D.C. Must-Tastes + Must-Dos

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A long weekend in Washington offered, yes, new freedoms. Unlike the tour-led activities I had grown accustomed to during childhood and high school trips, this vacation offered a breath of fresh air and a pure appreciation for the patriotic capital. Alex, Lindsey, Dan and I spent hours walking and wondering, noting new spots and historic sites. We graced the patios of friends and long-lost cousins, cheered on the Nationals, drank countless cups of coffee (and later rosé) in park lawns, and experienced restaurants worth revisiting.

Below were the culinary highlights, categorized by meal and classified for their unique offerings...

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Breakfast at Ted's Bulletin, during which we splurged on not one, but two housemade strawberry pop tarts (with sprinkles, of course) and a full breakfast spread with runny eggs, crispy hashbrowns and peppery breakfast sausage.

Brunch at Table, an intimate one-room restaurant that reveals every step of the chef's process from a visible kitchen bar. I watched my shakshuka and Alex's duck eggs with polenta come to life through the focus of one chef, who modestly mastered initial preparation and final plating flourishes.

Lunch at Momofuku, the world-famous ramen bar with a wildly unique yet seemingly effortless execution of innovative noodle, rice and steamed bun dishes. The warehouse-style aesthetic complements its turn-and-burn demand for satisfying lunchtime soup service.

Oyster happy hour at Senart's, where we were perfectly tucked away in the window booth with a crisp glass of pinot overlooking the quiet, cozy neighborhood of Eastern Market.

Dinner at Tail Up Goat, a phenomenal gesture of young yet seasoned culinary talent. Shared plates of in-house pastas, adventurous toasts, lamb ribs and limited half roasted chickens grace the minimalist tablescapes on a corner of northwest Washington.

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Upon my next visit, I am pining for a classic Italian dinner at Fiola Mare in Georgetown, Duke's Grocery lunchtime sandwiches, and All Purpose Pizza for casual dinner fare. Food & Wine's esteemed mention of The Dabney also leaves me curious.

Where are your favorite D.C. dining destinations? Share in the comments.

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Last Minute Fourth of July Entertaining Tips

I'm heading to the beautiful Washington, D.C. to celebrate a patriotically perfect Fourth. But if you're in charge of your Sunday or Monday holiday gathering, have no fear -- my last-minute entertaining tips (featured today on StyleBlueprint) require neither a Party City haul nor messy DIY.

Let the ingredients fulfill your patriotic color palette. Rather than stress over striped and polka-dotted red and blue serve-ware that only suffices for the one-day holiday, use white and wood palettes as a canvas for a bold menu of blue and burgundies. A pitcher of sangria, watermelon and feta bruschetta on a wood board, and a blueberry compote baked brie on marble make for show-stopping holiday hues.

Picture above -- Radish Goat Cheese Toasts

Pictured below -- Cherry Crostinis

Celebrate your independence—from the kitchen. Save sautéing and simmering for another day. This Fourth of July is about no-mess menu planning! Provide room temperature-friendly bites, like a top-your-own crostini bar, cheese boards or mason jar stacked salads.

Pictured below -- Nautical Beach Picnic with Art in the Find

Ginger Ale Summer Cocktail

Let the pre-July Fourth week commence. Alex and I are heading up to D.C. for a long holiday weekend, where we'll be patriotically celebrating the Fourth as well as Alex's birthday and our five-year anniversary! Yes, what a doozy.

If you're hosting an outdoor gathering this weekend, I know just the right beverage to fill your coolers or mix into a cocktail -- the all-natural Bruce Cost Ginger Ale.

Photos by Christen Jones

Each bottle is made from whole fresh ginger (rather than the ginger oil or other manufactured products used for the gingery flavor). Naturally sweetened with pure cane sugar, the beverage line offers flavors from pomegranate hibiscus to jasmine tea and passion fruit.

Concepted in Bruce Costs's James Beard-nominated kitchen in San Francisco back in 1995 and later served in Chicago, the ginger ale is now brewed and bottled in Brooklyn. Now, it has made its way to my Memphis doorstep, and I'm finely impressed!

I'm making Fourth of July cocktails with my Bruce Cost twelve-pack, but note that you can sip the original flavor to alleviate nausea, aid digestion, and even fight the common cold. Talk about benefits!

Keep scrolling for my peach-infused summertime Moscow mule, served in darling copper tumblers that'll keep our cocktails plenty cold. Enjoy the celebrations this weekend -- Cheers to the simplicity and festivity of summertime.

Makes 2 cocktails

1 bottle of Bruce Cost ginger ale, chilled 3 ounces vodka, divided Juice of 1 lime 2 lime wedges, to garnish 1/2 peach, sliced

1. Divide vodka among two tumblers. Add two slices of peach to each and muddle. Then add a few cubes of ice.

2. Pour ginger ale in each tumbler, followed by a heavy squeeze of fresh lime juice.

3. Garnish with lime and peach. Cheers!

This post is brought to you by Bruce Cost Ginger Ale and Christen Jones Photography. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Seared Tuna over Cucumber Jicama Slaw

Y'all, this heat is heavy. In need of a light and cool summer meal, I aimed for an airy Asian dish that highlights natural flavors and awe-inspiring colors. I plucked both the ahi tuna and cucumber at the Memphis Farmers Market last Saturday, and I spotted some prepped jicama at my Whole Foods location. Ten minutes prep max yields a ten-fold amount of impressionable plating and tasting!

