Hip & Hungry Getaway - DC...Cooking Vacations...Culinary Getaways...Cooking Classes!

PRICE PER PERSON FROM - $995

Stylish restaurants, celebrity chefs and fresh local fare are all on the menu in DC, a city whose “suddenly seductive” dining scene (New York Post) is no longer known primarily for power lunches and elegant State dinners.   You’ll find restaurants with celebrity chefs at the helm including José Andrés, host of PBS’ “Made in Spain,” and James Beard Award Winner Eric Ziebold of CityZen. 

With DC chefs finding celebrity on national TV, restaurants placing focus on all things green and a First Family sampling all that DC’s culinary scene has to offer, there’s no better time to visit the nation’s capital.

DAY ONE:
Begin your culinary adventure by checking into your elegant accommodations within walking distance to the nation’s most cherished monuments, Capitol Hill, and the revered museums of the Smithsonian Institution. 

This evening you will engage in a hands-on cooking class at the renowned CulinAerie cooking school where you will rub elbows with skilled chef instructors as you create a stunning gourmet dinner…a dinner you shall enjoy at the conclusion of your class.

DAY TWO:
After enjoying a hearty breakfast at the much anticipated Sou'Wester, your morning is free to enjoy the sights and sounds of our nation’s capital.  This would be an excellent time to visit the National Museum of American History and take in the Julia Child Bon Appetit exhibit made even more famous by the recent release of the film Julie & Julia.

Your afternoon is full of discovery as you go off the beaten path in this guided and narrated foodie tour of Capitol Hill.  During the tour, you will stop to sample specially made dishes at locally owned and operated restaurants.  At its conclusion, you will be able to truly appreciate the heritage and local cuisine of this historically rich area.

Spend your late afternoon relaxing back at the hotel while you build up an appetite for an extraordinary adventure in fine dining.  CityZen, often described as one of the Hottest Restaurants of the World, is headed by James Beard Award Winning Chef Eric Ziebold.  Your Six-Course Dining experience will shed light as to why Chef Ziebold has been described as one of America’s Best New Chefs.

DAY THREE:
Enjoy another wonderfully prepared breakfast as you soak in the grandeur of this impeccable hotel located in the most powerful city on earth!  Take time to visit the monuments with a DC Trolley Tour, or schedule an optional massage at the hotel’s world-class spa.  Your Getaway is nearing its end, but your memories will most certainly last a lifetime.

ENJOY LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS
The hotel's unique location on the southwest waterfront makes Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. the hotel of choice for the discerning culinary traveler. You will enjoy an atmosphere of grand elegance within walking distance to Capitol Hill, the National Mall and to the US capital's most important sights.

CAPITOL HILL CULINARY EXPERIENCE
Located within earshot of the US Capitol and the Mall, Capitol Hill is one of the earliest, historically diverse, and most beautiful areas in Washington DC.  You will be taken on a three hour guided journey through the thriving southeast neighborhood to sample a wide variety of food and drink, from the Navy Yard to Barracks Row, and everything in between.

SIX-COURSE CHEF’S TASTING MENU
CityZen is one of the most talked about farm-to-table dining experiences in the country. Join 2008 James Beard Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Winner Chef Eric Ziebold as he prepares a six-course tasting menu.  Brace yourself for an entirely sensory experience during this extraordinary dining adventure.

HANDS-ON COOKING CLASS
We have partnered with a premier recreational cooking school in downtown Washington DC that offers a wide range of cooking classes and events including baking and pastry instruction, wine and spirits tastings, cooking technique workshops and international cuisine seminars.  You’ll find top rated chef instructors at this innovative culinary venue such as “Top Chef” contestant Carla Hall, who is a frequent guest instructor.

MODERN AMERICAN CULINARY HISTORY AND CULTURE
Savor a tour of Chef Julia Child's legendary Cambridge, Massachusetts kitchen.  Learn about her impact on American popular culture and culinary history through special stories and selected objects.