Food.Fun.Stuff: Trying to Stay Cool…

[ 0 ] August 20, 2009 | Johnna

Chili, cheese and french fries are a bad idea when the temperature is 91 degrees outside.* We didn’t get this concept until we experienced it ourselves. After basically wasting $10 on a lunch that turned into a nightmare for our stomach (*with the factor of the heat), we got to thinking about places that would keep us cool in this destructive heat. Going through our roledex of restaurants, eateries and the likes, we decided these five would meet our needs at least for the coming weekend which promises days like today.

>Dolcezza– We love gelato! Especially from this little Argentianian gelato shop in Bethesda. We make it our business to sample a new flavor each time we go and have totally fallen for the vanilla bean.

>TangySweet– We must admit we had a bit of a crush on Pinkberry when we first tasted this frozen yogurt in LaLaLand, but now the District has its own version. We also like the fact that they moved some of those cupcakes from Red Velvet into the building. Yogurt and cake.

>Alero’s Margerita’s– Alcohol is probably the worst idea when in the combination with heavy food and intense heat, but Alero’s happy hour is worth taking a chance on the wild side. We love how they have a long happy hour and the drinks are potent but masked well with the icey margerita flavors. They have an indoors part, stay cool in the AC or try to beat the heat in their outdoor seating.

>Peacock Cafe– Shade. That’s what we like about this tree-lined block that houses Peacock Cafe. Their brunch is pretty decent and after a night of hanging out, it is a great option for trying to stay low-key.

>Ketchup– The National Harbor’s newest member to the restaurant team, Ketchup, makes its way all the way from the West Coast (*Dolce Group venture). With water comes a breeze (*or some sense of coolness, isn’t that why we like the beach??) and that’s why the National Harbor is a good place for us to venture this weekend.

In need of some gelato now…or maybe some frozen yogurt…dunno, but it’s going to be someplace cool that shuns heat:-)

*We are leaving out the name of the restaurant that we had this unfortunate experience from…trying to keep it positive!

Category: Food.Fun.Stuff., restaurant reviews, sweets, Washington D.C.

About the Author (Author Profile)

Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.