Food Trucks Everywhere!

Image From Pixabay

Food Trucks are everywhere in D.C and we love to find our favorites for our lunch break. However, with so many food trucks how do you choose which one to visit during the week. We have found a few favorites that are worth finding on social media to see where they will be next. If you want to play Where’s Waldo with food trucks, check our list below to decide which ones you want to follow next.

PEPE

Pepe Food Truck is perfect when you are craving something simple but delicious. This food truck is full of sandwiches with the most amazing combinations of ingredients. Serrano ham, Manchebo and olive oil on a thin ficelle sounds so good right now we want to go find the PEPE truck immediately. Make sure to follow @pepefoodtruck to find out when they will be near you.

Brandon’s Little Truck

This truck might seem a little off-the-wall, but we promise you will not regret trying their food. This truck has a controlled menu where you can expect your favorites every visit. The delicious lamb burger with fennel salad and feta is so delicious you think it came from a 5-star bistro. This is just one of the many unique combinations you can find at Brandon’s Little Truck. If this food sounds like a lunch time specialty, find out their next location by following them at @bltfoodtruck.

BBQ Bus

There are many barbecue trucks all throughout the D.C area, but there is a reason we think you should try the BBQ Bus. They smoke all of their meats for 10-12 hours before being served, and you can taste the difference. The sides and breads of the meals are made from scratch daily before they start serving. We recommend coming up with your own combination of meats, bread and sauces. You can find the BBQ Bus on their twitter @bbqbusdc.

These are just three of the many food trucks in D.C! Can you not make it for lunch? Make sure to see when they will be close to your home at The Louis for dinner.

A Very Bike-Friendly Louis

Image courtesy Pixabay

If it seems like there are more cyclists than ever on D.C. streets, that's because there is, especially if you live at The Louis! According to a new study from real estate company Redfin, U Street is the most bike-friendly neighborhood in Washington D.C., with the neighboring Logan Circle neighborhood coming in at #2! What qualifies our area as "bike-friendly," and how can you start living a more bike-friendly life both at The Louis and beyond? Let us tell you!

What makes a neighborhood bike-friendly? Investments in trails, bike lanes and other aspects of biking infrastructure is the first step. If the weather is nice and we don't have to wait for the Metro or sit in traffic, wouldn't you rather enjoy the fresh air and exercise? While biking to work may be good for your health, it is also good for building businesses. According to Greg Billing, the executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (to Washington Business Journal), creating a cycling culture builds up a neighborhood's eco-system. Businesses and residences will be drawn to areas where there is more foot and/or bike traffic.

If you are interested incorporating more biking into your daily routine, there are some important things to know before you hit the streets. For example, you may want to ride with a local group first before venturing on to the streets by yourself. It's also important to make sure your bike is in proper riding condition, or that you purchase a new lightweight bike for your commute. You may even want to take a class or urban bike riding. Especially in a city like D.C., with such a high volume of drivers, you will want your commute to be as safe and easy as possible! For example, be sure you ride in the same direction as the traffic flow, give yourself a 3 foot cushion from parked cars, and yield to pedestrians. To view more rules on urban cycling or to request a workbook, click here.

Consider changing up your daily commute by incorporating cycling into your routine, especially since we reside in the District's most bike-friendly neighborhood! Do you regularly ride a bike to work? What tips do you have for new riders? Share your thoughts on The Louis' Facebook and Twitter pages!

Cheers! It's DC Beer Week!

Ale, lager or stout? No matter type of beer you prefer to drink, through Sunday, August 16, you have the perfect excuse to expand your craft beer horizons or to try new brews of your current favorite. How, you ask? August 9 through August 16 is Washington DC Beer Week, which aims to educate area citizens on all things "good beer, from conception to consumption!"

Image courtesy Pixabay

From special happy hours, to beer and food pairings, to special brew releases, these events will have beer lovers "hopped up!" However, with such a wide variety of daily events for the week, it can be difficult to select which events to attend. Is it best to narrow down by events close to The Louis or by the type of event? See what we mean? The options can be overwhelming. To view a recommended list of Beer Week events broken down by day, click here.

