Free and Cheap Fall Festivities in DC

Billy Goat Trail at Great Falls

It literally smells like fall outside. I can't name the smell, but it's just FALL! Here are my  7 highest priority cheap and free things in DC to do now that the heat has lifted and fall is here!!
{click "read the whole post" for the full list}

Bottomless Brunch at Mad Momo's

Lots of light, 2 stories, grits.

Some day drinking girlfriends of mine and I purchased a Capitol Deal at Mad Momo's in Columbia Heights and tried it out a few Sundays ago. Upon first walking in (let me stress walking- it's not close to the metro but there are about a million buses that go right there) I was in love. The host was probably the friendliest and most accomodating host I've ever dealt with- I got to pick our seats and none of that "everyone in your party has to be present to be seated" game. I understand why that policy is in place, but honestly when it's the morning after Saturday night please just hand me a mimosa before this hangover kills me and don't make me wait for last 2 who have never been on time in their lives, I swear they are coming because I am so type A that I have been texting/Tweeting/SnapChatting every person in the party since 9 a.m. to make sure they are on the way. Since it's summer in DC it was unbearably hot and sweaty outside so I picked a couch with 5 overstuffed comfy seats surrounding a table next to the giant bay window. Close enough to see everyone walk by yet still inside.

Here's the breakdown:
Bottomless Mimosas: $15
Average Brunch Plate: $10
Check Splitting: Easy
Bathrooms: Clean, no lines

Pros:

• Brunch lasts ALL DAY SUNDAY 
• Guava juice mimosas- DELICIOUS. Also they don't burn your stomach after 20 the way OJ does
• GRITS- the grits were everything. every. last. thing. Honestly I don't really remember what I ate because I was so distracted by the fluffy, sticky, perfect grits. I could have eaten a bowl of those puppies and sipped guava mimosas all day and been 100% satisfied.
• Lots of vegan/vegetarian options and even clean menu items. I had to cheat. The grits. THE GRITS.
• A lot of food options in general (I hate places where it's like pancakes or eggs which one do you want?). They were actually ranked as DC's hottest spot for foodies.
• Friendly staff
• Eco friendly, green and local (yay for day drinking and supporting good things!)
• Clean bathrooms (but why is someone's law school diploma hanging in the women's bathroom?)
• Ample outdoor seating that would be great once the temperature drops below 1000 degrees

Cons:

• Constant empty mimosa glasses (blessing in disguise?)
• Our waitress seemed rude. Every time we asked for anything including refills, it seemed like a major labor for her. Sidenote- She was Eastern European. Not to stereotype but I used to work with a Ukranian who was a former Disney on Ice ice dancer (yes, ice dancer). He once told me the story of Aladin toppling off an elephant during a show and landing unconscious face down. I asked if Aladin was ok and he replied "Huh? I don't know I never see him again, ze show must go on. Ze show must always go on". Sooo that's my theory on her behavior. Ze show must always go on, and we must always be serious
• 2 hour brunch limit. It was enforced. Wait looking back maybe our waitress hated us?

Moral of the story: I will definitely go back. Bang for your buck and THE GRITS. Y'all I swear I had a dream about these grits just last night.

WTF Happy Hour at Lime (Columbia Heights)

Last night I met a friend for happy hour at Lime right off the Columbia Heights metro station. Online it appears to be like a Chipotle so I was a little skeptical, but the happy hour is SO REAL at Lime. LOOK what I got for $10!

 I was a little skeptical about frozen sangria, but mama it was some boozy sangria! $2 tacos were much better than I was expecting for, well, tacos that cost $2. They come with some kind of white sauce, cheese, pico and deliciously seasoned meat. And you can top your tacos at the FREE SALSA BAR. FREE. SALSA. ALL YOU CAN EAT. I highly recommend the pineapple salsa, which I may or may not have scooped into a few ramakins, sealed them up and thrown them in my purse. The biggest highlight besides $2 beer was the XM Radio station they had playing- "Greatest Hits of the Early Thousands". Ying Yang Twins, T.I., and yes, 'N Sync serenaded us as we sipped our beers and sangrias. I also felt funky about ordering at the counter, but it was actually much easier to get fast (sangria) refills because I didn't have to wait for a server. So check it out, eat up, and enjoy yourself. So on this Throwback Thursday I'll leave you with a sample of Lime's soundtrack: