A special toast to my new friend, Yamrot, who along with her husband, Bona and his brother Dula, own the totally 100% authentic Ethiopian Restaurant named LETENA in Washington D.C.'s cool Colombia Heights neighborhood. Yamrot is pictured in the black turtled-neck sweater on the right hand side of the picture. "I am a person who is totally immersed in my culture of the Ethiopian Spices and authentic recipes, yet with my own modern experimental touch," she says honestly. Honesty, is the number one ingredient with Yamrot whether it is personal or professional. " I love to say that my food is HONEST FOOD. And that is to say that I am so obsessed with what we claim our food to be that it is." 
"I am a very discerning person when it comes to food. When my husband and I dine out, I try to enjoy the ambience and the service as my expectations for food is usually too high!" says Yamrot! 
LETENA ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT 
LOCATED AT:
"It is up here where we have the events such as the book reading and of course cigars come with these events.," laughs David, the 80 year old owner of his 57 year business as The top Cigar place in Washington DC, Georgetown that is. "Here" is on the 3rd floor of the historic building in the middle of M street in Georgetown. Downstairs is gorgeous and cozy and full of cigars to buy and upstairs is his private 3rd floor asian carpet parlor and study. A huge antique wooden table and antique chairs surround the table and today it is loaded with nicnacs from his study. http://www.gttobacco.com/ Georgetown Tobacco is located at 31 44 M. Street In Georgetown
Upstairs in the Gorgeous 3rd level office, parlor where the events are held in David's Georgetown Cigar Store, where, "We have tickets from $30 to $50 depending on the event. They usually have new cigars every year and people love to come and try these. We give a little bourbon during the cigar tastings or a little wine, they enjoy these events. I do too. My favorite Cigars are the Davidoff Cigars,
yet even at cost, I have to pay from $30 dollars per cigar. And since I smoke 3 a day, maybe that is why I don't make a profit!" We start laughing. Well, what is the use of owning a great cigar store, if you can't enjoy it!
yet even at cost, I have to pay from $30 dollars per cigar. And since I smoke 3 a day, maybe that is why I don't make a profit!" We start laughing. Well, what is the use of owning a great cigar store, if you can't enjoy it! The coolest item about the Georgetown store is visiting it and learning about the cigars, yet if you are anywhere in the nation or international, you can order from his online store and he ships all around the world. So enjoy. 
"I started the Georgetown Tobacco in 1965, around that year and my father mortgaged his home, giving me $5,000. Which isn't much, so I had a little store down the street. Later, about 5 to 6 years, a friend and business partner asked if I wanted to share the space here. I said yes. Now, 50 years since, I am still here!" he says laughing.
He asked if my publication EmmeAnesBook makes profit and I start laughing, and say, "um not really!" David replies, "Mine either, but I do love my cigars!"
"Cigar smoking is a social event, in and of itself," says David. "Most of my Washington DC guests have known me years and now the second generation and maybe 3rd come in. I always enjoy the tourists, too. They love to ask questions about cigars!" 
Visiting Zino Davidoff legacy I ask David if women come in a smoke cigars, is that the trend? "I see a lot of women these days coming into the store. They enjoy a good cigar and they come to the events, too. The events aren't always about the cigars, since I do have book readings upstairs where recently a author had written a book about Washington DC and we had a event with the author and of course we had cigars for purchase and smoking. The Havana Cuban cigars were right before my time and to tell the truth, nowadays, Dominican Republic makes the best cigars in the world, not Cuba. If somebody gives me a cuban cigar I give the cigar away!" Says David.
Says Jamal, the boss of Angolo Italian restaurant in Georgetown, "Spaghetti Bolognese! Do I have Spaghetti Bolognese! I happen to make the best Spaghetti Bolognese on the planet! As a matter of fact, a visitor staying at the hotel near us in Georgetown came in here the other day asking if I could make that. I said of course, I am the Chef-I know how to do Italian! And I made it for him and he couldn't stop talking about my Spaghetti Bolognese!" he says as we laugh outside enjoying the beautiful DC weather. http://angolodc.com/contact/
You want to try it? Located at: 2934 M st NW in Georgetown
"I love Italian food and I know how to cook it from many years of experience. Yes, I am Moroccan, yet I only cook what I love and honestly I could eat Italian everyday, yet you couldn't eat Moroccan everyday. How much rice can you eat!" jokes Jamal who shows me the gorgeous outdoor patio where they were designing a outdoor aperitivo bar for his guests last night.
