national monuments washington dc DECEMBER Christmas at S ea, especially suited to children under 10, takes place on board the histori

144 Memphis Minnie s BARBECUE If you ve got a hankering for a tender national monuments washington dc piece of slow- cooked meat, head straight to M emphis Minnie s. The owner smokes his brisket national monuments washington dc for 12 hours and adds his o wn spice rub for kick and flav or. Other options are finger-lickinggood ribs and succulent pulled por k. The protocol is simple: stand in line and choose your meat and two sides, such as sw eet potato or corn muffin, and hav e a seat at one of the tables lined up against the bright y ellow and r ed wall. Look ar ound at the playful decor, which includes plastic pigs, black-and-white co w-print national monuments washington dc ceiling fans, pinned up trucker hats, and pithy sayings like Never Trust a Skinny Cook. You can also read the favorable newspaper national monuments washington dc clippings about Minnie s under glass at each table. O nce your meal is ready, choose from one of the thr ee sauces at your table: red Texan, North Carolina vinegar, and South Carolina yellow mustard. Fortunately, each table has a full r oll of paper towels on it as well. All the meat is delicious, and most of the sides, with the exception of the overly dry corn muffins, are tasty, too.

DECEMBER Christmas at S ea, especially suited to children under 10, takes place on board the historic ships docked national monuments washington dc at the H yde Street Pier (p. 170), and offers singing, cider, and stories. Call & 415/5616662 or visit www.maritime.org.

5 Sears F ine F ood AMERICAN/BREAKF AST Although no longer independently owned (they were bought by Lori s Diner International), Sears Fine Food still makes an effort to maintain its original charm complete with tile floors, 1930s-style light fixtures, and old photographs decorating the walls. I t s the per fect spot for br eakfast or lunch, with Reubens, burgers, and fish sandwiches among the classics y ou ll find on the lunch menu, all under $10. I won t recommend Sears for dinner, since entrees start at $14, pushing this into the moderate price categor y not where a diner belongs and, for that price, you can have a more interesting meal elsewhere. The real reason to bring the kids to Sears is their World Famous national monuments washington dc 18 Swedish Pancakes, dollar-coin-sized pancakes allegedly still made with Hilbur Sear s 1938 recipe and served hot with butter and maple syrup at any time of day for $8.95. You can also order other breakfast items daily until 3pm.

Mus e M canique (p. 171), a fun antique arcade. If your kids like big boats and battles, splurge on tours of the SS J eremiah O Brien, a WWII Liber ty S hip, and the WWII submarine USS Pampanito (p. 173). Our girls are staunch pacifists, but they still loved the tours as I m sur e will our son when he s older. As y ou continue east, steer clear of the cheesy tourist shops (you ll find plenty of souv enirs later on in Chinatown) national monuments washington dc and brace y ourselves for the crowds at P IER 39 (p. 172). P IER 39 is my least fav orite place on the whar f, but my opinion clearly counts for little, since it s actually the thir d most visited U.S. tourist destination, national monuments washington dc behind D isneyworld and D isneyland. I f y ou can get past the candy, cookie, and fudge shops, what does it actually have going for it? Three things: an enjo yable, albeit pricey , aquarium; an antique carousel; and the city s infamous, smelly sea lions. B etween those thr ee things, a plethora of to y stor es, and the aforementioned sw eet shops, good luck tearing the kids away.