Adams Morgan

Whenever I travel, whether it be for a vacation or for a longer stay (such as now, in Washington), one of the highlights is always discovering a place that few tourists know about. In the Adams Morgan neighborhood, I found that place.

It's called "The Diner," a 24-hour restaurant serving breakfast all the time inside an older building with tin ceilings and crown molding. On the menu is the "Diner's Bill of Rights," which includes among other things the premise that "eating out in D.C. should not break the bank." Thank God for that, too.

The Adams Morgan neighborhood itself is worth celebrating. In the 1960s, progressive residents worried about segregation decided to name the place themselves. They combined the name of an all-white elementary school (Adams) with that of an all black elementary school (Morgan) and bestowed it upon a few blocks north of DuPont Circle. The result is a wonderfully diverse neighborhood with residents (and food, too) from every corner of the globe. Ethiopia, India, Ghana, Spain, Mexico, France, Italy... all sorts of cultures represented. Even the buildings have character --- towhouses smacked together, painted bright colors.

Admittedly, we didn't have time to check out the whole place. The rest will come tomorrow night when all of the interns in our program meet at a bar on 18th Street called "The Blue Room," (named after the room in The White House, not that other kind of blue, thanks very much). But for those of you who plan on stopping by D.C., count on a trip to The Diner at least once.