Happy opening day, GBD Chicken and Doughnuts! GBD is the latest from one of our favorite bakers, Tiffany MacIsaac, also of Buzz Bakery and her husband Kyle Bailey, chef at the popular Birch & Barley. Happy (organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free) fried chicken and delicious doughnuts — maybe not the healthiest of meals, but perfect for the occasional indulgence. My college years were fueled by California’s famed Donut Man, and my hometown spawned the most delicious doughnut on earth — so I’m delighted that the doughnut craze has finally reached DC. (And that the GBD crew spell doughnut properly, at least outside of Twitter where you’ll find them at @GBDchixndonuts.)

The younger foodie tot and I sampled the chicken and doughnuts at a pre-opening pop-up. Here’s her review:

GBDchixndonuts pop-up from Colleen | GlassBottle on Vimeo.

That tres leches rivals my favorite from NYC’s Doughnut Plant, so I’m thrilled to be able to get my fix without commuting to the Lower East Side.

Find GBD — which stands for golden, brown delicious — in Dupont Circle, 1323 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC.

The foodie tots and I spent our spring break visiting the kids’ grandparents (my in-laws) in New York — Flushing, Queens, to be exact. In the 10+ years I’ve been coming to visit, we’ve rarely actually stayed in Flushing, so it was nice to do so this time and actually sample the local flavors. The boy really enjoyed learning about Chinese New Year at school earlier this year, so it was an ideal time to check out some authentic Asian cuisine — of which there are plenty of options in Flushing.

We started with red bean pastries (left in the photo) and pumpkin sesame doughnuts at Parisian Bakery:

Cooled off with afternoon bubble teas (mango green tea, pictured, and pearl milk tea) at Chatime:

And had dumplings and noodle soup at Nan Bei He:

The foodie baby is a little more adventurous than foodie boy these days (he asked his aunt to pick the scallions out of scallion pancakes) but fried dumplings are always a favorite. And as you can see, the baby scooted onto my lap and dove into the noodle soup.

Hope those who celebrate have a Happy Pesach and/or Happy Easter this weekend! I hear asparagus is arriving at the markets in DC … hello spring!

Do you watch cooking shows with your kids? I’ve managed to get the 4-year-old hooked on “DC Cupcakes,” so much so that his birthday morning we skipped our usual bakery (sorry, Buzz) to surprise him with a trip to the flagship store. Insider’s tip: the cupcakery’s real name is Georgetown Cupcake, but don’t try to tell that to the boy.

When I heard they’d be supplying cupcakes for a gorilla birthday party at the National Zoo, I knew we had to go. We met up with one of his best friends and waited patiently for our free cupcakes — or as patiently as two 4-year-olds can, that is. There didn’t seem to be much of a plan (it is a “reality” show, after all), just a bunch of hungry people waiting for free grub. Eventually, a truck pulled up in front of the Great Ape House, trailed by a camera crew and, wait — two women in their signature pink aprons and rain boots!

They proceeded to unload the gorilla cupcake masterpiece and carry it right past us into the party. Needless to say, the boy was thrilled.

We then joined the mad swarm into the Ape House, and got to witness Kwame and Kojo’s surprise party — complete with presents and their own primate-friendly cupcakes. After the gorillas opened their gifts, we made our way to the cupcake table for our own goodies. (If you’re curious, the gorillas’ cupcakes were made of bananas, primate biscuits, unflavored gelatin and water, reports the Zoo. I think we got the better deal.)

Later, we came back to the building to take a closer look at the cupcake gorilla. We were surprised to see the show’s stars, Katherine and Sophie, still sitting inside — but the boy was too shy to say hello. (Next time!)

“DC Cupcakes” season two premiere is tonight at 10pm Eastern on TLC — The gorilla episode airs at 10:30. We’re DVRing it for the boy’s cupcake premiere party on Sunday — check back for pictures next week!

And local peeps: head to either location of Georgetown Cupcake to purchase the “Gone Bananas” honey banana cupcake, and proceeds will benefit the National Zoo’s conservation programs. (Now through March 4.) Visit their website for locations and hours.

(Bottom photo courtesy National Zoo, all others (c) FoodieTots.com.)

One of the great things about growing up in Washington, DC, is the wealth of activities to enjoy — and the holiday season is no exception. Here are just a couple of our upcoming favorite activities, and corresponding dining suggestions too.

