Originally know as "Uptown," Shaw formed out of freed slave encampments in the rural outskirts of Washington, DC. The neighborhood was deemed Shaw due to the Junior High School named after Civil War Colonel, Robert Gould Shaw.

As a person who has been using the DC area as her weekend getaway and now lives here, I've managed to scope out the places to be and not to be. How do I motivate myself to see the city in all of its forms? Eat. Eat everywhere and anywhere. Try places. Shaw is an area I recently stumbled upon and after a few trips there, I had craved the places in Shaw and have needed to eat at these locations at least twice.

Although it has been a mostly residential neighborhood, it is now forming into hip and up-and-coming area, boasting some of the newest and most cutting-edge restaurants. Still displaying its 19th century Victorian row houses, the relatively quiet but 'cool' neighborhood is one to keep a watchful eye on.

Here are the top five places to go to satisfy your hunger and thirsts in Shaw, DC. They are musts and should be visited ASAP.

1. The Dabney

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Having recently received a Michelin star, The Dabney is taking the DC food scene by storm, conquering all and anything that comes in its way. With Chef Jeremiah Langhorne as its fearless leader, the Dabney takes on timeless American ingredients like mid-Atlantic fish and creamy grits.

The restaurant boasts a farm-to-table reputation, giving the eater local chicken and fresh cream. Among my favorites is their never-changing cornbread and their many fish and meats. The menu is constantly changing to keep up with the demanding food scene in DC, but I assure you that no matter what you choose, you will not be disappointed. 

Although this restaurant may sound basic, it is anything but. It adds crunch where there's normally smoothness and it inserts a fluid texture when the eater expects a crunch. This new restaurant does American food right. It's sophisticated, yet extremely comfortable; even the snootiest food critic would feel at ease. With flannel shirts and fresh made gingerbread cookies on display, The Dabney is one to put on your list of places to go.

2. The Columbia Room

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On the off chance you are ever in need of a cocktail, The Columbia Room will do the trick. A neighbor of The Dabney, sweetly tucked away in Blagden Alley lies the dark and chic bar. Upon entering, you'll be greeted at the door and ushered up the stairs to be seated either outside at the rooftop bar, or inside in the cozy bar with couches and beautiful leather chairs. 

There's something so secretive and sexy about the dark bar, with rather attractive men handing you your artistic and cutting edge drinks. While you may be tucked into Blagden Alley, you will feel like you are somewhere special. That's the beauty of Shaw. It may be relatively unknown as of now, but give it little time and the area will have a line of people waiting to buy properties and restaurant spaces.

3. All-Purpose Pizzeria

Pizza. It's hard to go wrong with that five-letter word, yet hard to achieve perfection. But there is hope for us all, for after my first visit to All-Purpose Pizzeria, I altered persons and became a lover of pizza with salad as a topping. I'm killing two birds with one stone now, my fellow foodies. That's the first reason I beg you to try out this new obsession of mine. The second reason is it's deck oven-fired. With not as much of a smokey taste as brick oven-fired, it is still earth shattering, conquering the airiness and fluff like no other.

I have shamelessly tried four pizzas at this wonderful pizzeria (there are five different pizzas). Of the four, the Cape May and the Buona remain my favorites. The Cape May is a pizza with mozzarella and parmesan-garlic fonduta, little gem lettuce, and anchovy dressing. It mocks the tastes of a Caesar salad—quite impressive if you ask me.

4. La Colombe Roasters 

I've been waiting all too long for a real coffee shop to appear in the streets of DC.. My prayers have been answered, for La Colombe Roasters is now taking D.C. on one street at a time. 924 Blagden Alley is where it happened. This is where I found my first La Colombe Roasters store since developing an unhealthy attachment for the coffee brand. It's so rich, smooth, and irreplaceable. Folgers and Starbucks no more. I have found a coffee that is in my league.

Using ancient and modern coffee traditions, the blends are endless. And, best news yet, the roasts are endless. You can find your roast, the one that is not too strong and not too light. Here, your wishes are granted and your dreams come true. Here, you will fall in love with this brand and its story.

5. Buttercream Bakeshop

Following a stop at La Colombe, I suggest you go to Buttercream Bakeshop, located on 1250 9th Street NW. A bakery for those whose wedding cakes aren't created from the leftover money from their budget and a place for DC nannies to take their tots to purchase their chic cakes for the important cake smash of their first birthdays. It's the place for red velvet cake and heavenly (homemade) Ho Hos.  A team consisting of Pastry Chef, Tiffany Maclsaac, a cake decorator and "macaroon magician," Alexandra Mudry-Till, and lastly Colleen Gillespie, the perfect person to handle customer service. With this team, the bakery has become a renowned bakery around DC, known for their cakes, cookies, and simple confections. It is not a place for the faint hearted. One must come to eat and eat and eat.