Today's marquee event is the Coast to Coast Tap Takeover at RFD. This event features more than 40 beers on tap, each at $5 a pour. There is a $5 cover charge, which will benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The event runs from 3 - 11 p.m.

One event garnering buzz from both Washington City Paper and Washingtonian magazine is Thursday's D.C. Total Tap Takeover at Church Key. All of ChurchKey's 55 taps will pour brews made in the Washington DC area. This special event takes place from 4 - 11 p.m. Washingtonian recommends tasting the Alpine Beer Company Nelson, which is made with a fruity type of hop called "Nelson Sauvin." This is the first time that ChurchKey will devote all of its taps to DC-produced beer, so if you only have room in your schedule to attend one Beer Week event, this one will certainly be well worth it!

What is "on tap" for the weekend? On Friday, the marquee event is DC Beer Week Takeover at High Velocity. Located inside the Washington Marriott Marquis, top tier breweries including Atlas Brew Works, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 21st Amendment, Schlafly, Heavy Seas, Sam Adams, Flying Dog and North Coast, will be pouring both flagships and rarities! On Saturday, the DC Homebrewers Club will be performing demonstrations at Meridian Pint from 3 - 6 p.m. On Sunday, the final day of Beer Week, team up with some of your friends for a Beer Scavenger Hunt in Dupont Circle!

What brews are you hoping to taste or events do you plan to attend? Let The Louis know on Facebook and Twitter!

Our 14th & U Restaurant Tour

Image courtesy Pixabay

Regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a "foodie," anyone can appreciate a perfectly prepared meal. Definitely one of the biggest draws of The Louis' location is its proximity to some of the District's, probably even the country's, best restaurants. Whether you want to tackle some of the area's best restaurants all in one day, or over time, if you live at The Louis, you need to experience these restaurants' cuisine:

Le Diplomate | 1601 14th St., NW
Step into Le Diplomate and you will feel like you have entered a Parisian bistro. The sidewalk cafe is a beautiful setting in which to sip a cappuccino and read the newspaper in the morning. Their extensive cocktail menu offers drinks you won't typically find anywhere else in Washington DC, including the Il Fait Beau, which combines Edinburgh gin, Elderflower-peach Shrub, and fresh lemon.

Visit Le Diplomate for BRUNCH.

Tico DC | 1926 14th St., NW
It's easy to begin your food tour at Tico DC, located just downstairs! Tico's Chef Michael Schlow has been featured on The Today Show, Top Chef Masters and other national television shows, in addition to being named "Best Chef in the Northeast" by the James Beard Foundation. Tico's American-based cuisine has elements of Spanish, Mexican and South American cuisines, too.

Visit Tico DC for DRINKS. Their menu features more than 140 types of tequila!

Lupo Verde | 14th & T Streets
Rustic Italian, in both decor and menu, describes Lupo Verde perfectly. The cheese and salumi menu offers allows you to mix and match the perfect charcuterie plate. All of Lupo Verde's cheeses are imported from Italy, so you know they have to be good!

Visit Lupo Verde for CHARCUTERIE.

Vinoteca | 1940 11th St., NW
The food served at Vinoteca's Happy Hour will probably be the most sophisticated happy hour selection you have ever seen! Choices include Barbecue Duck Roll, Chilled Pea Soup, and Charcuterie, just to name a few. If you would like to broaden your knowledge of wines, Vinoteca frequently offers Tuesday night classes in its upstairs lounge.

Visit Vinoteca for HAPPY HOUR.

Kapnos | 2201 14th St., NW
While Kapnos may be a younger restaurant, it opened in July 2013, it certainly has made quite an impact since then. The restaurant, a concept by Chef Mike Isabella, has two wood-fire grills with spits, and serves both classic and contemporary Greek dishes. Main courses include Moussaka, Kapama and Soutzoukakia, among many others.

Visit Kapnos for DINNER.

While there are dozens of delicious restaurants in our immediate area, there are a few key highlights that any U Street resident needs to try! If you have some free time over the weekend, pay one of these eateries a visit!

Additional sources consulted:
Capitol File
Thrillist DC
Zagat