Nepali cuisine is having a moment in the DMV — and not just in restaurants, but cocktail bars, markets and takeout windows.

Why it matters: The small South Asian country packs big flavors — but until recent years, its food wasn't as abundant across the D.C. area.

Driving the news: Kathmandu Tapas & Cocktails — billing itself as the region's first Himalayan-inspired craft cocktail bar — opened this week on U Street.

• The low-lit spot serves drinks with Nepali spirits like Khukri Rum and kodhoko rakhsi (a millet-based liquor), plus cocktails infused with Nepali teas and coffee.
• Food leans playful: momo dumplings alongside fusion bites like duck choila tacos.

What they're saying: Craft cocktail culture is booming in Nepal, owner Dipesh Acharya tells Axios. With Kathmandu, "I wanted to bring the capital of Nepal to the capital of the U.S."

The big picture: The debut joins a fast-growing lineup of Himalayan spots around D.C., like Nanglo Momos & Curry on H Street — which is emerging as "Little Nepal."

• Nearby NoMa just welcomed Metro Spice, mixing Indian and Nepali dishes (more momo!) with Indo-Chinese staples like chili chicken.

In the D.C. area, Acharya's gone all in:

• Kirana Pasal, a Nepali/South Asian market in Ashburn
• Tempo Shack on H Street NE for grab-and-go momo and mango lassi
• A distribution business for Nepali beers

By the numbers: The D.C. metro has the third-largest Nepali population in the country — around 15,000 — topped only by Dallas and New York.

• That small but growing community — with more willing to jump into hospitality — is fueling the boom, says Acharya.

The intrigue: Many Nepali restaurants here blend in Indian dishes — natural for the border and cuisine-sharing countries, but also a practical way to draw customers more familiar with chaats and dosas.

• Think D.C.'s early Mexican-Salvadoran restaurant boom before diners started seeking out pupusas and other Salvadoran specialties.

What's next: Acharya is working on opening a new Himalayan restaurant, Mandala Kitchen & Bar, in Ashburn, slated for June.

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Two new kid-friendly exhibits open in D.C. this weekend — and adults will want in.

Driving the news: The Library of Congress is launching a first-of-its-kind experiential research gallery for children — and it's free with timed-entry tickets.

• "The Source: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery" opens Saturday, designed for ages 8–15.
• Think history meets play, with real artifacts, audio, film and creative activities.
• Opening weekend includes a full Family Day on Saturday with music, author talks, film screenings and drop-in activities.

What's cool: It's more do than look. The gallery is packed with interactive stations using text, images, sound and film.

• They can dig into topics like basketball history, cartoon art or even a WWII "Ghost Army" deception unit.
• There are color-coded zones and hands-on tools (like a phonograph and film projector replicas) for tangible adventures.

Zoom out: This has been seven years in the making and is part of a bigger push to make the Library more accessible — especially for younger audiences.

Also opening: "Bison: Standing Strong" debuted yesterday at the Natural History Museum.

• The exhibit highlights America's national mammal and its journey from near extinction to comeback, with eye-catching specimens — from a mounted bull to a giant prehistoric skull nicknamed "Junior."
• It runs through May 2029, but the new bronze bison out front may be there forever.

⚪️ Federal planners aren't sold on President Trump's desire to paint white the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, questioning what kind of paint would be used (preservationists say paint on granite is a no-no).

• The granddaughter of President Dwight Eisenhower is of the mind that there's "no need to rush to paint it." (WaPo)

📌 Former D.C. mayor Anthony Williams, an influential business community leader who helped steer the city out of bankruptcy in the 2000s, endorsed Kenyan McDuffie for mayor.

• "D.C. is a city where if you do things right, you can restore investment into our economy," Williams says about the city's current fiscal morass. (WaPo)
• See our updating list of endorsements in the mayor's race.

🚪 D.C. opened the door for constructing more apartments in narrow plots of land, allowing a six-story building to only have one central staircase. It's meant to increase density in rowhouse-heavy neighborhoods. (UrbanTurf)

🕯️ Chris Donatelli, a local developer who had a knack for delivering projects in revitalizing areas like U Street, died this week at 58. His sudden death came after personal upheaval in recent years, including a defaulted loan that he secured with a forged signature. (WBJ)

A growing number of Gen Zers and baby boomers are quitting social media for their digital well-being, as political polarization intensifies online.

The big picture: It's part of a wider digital detox drive away from screens and toward analog options.

• Enter: Products to block distracting apps and dumbphones.

Case in point: Dumb.co was born out of a challenge called Month Offline — swapping smartphones with flip phones.

• Lydia Peabody, a 27-year-old licensed therapist in D.C., did the challenge last year. Now she helps run marketing for Dumb.co, aka its "chief dumb organizer."
• Dumb.co has sold "hundreds" of its Dumbphone 2 model, Peabody tells us.

How it works: These phones sync contacts, calls and texts from smartphones via smart text and have "essential" apps like Uber, maps, two-factor authentication, a camera and an alarm installed.

Between the lines: "What you're seeing now, especially among Gen Z, is a self-correction back toward real-world connection," says NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of a bestselling book on the effect of phones on teens.

💭 Cuneyt's thought bubble: Last year, I bought an app-blocking device called Brick, and 10/10 recommend it.

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President Trump's motorcade yesterday visited the Reflecting Pool, which he recently drained to be painted blue.

• Standing near construction workers, Trump said the site suffered from leaks, promising the new sealant being put down would make it look "like a swimming pool."