original is no longer around in Arlington.
Anon2- I take it you're a Clarendon resident? Although yeah, coffee is good there. Misha's in Old Town is also excellent.
there's also a murky coffee on capitol hill, right next to eastern market.
When I was traveling a lot I occasionally brought "DC" things with me as gifts for the natives. It tended towards the kitschy and non-perishable. Nationals baseball stuff, "From the desk of the Commander in Chief" pens and pads (har de har!), Cherry blossom soap, "arty" photos of DC landmarks (purchased at the Eastern Market).
Julia's Empanadas. Chorizo and Jamaican.
Darn, someone beat me to the cherry blossom thing. Ben's Chilibowl? A bunch of cars glued together in a circle?
You could pick up some cheesy souvenirs from the street vendors.... FBI hats or shirts.
Turkish food. Levante's and Divan in DC. Nizam, Kizan in VA
In most other places in the US, Turks disguise their food as "Mediterranean" or "Greek" both of which are making me snicker as I type.
I'm coming up there for an interview next week...so if I get the job you should save me one of those gift bags as a "Welcome to D.C!" present.....
Two words: Half Smoke.
Great stuff guys, many thanks... although the restaurant recommendations don't really apply as "Things you can put in a gift bag"...
I'd go with your basic monument and white house paraphenalia. Don't forget the pandas at the zoo, they're cute and unique (except for San Diego) to Washington. What about a Metro map (it's useful, colorful AND free)?
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