Two Museums and Zaytinya

In Washington, D.C. today we spent some time at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), looking at art from the American West. I've been wanting to see some of the western landscapes and portraits of American Indians that I read about recently in the book The West of the Imagination by William H. Goetzmann and William N. Goetzmann. (I blogged about it here.)

American Indian portraits by George Catlin (1796-1892) which I particularly wanted to see.

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) -- "Archelous and Hercules"

"Archelous and Hercules," detail.

Works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Arthur Dove.  

One of several large landscape paintings by Thomas Moran (1837-1926).

After our visit to SAAM we went to lunch at Zaytinya, a delightful restaurant quite near the museum.

After ordering, you are served puffy pita-type breads.

Dipping olive oil with a "Z" written in pomegranate vinegar.

Foreground: tarama salata. Background: İmam bayıldı (eggplant with walnuts).
We also enjoyed shakshouka with smoked duck.

Fish -- bronzino -- with walnuts, water cress, pomegranate seeds, and other flavors.

In the open kitchen -- legs of lamb roasting on spits.

Another view of the kitchen.

In the afternoon we went to the "Nature's Best Photography"
exhibit at the main Smithsonian natural history museum.
We've enjoyed several earlier exhibits of this annual contest.