Texas loves you anyway

What ho et cetera. The novelty of corporate travel wears off quickly, and I'm well on my way to becoming a hotel snob (Marriott Marquis Atlanta: best beds in the history of ever; Seattle Westin: winnah for most lurfliest shower set-ups; Hilton Austin: best exercise in trekking a quarter mile to find the loos on each floor, plus best chandeliers evoking l'esprit del armadillo inverté). With the exception of my time in Atlanta, where I would use free moments to crawl into the embrace of my bed and nap for all I was worth, I've been trying to counteract the creeping conference-room ennui by bolting out of the hotels during downtime.

Which brings me to Las Manitas. On Thursday afternoon, after strolling on Congress and working up an appetite, I stopped in for a homemade lemonade and a taco al pastor. DC being tragically lacking decent Tex-Mex, the first forkful woke up tastebuds that've been in hibernation for months. I gave up on being dainty and picked up the whole thing, a corn tortilla wrapped around red-sauced pork spiced with lime and chili. The waiter, grinning, dropped by with a stack of napkins after I was done and pointed out that I was wearing al pastor al over my chin. Cost for the whole meal? Five bucks. Yesterday morning, I sprinted out extra-early for breakfast: chilaquiles verdes sharp with fresh tomatillos, refried beans, and hot flour tortillas, plus a strawberry licuado (fruit, ice, and a bit of milk, totally healthy...except for the added sugar). The place itself is kind of unpolished, although the folk art hearts from a gallery down the street perk up one wall and the service is fast. If you're looking for white tablecloths and the good china, you'll get the vapors, but then, if that's what you want, the Driskill is just up the road and serves tea.

A couple of years ago, developers tried to buy the Las Manitas block and build a hotel there. Locals fought back, arguing that the city needed to balance development with retaining the city's landmarks and that Las Manitas supported a variety of local schools and arts groups, and won. Hurrah! Migas for all!