This past weekend, after a radical two-year renovation, the Washington, D.C., hotel National Museum of Women in the Arts has reopened its doors. Many new updates await, such as a meticulously restored roof and facade of the historic 1908 building that was once a Masonic temple; easier accessibility; and stimulating exhibitions in expanded spaces like Sky is the limit, which features 33 large-scale sculptures and installations by 13 female artists from around the world, including Shinique Smith, Joana Vasconcelos and Sonya Clark. What remains unchanged is the institution’s steadfast mission to champion women in the arts, which it has done since its founding in 1987 by philanthropist and art collector Wilhelmina Cole Holladay.
Although the United States has made great strides toward gender equality in the arts, culture, hospitality, and other professional fields, the work is far from done. Although she was the first female executive chef at the now-closed Galileo (a dining hotspot in the 1980s and ’90s), she was nominated as a James Beard Foundation semifinalist three years in a row and currently directs Centroline and Piccolina, a beloved Italian restaurant and cafe specializing in regional and rustic Italian cuisine, chef Amy Brandwein still regularly faces sexism and the struggles of being taken seriously in the kitchen.
To help change “the lens through which women are viewed,” Brandwein has an all-female management team that oversees its businesses and has also mentored the LEE Initiative’s culinary education program, including goal is to foster more equality in the restaurant industry by continuing education and work programs for women. Ultimately, Brandwein just wants to “help women succeed on a very high platform” and “make sure they’re taken seriously.”
The good news is that supporting the cause can be as simple as visiting and spending time and money at businesses run, staffed, and created expressly with women in mind. Below are eight other notable places you should put on your checklist for your next visit to Washington, DC.
St James
Restaurateur Jeanine Prime’s highly anticipated follow-up to Cane, her casual restaurant specializing in everyday Trinidad and Tobago dishes, St James celebrates the diverse culinary cultures (African, East Indian, Chinese, Western European) contributing to the culinary culture of the Caribbean. Staples like callaloo, braised oxtails, and jerk wings are absolutely perfect, as are lesser-known dishes like umami-rich Trini-Chinese chicken drizzled with oyster habanero sauce. Wash it all down with a Trinidadian rum cocktail.
Lapis
Enter Adams Morgan Lapis is an invitation to enter the home of the Popals, the family behind the beloved modern Afghan bistro. Outfitted with vintage wooden chairs, hand-woven rugs, soft candles and personal photos, the spaces exude warmth and comfort. Fittingly, food is a deeply personal affair, with all recipes coming from family matriarch Shamim Popal. Lovingly made from scratch, even modest-sounding items like qabuli palow (rice pilaf) are downright eye-opening with an abundance of aromatic spices, tender carrots and plump raisins.
The Philips collection
Moving into a historic neo-Georgian style house, The Phillips Collection is America’s premier museum of modern art with a uniquely intimate setting encouraging you to take your time with each piece. On view until January 7, 2024, African modernism in America, 1947-67—two of the three co-curators, Perrin M. Lathrop and Nikoo Paydar, are women—is a captivating exhibition examining the complex exchanges between African artists and American artists and cultural organizations. Key works include a new commission, The Politics of Selection by Nigerian artist Ndidi Dike (2022), Grace Salome Kwami A girl in redand Manyolo Estelle Betty’s Cattle people.
Hotel Zena
You’ll notice provocative creative elements with a nod to female empowerment everywhere. Hotel with 193 keys by the Viceroy hotel group. The exteriors are splashed with colorful murals of female warriors by Miss Chelove, while the reception area features a desk filled with salvaged high-heeled shoes and an oversized portrait of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made up of 20 000 stamps. The accommodations expand the theme with their soft hues, gentle curves and a translucent depiction of the Greek goddess Artemis. Even the hotel’s restaurant, Figleaf Bar and Lounge, takes a bold feminist spin with menu items such as “She-Ra Salads” and “Zena Ginsburgers,” as well as 12,000 protest buttons from the protests adorning the walls .
Food for immigrants
“We are a restaurant with a mission.” This simple but powerful statement from Téa Ivanovic, who gave this year’s speech Forbes 30 under 30 list for Food & Drink — sums up everything about Immigrant Food, a “cause-casual” restaurant she co-founded with Peter Schechter. The food celebrates the diverse immigrant cultures that make up America, as evidenced by the bestselling Madame VP Heritage Bowl of coconut curry chicken, turmeric rice and plantains, and The Think Table, a publication monthly digital coverage of immigration issues.
Lutetia
Although much appreciated Lutetia has all the hallmarks of your usual French Quarter restaurant – imagine a cozy ambiance, a thoughtful wine list and a menu of classics sprinkled with original creations, including a lovely charred cabbage topped with tahini – these are the desserts of pastry chef Isabel Coss who are the talk of the town. Where Coss’s Mexican upbringing and French technique merge, his sweet treats are anything but predictable. Black Sesame looks simple enough: a bowl of frozen Concord grape granita with flecks of black sesame cookie. One bite is all it takes to evoke nostalgia for a childhood favorite, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Duck and fishing
If there’s one restaurant in town that truly leads by example, it’s Capitol Hill. Duck and fishing. Owned by respected industry veteran and former ThinkFoodGroup COO Hollis Silverman, all leadership positions at New American Restaurant, from general manager to executive chef, are held by women. On top of that, the entire wine list is owned or prepared by women, and the ingredients for simple, ingredient-driven dishes (think herb-roasted chicken, herb salad, and kanpachi crudo) are sourced locally. responsible to sellers in the region.
Ice Cream Jubilee
Lucky for us: Victoria Lai left a successful career in law to start Ice Cream Jubilee. Flavors run the gamut from classic (bold vanilla, assorted green tea, salted caramel) to original inspired by Lai’s upbringing and travels – Kosterina Extra Virgin Olive Oil is deliciously nutty and mellow – and can be ordered from one of two locations, or shipped directly to your home via Golden belly.
