by Green Gourmet L
Of all the things going on in DC, people swore up and down that I HAD to go to the “Open House” weekend at the EU Embassies. As I read about the events from last year, I realized that I needed a plan of attack. This year, they were expecting over 50,000 people, long lines, and gorgeous weather. Our plan? Wait in line early for a “popular” open house and then hit the smaller ones later in the day. This plan worked perfectly. Here’s where we went (and the food, of course).
Embassy 1: Greece
We must have waited in line for about an hour to get in. Just when you think you’re almost there…
You realize upon entering that there is a line to get to the food. Hmmmph. It was worth it. to get a sampling of savory and sweet dishes from some of the restaurants around town.
An Ouzo flavored soda to quench your thirst:
Followed by some grape leaves, pita chips, hummus, and tzatziki:
For dessert, of course the traditional baklava and a honey/walnut cookie:
Know who else was there? Zaytinya of course! If you’ve never heard of Zaytinya, check out the Green Gourmet’s review here. Zaytinya was serving their own version of greek yogurt with apricots and handing out their secret recipe. Yum.
After a sweet ending at the Greek Embassy, we decided to head to…
Embassy 2: Estonia
Do you know where Estonia is? I do (now). When we were outside, we were lucky enough to watch some traditional Estonian dancing, and they were nice enough to pose for the papparazzo.
Although, I’m not sure how the people from Estonia survive on their food. The samples were garlic croutons and dried anchovies.
I guess you just drink alot of this:
This light brew got us ready to move onto the next…
Embassy 3: Bulgaria
This was one of my favorites on the inside. A big beautiful staircase and lots of fresh flowers.
They were serving a traditional savory cheese pastry called Banitsa:
And a red wine produced in Bulgaria. Is it possible for a red wine to be both sweet and dry? Discuss.
At this point, we were over having to wait in any more lines. And because it was a beautiful day, we headed to the Georgetown waterfront to visit the House of Sweden.
Embassy 4: Sweden
Sorry Sweden, apparently I was feeling camera shy. Or slightly tipsy from three two servings of Bulgarian wine.
This is the entranceway, which has a modern water feature.
The inside feels very much like wandering through Ikea. Multiple floors, huge glass windows, modern architecture. They served some of my favorite cheese (Jarlsberg) with lingonberry jam. And chocolate cookies courtesy of… you guessed it, Ikea.
What’s the perfect end to a perfect day of Embassy tours? The perfect beer. In this case it’s Blue Moon.
I’m kinda bummed I won’t be here for the upcoming Around the World Embassy Tour happening this weekend! Click here for more details. Have fun on your travels and don’t forget you read about it on Green Gourmets!
The Green Gourmets 