Takoma Park

I rarely leave the District willingly, but one exception is going to Takoma Park, which is partly in D.C. and partly in Maryland. I headed there on Friday, and hit some of the cute stores as well as Mark's Kitchen, where I think I could eat every single day.

The Big Bad Woof is where I go for cat items, and the store bills itself as "for the socially conscious pet." There are more puppy toys than kitty toys, and there's a huge pet food selection, with things like organic food. The store also has adoption events.

Now & Then is one of my new favorite gift shops, and it has a lot of children's items, and a lot of things that are just really pretty. I picked up a little calendar for my new desk at work, called a "calendar of whimsy and delight," made by Driscoll Design.

Mark's Kitchen is a favorite D.C.-area restaurant, with Korean influences and many vegetarian options. I had the spinach tofu cakes and miso soup this time around, and both were great.

All these spots are located a quick walk from the Takoma Metro. There are also some vintage shops and there's an ice cream place that has a lot of alcohol-flavored ice creams (this summer I had the Jack Daniels version, natch).

For more, here's an article I wrote for the Blade about Takoma Park.