irs building washington dc Hotel des Arts This may be the only place downtown where you can find both a hip vibe and a r oom wi

Hotel des Arts This may be the only place downtown where you can find both a hip vibe and a r oom with queen-siz e bed for under $100. The key to the hipness besides front desk personnel donning cool duds and funky glasses ar e a fe w pieces of sleek furniture combined with the contributions of sev eral emerging artists. Your kids will be impressed by the lobby and hallways, which are essentially gallery spaces jampacked with artwork. The permanent works are displayed in the many painted guest rooms, where the walls are literally covered in ambitious and unr estrained paintings. irs building washington dc Some room art may be inappropriate for kids, so please tell the staff whether little ones will be in your group. (You should in any case call the hotel to specifically r eserve a painted guest r oom and even to request a particular artist.) One impressive room featuring irs building washington dc red and black imagery that may be too bold for young ones is the work of Shepherd Ferry, whose Obama campaign posters have received much attention.

The most attrac tive food court is Rincon Center, at 101 Spear St., bet ween Mission and Ho ward streets. The 1930s M oderne/Art Deco building is on the National Register of Historic Places and contains an 85-foot waterfall inside the dramatic atrium and murals in the former post office lobby. For a truly cosmopolitan experienc irs building washington dc e, y ou can send emissaries t o Arabi f or t op-notch M iddle Eastern salads, to Sorabol for Korean grilled meats and soup, to Thai to Go for pad Thai, to Wazwan for Indian dishes and naan bread, and to Taqueria Pepe s for burrit os. Bur gers, pizzas , sandwiches , and soups ar e also t o be had. Yank Sing, the preeminent dim sum restaurant, has a lovely dining room here, which I highly recommend if you have time for a more leisurely lunch (p. 124). With the exception of Yank Sing, which is open daily, the restaurants in Rincon Center are open weekdays from 11am to 3pm.

216 King St. (at 3rd St.). &415/546-6666. Cow Hollow: 2200 Lombard St. (at Steiner St.). &415/885-125 4500. www.amicis.com. Highchairs, boosters. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $8.25 $30. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. M on Thurs 11am 10pm; F ri 11am 11pm; Sat 11:30am 11pm; Sun 11:30am 10pm. Muni: N-Judah streetcar to the 4th and King Station, and then walk 1/2 block east on King St.

Fog City Diner AMERICAN A S an F rancisco institution immor talized in a Visa commercial, the Fog City Diner has quite a few things going for it: terrific location, fun metallic exterior, sleek wood interior, festive atmosphere, irs building washington dc and great outdoor area. Because it s located near Levi s Plaza, kids can climb around the fountain on the opposite side of Battery Street or run around in the minipar k next door. In fair weather, the outdoor seating lets you enjoy the bay views and green space. As for the food, the children are sure to be satisfied. The kids menu features all the usual far e (hot dogs, grilled cheese, buttered noodles, three cheese quesadilla, kids sundaes) and comes complete with a pack of crayons. The grown-up menu, on the other hand, tries a little too hard. Although it s nice that they ve branched out fr om more common diner far e, some of the mor e inventive creations such as mu shu pork burritos filled irs building washington dc with stir-fried veggies are not always as tasty as appear. You re best off sticking to the mor e basic items such as burgers or a Cobb sandwich.