"I have many specialities on my menu such as Beef Short Ribs, or Stufed burrata ravili with fresh basil and marinara sauce or Angel-hair pasta, garlic, fresh basil, capers, jumbo shrimp and a touch of marinara sauce which is Cappellini Scampi, and yet honestly, if you ask me for it, I can cook it. Made to order. We only have fresh here." 
"We've only been in the location here about 3 years and I absolutely love Georgetown. I love the location, the people, the atmosphere. The outside patio I made myself, choosing the blue tiles, and the granite top bar we're just waiting for the top to come to finish it. I believe that the weather is warm now and that the people love to eat outside. Maybe a aperitivo before dinner. It is a social place."
EST. 2005
Blaguard
2003 18TH STREET NW, WASHINGtON DC (202) 232-9005"It's nice outside finally today," says the Super real and super nice boss of BLAGUARD IRISH PUB in Adams Morgan today. It's a cool bar with outside open windows and great selections of bourbon, scotch and whiskies and of course craft beers! "Ya it has much more in the way of bourbons and scotch than it used to. That is due to JACK ROSE next door. They have so many rare ones that I got intrigued and started carrying some of the better ones here. Me and my partner want the bar to be a local neighborhood place where everybody knows each other and you can just hangout with each other. The fact that it has great food, real gourmet burgers and a head chef is a added plus yet I promote the Drinking aspect of it, not the gastronomy. It isn't a gastronomy pub," Says BO,"It's a Irish sports pub and the only thing we changed is the fact it used to be a Steeler's pub but we've made it back to a hometown Redskin's pub."
the blaguard And the homestead
"The blaguard is a neighborhood irish pub, that happens to have very pub food, better than usual,"says bo, the very happy and affable owner of both the
BLAGUARD AND THE HOMESTEAD
"The Homestead is a very high quality Modern American restaurant that me and my partner started about 3 years now. We wanted a very upscale restaurant where you can have events and weddings and a beautiful dinner. We loved JACK ROSE specialty whiskey bar next door and wanted something similar to it. They all come here after they get off work anyway and we loved that kind of atmosphere and so we made our own!" he says laughing. "Here is a Irish bar that we bought from the original owner and the Homestead is the one where we built it from scratch."
"Me and my partner used to both bartend at the famous Washington DC nightclub in Adam's Morgan named the TOM TOM. His father-in-law owned it and we had many late nights. We always said that we would love a neighborhood friendly bar and we finally opened The Blaguard, which is just that. After 10 years, since he is 1/2 Irish and 1/2 Greek, we have a American greek themed restaurant, The Homestead, and since I am 1/2 Scottish and 1/2 Irish, we have a Irish Scottish Drinking bar!" says Bo.
"The Homestead's decor is all of my partner and my idea. We built it from the ground up and it is gorgeous. We love weddings and events and we hope to have many here.
"The Blaguard is actually a combination name which we learned means the Black Guard, a Irish expression, and since we're Irish...Sometimes you hear people calling for a cab at night and they say, "um at the Bluegard, the blablaguard, etc. Nobody can pronouce it, yet the cab drivers know where it is!" Just how friendly and neighborhoody is it? "Every year a couple times a year, I take my team and a couple of regulars on vacation with me. We went to Puerto Rico twice and to the hills of North Carolina recently. I love that I can know and talk to my guests, not like nightclubs." 
"The Homestead is located in the heart of Washington DC in Petworth, and it is located in a 1922 townhouse, which we rebuilt with architectural details ourselves. People always say how beautiful it is and that makes us happy, of course. The fact that they love our food and cocktails makes us even more happy!" Says the very friendly Bo. AND it has a rooftop bar! Cool.
PIKO is all about having fun and here he is with guests and family enjoying his restaurant. "Life is about fun," he says.
Peek-a-Boo found a gem in Georgetown named CASA PIKO, a Puerto Rican owner who says that his casual let's have fun restaurant in addition to having traditional Puerto Rican dishes, specializes in Latin American cuisine including Peru and Cuba. 
...along came a spyder and sat down beside her... The International Spy Museum in DC at 800 F Street 202.393.7798https://www.spymuseum.org/
202 633 4888 _3001 connecticut ave