Smithsonian and chicken

Reh was asleep and being lazy.  I didn't want to waste any of my precious time, so I went back to the National Mall.

There are so many "Smithsonians" along the National Mall and I we didn't have anywhere near the time to see them all.  I went quickly into the Smithsonian Natural History Museum because I wanted to have a look.  The inside was as grand as the other buildings along the mall, but the exhibits weren't as awe inspiring as in some of the other places I had been.  I like animals and the natural world, but I think that we are now beyond the point of looking at stuffed versions of the them in an old museum.

I went next door to the Smithsonian's museum of American history.  This was a building filled with the treasures of America's history, ranging from colonial era treasures all the way through to more contemporary items.  When you first walk in, you are greeted by a large metal sculpture that moves and shimmers in the light.  Behind it is the "Star Spangled Banner" which inspired the American national anthem.  Standing in front of the tattered old flag, you feel a strange sense of connection to not only this incredible piece, but to the very foundations of the country itself.

Further inside the museum, there are incredible items to be found almost everywhere.

I found a case containing the gloves that Mohammed Ali wore in one of his famous fights.  They looked fairly pristine given they were used by him to pummel his opponent into submission.

I found Kermit the frog!  He appeared surprisingly lifelike sitting there, staring into the distance.

I found a death mask of Abraham Lincoln after he was assassinated.

I even found Don Draper's suit from Mad Men.

Before I left, I accidentally stumbled past one case which I had managed to miss.  Inside were Judy Garland's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz".  I looked at these now slightly faded slippers.  They encapsulated the entire golden age of Hollywood which helped to create the entire image much of the world has had of America.  Without any context, these slippers meant nothing, but with the benefit of their story and their connection to the movie and their wearer, these shoes helped to tell the story of modern America.  They were simple looking shoes, but these were indeed a treasure worthy of any museum in the world.

I went back to the Airbnb and packed up.  Reh had woken up and was tottering around the apartment.  It was time for us to head to our next location.  Before we left DC, we had one more stop to make to meet Reh's cousin.

It seemed like a pretty nondescript chicken restaurant on the outskirts of Arlington.  The moment I arrived it felt a bit "weird".  I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I almost felt like I had been here before.  That was of course impossible, because this was my first time to DC.  Still, there was a familiarity to this chicken shop that I couldn't place.

I walked into the restaurant and I was advised to order the chicken with rice.  The whole restaurant was filled with the smell of roasted chicken.  There was a slight hint of the spices that the chicken was cooked with and I was hungry.  I was still having the strangest feeling of deja vu as I took my tray of food and walked over to the table.  As I sat down, I suddenly had another flash of memory and I asked our host "did Bourdain come here?"

That was it!  This was the Arlington chicken shop that Anthony Bourdain had been to on an episode of "No Reservations".  Our host thought about it, and said "you know, I think it might be".  He hadn't brought us here because this was on some celebrity food tour, he had just brought us here because this was a beloved chicken shop for people who live in DC.  Bourdain's visit didn't change any of that.  The chicken was as good as Bourdain seemed to think it was.  The meat was juicy and succulent, the skin was crispy with a deep and peppery flavour. I've always been a fan of Bourdain and this was the first time I had been able to go to one of the restaurants he had visited!