This Weekend Under $60: Zaytinya and Arabesque

Most of what we see and hear about the Middle East nowadays is pretty bad. Ultra-nationalists in power in Israel. Political discord in Palestine. Enriched uranium in Iran. None of that sounds very nice. But the Middle East possesses a wealth of fantastic food and culture to offer to us. The food is rich in delicious spices and the music and art is flavored by years of cultural diffusion between Europe and Asia. This Weekend Under $60 highlights some of this food and culture, taking us to José Andrés' Zaytinya and to the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage Arabesque series.

Zaytinya is a modern reworking of traditional Middle Eastern foods and flavors. Perched right by the Verizon Center, this restaurant is a Middle Eastern oasis from the hustle and bustle of the Metro Center area. The walls are clad in the purest white, and lit by candles arranged around the restaurant. It is a romantic but certainly lively spot, with a bar that always seems busy. Be sure to make reservations as this is quite a popular spot, especially if there is an event going on at the Verizon Center. Zaytinya is still offering restaurant week specials until the first of March. However, for our purposes we will sample some of the fantastic tapas offered here. The restaurant is primarily a tapas spot, offering small plates of re-imagined Middle Eastern food. Select 5 or 6 of them to share between two people. I would suggest starting with one of their spreads served with pita (try the Taramosalata). Next select a sampling of the other small plates. For vegetable plates I would suggest the Kolokithokeftedes (Zucchini and cheese fritters) or Piyaz (giganes bean salad with kale). For meat plates I would suggest the Adana (lamb) Kebab or Kalamata Sirloin. After sampling some of the best, albeit not traditional, Middle Eastern food in the district head to the Kennedy Center for their free Arabesque Series

The Kennedy Center uses their Millennium Stage series to bring unusual and international artists to the nation's capital. It focuses more on the contemporary, the ethnic, and even better it's completely free. This month they are hosting Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World. Representative artists from all 22 nations of the Arab League will perform at the Kennedy Center running through March 15. Friday will host a Somalian hip-hop artist K’NAAN. Growing up during the Somalian civil war his experiences have vividly shaped his music. He has been described as a mix between the reggae of Bob Marley with the consciousness of American hip hop. Saturday will feature Nawal an acoustic based lyricist and vocalist. She hails from the Comoros Islands off of the East Coast of Africa. She plays five different acoustic instruments and sings in four different languages. Both of these artists promise fantastic if strikingly different performances.

Directions to Zaytinya: Orange/Blue line to Metro Center. Red line to Gallery Place. Exit at 9th and G and cross the street.

Directions to Kennedy Center: I mean, really? It's that huge, gigantic, famous building right on the river.

Spreads: $7 each
5 Tapas: $8 each
Arabesque Performance: Free

Total: $47 plus tax and tip