Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Places to Eat in DC


DanM

Recommended Posts

I'm an idiot! Of course he meant the 18th of the MONTH :rolleyes: ! Thanks for noticing that. And for all the good information. I'm sorry to take so long to respond, but I've been in an out of town a lot visiting my grandmother in NC who is in a nursing home. I'm going to research everything and ask my friends for input and will pick a place. I really appreciate everything and will report back!

LATER

Ok, here’s the short list:

Mintwood Place

Graffiato

Marvin

Agora

Birch & Barley

This is one of my oldest friends and I know what he wants – he wants to recreate nights out when we were in high school and college and used to wander around Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, popping into different places for a snack and a drink and finally settling down to eat somewhere ‘cool’. Since we are now older, I do want to make a reservation (which I can do at any of these places), but I know he’ll still want to do a bit of wandering. Are any of these restaurants in neighborhoods that would facilitate that? Thanks so much!

Edited by Kim Shook (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm an idiot! Of course he meant the 18th of the MONTH :rolleyes: ! Thanks for noticing that. And for all the good information. I'm sorry to take so long to respond, but I've been in an out of town a lot visiting my grandmother in NC who is in a nursing home. I'm going to research everything and ask my friends for input and will pick a place. I really appreciate everything and will report back!

LATER

Ok, here’s the short list:

Mintwood Place

Graffiato

Marvin

Agora

Birch & Barley

This is one of my oldest friends and I know what he wants – he wants to recreate nights out when we were in high school and college and used to wander around Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, popping into different places for a snack and a drink and finally settling down to eat somewhere ‘cool’. Since we are now older, I do want to make a reservation (which I can do at any of these places), but I know he’ll still want to do a bit of wandering. Are any of these restaurants in neighborhoods that would facilitate that? Thanks so much!

Not sure where the other two are, but Agora, Marvin, and Birch and Barley are definitely within walking distance (17th & Q, 14th & U, 14th & P? respectively). If you want tasty wandering snacks and good drinks I may also recommend El Centro DF (14th btw S&T, next to Black Cat)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Well, we ended up at NONE of the places on my short list :rolleyes: ! He picked Cashion's from some online list of 'must see DC restaurants'! That was fine with me - I love Cashion's and we had a lovely meal and a nice wander around the neighborhood afterwards. Thanks so much - I'm keeping my list so that we'll have some ready ideas for the next time we go up. Thank you again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Mitch, I went to Seki. Had to wait forever, and paid quite a bit, but the food was very good and eclectic - I went with a Japanese friend and she ordered her favorite weird stuff on the menu, like chopped raw octopus with wasabi.....(that was my least favorite). The sake and shochu list were really impressive, I'd go back just for that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds good!

There's another brand new ramen place (ramen becoming the new burger maybe) on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan that we tried last night - which looks like it may turn into a zoo at some point, since upstairs is a lounge area. It's called Taan, and it was all high tops and uncomfortable stools downstairs. The ramen was okay, but I prefer Sakuramen on 18th.

And the night before we were at Mintwood, where I had one of the best game dishes I've had on this side of the Atlantic - wild Scottish wood pigeon breast, wrapped in a force of its own liver, heart and dark meat, then wrapped in Savoy and bacon, cooked perfectly rare and a real slam-dunk. Place was packed, as was Cashion's.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adam's Morgan. Great place for informal quick falafel and frites. The condiment bar is amazing. 

 

Have a beer at the Black Squirrel next door...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adam's Morgan. Great place for informal quick falafel and frites. The condiment bar is amazing. 

 

Have a beer at the Black Squirrel next door...

Amsterdam Falafelshop is indeed very good, but not what I'd choose per your original request.

 

Red Hen is very good, too, and is much closer to what you're looking for.

 

I cannot speak to Agora or Marvin. Mintwood Place and Birch & Barley are casual/hip and are still "in places" to go. For more of "the scene" + good food, I suggest these:

Le Diplomate

Rose's Luxury (no reservations; get in line early)

The Partisan

Rasika

Ripple

Iron Gate

 

Also, Eater says these are the hottest restaurants in the DC area this month.

Edited by Alex (log)

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amsterdam Falafelshop is indeed very good, but not what I'd choose per your original request.

 

Red Hen is very good, too, and is much closer to what you're looking for.