Trains at the Botanic Garden

Little boys seem genetically predisposed to love trains, but my son literally has it in his blood: his great-grandfather started a short line railroad in Maryland. There are many, many different train displays (and rides with Santa) around town this time of year, but our favorite is the one at the U.S. Botanic Garden. The holiday greenery on display is impressive itself, and there are replicas of DC landmarks made entirely of plant-based materials. You can also walk out front and catch a view of the Capitol Christmas tree. (And if you head further down the mall, there’s a model train that runs beneath the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse.)

Where to Eat: The Botanic Garden is just across the street from the Museum of the American Indian, where the cafe offers native foods from across the Western Hemisphere. Or, head up Pennsylvania Ave. for burgers and shakes from Good Stuff Eatery (yes, Chef Spike’s place for you Top Chef fans).

Water-Skiing Santa at National Harbor

Yes, really. Santa, his reindeer, elves, Frosty the Snowman, the Grinch and even some pandas perform on the Potomac each year on Christmas Eve (1 pm). The show moved over to National Harbor a couple years ago, which lacks the cool backdrop of the monuments but has significantly more parking than the prior location. You could even take the Water Taxi over from Old Town Alexandria.

Where to Eat: We haven’t explored many of the dining options at National Harbor, which mainly caters to convention/tourist crowds. But you can’t go wrong warming up with chowder at McCormick & Schmick’s. There’s also an Elevation Burger there, which we love for their grassfed beef and real cheese.

Merriment in Georgetown

Picturesque Georgetown is especially charming this time of year. And this Sunday, Dec. 5, 2-5pm, is “Merriment in Georgetown” — There will be a performance by Milkshake, American Girl book signing, hot cocoa tastings, photo opps with Santa and more. Kids can even decorate cupcakes with Georgetown Cupcake.

Where to Eat: Georgetown is known for its college bars, but there are a few family-friendly options too. Clyde’s is always a safe bet; a small local chain that was sourcing local foods even before doing so was trendy. They have a solid kids menu, and free toy vehicles. Not too far away at Dupont Circle is Firefly, where Chef (and dad) Danny Bortnick takes pride in his kids menu options, which are divided into big kid and “lil’ kid” offerings. (And, they’re serving a latke tasting trio now through December 9.)

And lastly, don’t miss Zoo Lights at the National Zoo — now through January 1. It’s free!

Last night I attended a blogger event* at the Silver Diner here in Arlington, part of a chain of 18 diners in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I got the invitation announcing their new “fresh and local” menu, but I couldn’t resist seeing what they were up to. Company founder Bob Gaiamo explained that past attempts to change menu items in response to diet trends received poor feedback, but that they now felt confident that diners are interested in healthy, local food — so much so, that they’re now willing to pay 50 cents more for an omelette made from better eggs.

Among the improvements: hormone-free dairy products, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef from partially grassfed cows (in New Jersey), local in-season produce (today, strawberries and asparagus from Delaware), reducing high fructose corn syrup products, breads delivered daily from local bakeries, local wine and beer, and more lower-calorie and gluten-free menu options. They also have an extensive children’s menu which now includes whole wheat spaghetti, organic grilled cheese, and teriyaki salmon with brown rice. Now, when we go to a diner it’s usually to satisfy a grilled-cheese-and-milkshake craving, so it’s nice to know these items are improved, too.

The food may not be perfect — they use soybean oil for frying — but I applaud their effort to provide cleaner, healthier food. The dishes we sampled — from salads to salmon sliders, burgers and pasta — were quite flavorful, and a far cry from your typical greasy diner foods. And more changes are in store: they’ll be getting nitrate-free bacon in a few months, looking to host farmers markets in front of their restaurants, and trying to improve other ingredients over time.

Now on to our regularly scheduled links for the weekend…

1. We’ll be exploring our new neighborhood’s many dining options at the Taste of Arlington on Sunday.

2. It’s also the Loudoun County Farm Tour weekend — and many u-pick strawberry fields are open for business!

3. Nancy, the local mama behind Learning As I Go, is also writing about nature finds over at The Magnifying Glass. This week, she tips us off to a place to go fossil hunting in Maryland — this is definitely going on our summer adventure to do list!

4. My favorite tweet-of-the-week:

@JoshViertel: Kraft asks us to “join the home farming movement.” http://bit.ly/9hrMl5 Sorta like me asking them to “join the cheese wiz movement”

5. And last, should you wind up with an abundance of strawberries after the weekend, try Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Strawberry Preserves with Mint and Black Pepper. Yum!

* Disclosure: I received a free meal at the Silver Diner to learn about the new menu. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.