The Royal DC Owner Paul Carlson
Paul Carlson, Owner of The Royal DC

When I met Paul Carlson, the owner of The Royal DC, a beautiful and unique cafe in Shaw, Washington, DC, I knew I had to interview him for my Travel Influences series.  A son of  an American diplomat, he grew up traveling and living all over the world.  He brings that international flair to the menu and walls of The Royal.  I’ve dined there several times and truly enjoy the Colombian influence of the menu (Paul mother is Colombian) whether it is the corn empanadas or homemade butifarra.

The Royal DC Owner Paul Carlson
Paul Carlson, Owner of The Royal DC

Travel Influences: Paul Carlson of The Royal DC 

1. Tell us about your first trip as an adult? What were your impressions?

Travel was a large part of my upbringing as I grew up in various countries in Latin America due to my father’s career. This exposed me to many different experiences, cultures, and foods. My first trip as an adult, which provided me with many memorable experiences, was my trip Morocco. I was in my early 20s and traveled there with my sister to visit my parents, who were living there at the time. It was only a few months after 9/11 and was my first time traveling to a Muslim country.  It was amazing to experience a culture that was so different, especially during a time when there was so much conflict in the world.

The Royal DC Bar Paul Carlson
Colorful handcrafted taps at The Royal DC

 

2. Which destination gave you a completely different perspective on travel?

I traveled to India a number of years ago. It was the first time I traveled somewhere where the language was so vastly different than my own and one I had been exposed to. It forced me to find other ways to communicate while being respectful of the culture. I find it very important when traveling to show an effort to communicate with locals in their language as it demonstrates one’s interest in learning about their culture (especially when it is much easier to just speak english).

The Royal DC Bar Ice Machine Paul Carlson
Guatemalan Ice Shaver at The Royal DC Bar


3. You’ve decorated your restaurant, The Royal DC with many of your travel mementos. Which one is your favorite and why?

My favorite travel decoration is our vintage ice shaver. It was an item that remind me of my youth growing up in Latin America, and knew it was something that I wanted to showcase at The Royal DC. I traveled to Guatemala, which is one of the places I lived at as a child, to find one of these and brought it back to DC on the plane with me. It now churns the base for our shaved ice cocktails.

 

Arepas at The Royal DC Menu
Arepas at The Royal DC
4. How does travel influence the menus of your restaurants (aside from The Royal DC, Paul Carlson also owns Vinoteca, also located in Washington, DC)? 
Travel creates a lot of inspiration. The food concept of The Royal DC is to showcase the foods that my family (also owners of The Royal) likes to eat at home, which is a melting pot of our travels. My mother is Colombian which is why you see so much of that influence on our menu; however you will see us draw inspiration from cuisines from other Latin American countries, Scandinavia, and North Africa in current and future menus.
The Royal DC Paul Carlson Dinner Menu
Butifarra (homemade sausage) at The Royal DC


5. What’s your top travel tip?

Try the local cuisine. It is the quickest way to learn about the culture of a country. And by trying the local cuisine, I encourage one to really seek out a restaurant where the locals eat, or even better, get invited to a local’s home for dinner.
Big thanks to Paul for sharing his Travel Influences.  Whether it is for a latte or dinner, make sure to check out The Royal!

 The Royal DC: 501 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001, www.theroyaldc.com 

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