Serve alongside a crisp dry Pinot Grigio and, perhaps, a shareable bowl of steamed edamame. Cheers!

Makes 2 servings

1 ahi tuna steak 1 teaspoon canola oil 2 cucumbers 1 package pre-cut jicama 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon rice vinegar Black sesame seeds Sea salt Eel sauce, to serve

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of tuna steak with salt and black pepper. Place tuna in pan, searing for 1 minute. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and allow to rest.

2. Spiralize cucumber into thin ribbons. Slice jicama into thin strips. Mix vegetables with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt and sesame seeds.

3. Slice tuna into 1/4-inch pieces. Create a cucumber-jicama nest, and place tuna on top. Drizzle with eel sauce and, if needed, add additional sea salt. Serve cold.

How to Keep a Clean Kitchen All Summer Long

It's inevitable -- one of the biggest entertaining "fears" of our time is the post-meal process of clean-up. We're supposed to be the hostesses who can juggle prep, presentation, and conversation all at once, right? Now as a homeowner, I have a whole new respect for my mom's graceful -- if not effortless -- portrayal of dishes and miscellaneous dinner duties while growing up. And thanks to So Fresh and So Green Clean, I understand how simple and cerebral the concept of post-party cleanup can be.

Photos by Christen Jones

The Memphis-based green product line was created by an adorable couple who has specialized in housekeeping for five years. For owner Lauren Parks, her company is not just about cleaning houses; it's about making someone else's life just a bit easier.

Realizing that some "natural" cleaning products contain quite a few undesirable ingredients, Lauren and her husband Andrew decided to create their own organic products with only pure essential oils that have a cleaning purpose. All of the So Fresh and So Green products are handmade in small batches—even the Castile soap that goes into them.

I picked up their "everything," "stone" and "glass" bottles last weekend at the Farmers Market, where the Parks family now sets up shop every other Saturday. Andrew threw in the castile and avocado soaps, too, which my guests now enjoy in the bathroom off of the kitchen.

After a Sunday evening garden party-inspired dinner, where we choose to picnic on pillows around the lucite coffee table, I gave the "glass" spray a whirl. Stains instantly vanished without one visible streak, and the mint aroma was far more enjoyable than the typical Clorox wipe. I think I'll have to forego the back-up fragrance spray, since these products manage to clean and perfume the room.

The "stone" bottle has become my new best friend for the marble countertops, which require careful attention throughout the cooking and serving process. A splash of coffee or spilled crumbs from a cobbler can be wiped off in an instant, boasting a pure aroma of oregano.

And for those of you who simply don't want to decipher which bottle is appropriate, grab the "everything" spray, which works on...yes, everything. Citrus scented and full-proof tested, the orange label stands out and stands up to spills during dinner parties and cheese board-focused happy hours.

Here's my kitchen hostess clean-up routine. What's yours? Check off the list with So Fresh and So Green Clean.

• Wipe down counters with "stone" spray.
• Wipe off wood table, the sink and cabinets with "everything" spray.
• Don't forget the glass coffee table, where guests placed their tumblers and toothpicks. Spray with "glass" spray.
• Discard leftover and expired party ingredients, and wipe down shelves with "everything" spray.
• Empty trash.
• Wash your hands with castile soap.
• Pat yourself on the back.
• Plan your next summer fête.

This post is brought to you by So Fresh and So Green and Christen Jones Photography. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Five Ways to Spend Friday Lunch (Memphis)

Friday. The day we long for. I wholeheartedly believe that Friday lunch is the perfect preview for a wonderful weekend ahead; so when time allows, I make plans accordingly. Below are my top five Friday lunch suggestions which, if possible, would sit in my schedule on repeat. Which do you most prefer?

1. FELICIA SUZANNE'S

The famous twenty-five cent martinis and biscuits will draw any pedestrian through the Main Street red doors of Felicia Suzanne's on a Friday at noon. Yet now, on the adjacent patio, a fast-casual option serves up oysters, crab cakes, and my most coveted grilled sandwich in the city: Felicia's short rib grilled cheese. Take a seat inside or out, and you'll experience two fine and fancied Southern dining options.

2. LOFLIN YARD

Now open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. on Fridays, Downtown's hot spot and haven provides a smoked poboy selection (pork tenderloin, brisket, to name a few) with an optional housemade pimento cheese add-on. Seasonal grilled salads boast the freshest farmers market finds: heirloom tomatoes, local cheeses, herbs and greens. I'll never tire those trays and that rosé.

3. EL MERO TACO

Though their addictive tacos require a watchful eye for the truck's current location, you'll see the bold scripted "El Mero Taco" vehicle at the Levitt Shell, on South Main, and even on the St. Jude campus. I am most fond of the brisket chilaquiles (topped with a fried egg) and off-the-cob parmesan street corn...But let's be honest: Anything you order at the window will blow away your taste buds.

4. ELWOOD'S SHACK

The line at Elwood's Shack might intimidate, but the outcome is exceptionally worthwhile. Order the unrivaled fresh fish tacos or barbecue pulled-pork pizza and stake claim at an outdoor picnic table. No, my two recommendations do not go together; but I suggest to order one this Friday and the other the next. Trust me.

5. THE SECOND LINE

Overton Square's popular Cajun-creole crib now opens for lunch, and we are forever grateful. A half poboy and a grocery (side item) pair perfectly halfway through the work day, especially on the patio. I most enjoy the catfish with spinach madeleine.