Lunchtime, so it's a good time to look at food.
As previously mentioned, Old Ebbitt Grill and The Hamilton are across the street from your hotel and are both very good.
About a month ago we tried Olivia Restaurant for the first time, which is a short stroll east on F Street NW from the hotel. It's just south of the National Portrait Gallery, in fact. Mediterranean and mostly small plates so it can add up, but everything we had was really tasty. A little further east and south at 7th and D NW is Rasika. Foodie friends of ours have described Rasika as the best Indian cuisine on the East Coast and were offended we hadn't been yet.
A little further east and north at 6th and H NW is Daikaya, a trendy noodle bar. I haven't been there yet because there's always a line. I don't stand in line for food. Go around the corner to Bantam King for cheap, delicious ramen. BK is busy, noisy, and quick. It's so good and hits the spot. Leave BK and go right around the corner down the stairs to Free State, a great cocktail bar. Get whatever they have on the menu that night. Guaranteed to leave speaking in tongues.
Do you like beer? It's a walk, but straight up 14th Street NW from the hotel into Logan Circle you'll find ChurchKey, one of the very best beer bars in the entire city. Huge selection of great beers, everything from domestic to imported to local crafts. Good Old Fashioned too if you like cocktails. The food is pretty good too, I've heard the fried chicken sandwich is surprisingly great but I never eat there, that's an inefficient use of stomach space at such a great bar.
Keep walking up 14th and you'll be in the middle of more good restaurants than you can even imagine. These are all wildly varying price points and cuisines but Le Diplomat and Great Wall Szechuan House are two I know of in the next block. Even further up at 14th and T NW are classics like Ted's Bulletin and Amsterdam Falafelshop. On the other side of T St is Colada Shop, which has the best Cuban sandwich I've ever had.
And while you're here, even better if you can convince slightly adventurous coworkers, you must have Ethiopian food. My favorite spot is Chercher at 9th and O NW, which our own
@calypso726 can attest to the quality. Habesha Market at 9th and T NW is a counter service-style place but cheaper and just as good. Almost any Ethiopian restaurant is worth your time, but including those two I've also eaten at Quara (H St NE), Addis (H St NE), and Selam (16th and U NW - bring cash, the credit card reader has been out of order for 3+ years). No matter where you go, get a veggie platter and either beef or lamb tibs, or kitfo. I've often heard doro wat recommended for first timers because it's chicken (doro is chicken, wat with anything is stew), but it's very messy and not super flavorful. Tibs and kitfo are a better representation.
How about Eritrean instead of Ethiopian? I'll forgive you if you go this route instead of Ethiopian, but only if you visit Adams Morgan for Keren (intersection of 18th/Florida/U NW) or Asmara (18th and Kalorama NW). Eritrean is very similar to Ethiopian but is a bit more saucy and uses more seafood since Eritrea is a coastal country.
If you have any other specific questions let me know, there's so much good food here I'm not even scratching the surface.
WOW!