 

I cannot speak to Agora or Marvin. Mintwood Place and Birch & Barley are casual/hip and are still "in places" to go. For more of "the scene" + good food, I suggest these:

Le Diplomate

Rose's Luxury (no reservations; get in line early)

The Partisan

Rasika

Ripple

Iron Gate

 

Also, Eater says these are the hottest restaurants in the DC area this month.

 

I have no idea about Ripple but my takes on the places above:

 

Diplomate is the Frenchiest place on earth, including France. Their bread is the best in the city, their service is exemplary. The food is excellent but not particularly original.

 

Rose's, I haven't been mostly because of the queues, but it's allegedly "the best restaurant in the country" now, according to some magazine

 

Partisan - if you're into meat esp of the cured variety, this is the place

 

Rasika - haute indienne, if you're into that kind of thing. 

 

Iron Gate - chef's tasting menu inside, a la carte menu of very tasty food in the gorgeous courtyard (recommended)

 

I'd also throw these into the mix:

 

Daikaya (upstairs) - Another izakaya-type place. HUGE Japanese whisky, shochu, and sake collection

China Chilcano (really new from Jose Andres, quite good) - Asian-Peruvian

Jaleo (still kickin' ass) 

Barcelona (Jaleo is better but Barcelona is on 14th st and is quite a fun place)

 

ETA: THIP KHAO - GO HERE!!!!! No-holds-barred Lao food. Amazing.

Edited by Hassouni (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, crap.  They did it to me again.  Reservation made by someone else at Founding Farmers.  But that's for Thursday night.  There will be one other person and I around on Friday and I'm going to offer her your suggestions and let her choose.  She's a great person to go restauranting with, so I have high hopes.  Thanks so much for the help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, crap.  They did it to me again.  Reservation made by someone else at Founding Farmers.  But that's for Thursday night.  There will be one other person and I around on Friday and I'm going to offer her your suggestions and let her choose.  She's a great person to go restauranting with, so I have high hopes.  Thanks so much for the help!

 

That's very kind of you to let her choose. Given that it's just the two of you, if money is no (or very minimal) object, I'd recommend Marcel's. It's not hip in the way most of the others mentioned in this thread are, but it's clearly one of the best restaurants in DC. Similarly, if you don't mind a quick jaunt to Alexandria, I'd recommend Restaurant Eve.

 

What I meant by "money": A five-course tasting menu at Eve is $85; at Marcel's, $110. Seven-course tasting menus are also available: $150 at Marcel's, not sure about Eve. Wine is additional.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's very kind of you to let her choose. Given that it's just the two of you, if money is no (or very minimal) object, I'd recommend Marcel's. It's not hip in the way most of the others mentioned in this thread are, but it's clearly one of the best restaurants in DC. Similarly, if you don't mind a quick jaunt to Alexandria, I'd recommend Restaurant Eve.

 

What I meant by "money": A five-course tasting menu at Eve is $85; at Marcel's, $110. Seven-course tasting menus are also available: $150 at Marcel's, not sure about Eve. Wine is additional.

Thanks, Alex.  I'll add Marcel's to the list.  She's actually eating at Restaurant Eve the night before I get up there!  We had lunch there during her last visit and fell in love with it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Alex.  I'll add Marcel's to the list.  She's actually eating at Restaurant Eve the night before I get up there!  We had lunch there during her last visit and fell in love with it!

Cool. I'll be visiting the area soon, and the Lickety Split lunch at Restaurant Eve is already on my way-too-long lunch list. There are similar bar/lounge lunch deals in the area -- for example, Proof and The Oval Room. Graffiato used to have a great lunch deal but I don't see it on their current web site.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

In the district itself, I've always had good luck at places like Estadio and Jaleo. 

 

Once you get into the suburbs, the restaurant scene changes dramatically, and you can find some fine Vietnamese, Chinese, and other se Asian places. Of course, there's Little Serow in the district, usually involves some waiting around.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What parts of the DC area are you going to be visiting? What sort of food are you interested in? What is your price range? The range of options runs from The Inn at Little Washington to food trucks.

The Washington Post and Washingtonian magazine both have websites with lots of local information, events, and reviews. You may also want to peruse DonRockwell.com (a DC area dining site).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I ve never been to DC, I ll be visiting the tourist hotspots and the museums. I like all kinds of food, and I love to try foods I have never eaten.

 

As the exchange rate between the Real (the brazillian currency) and the dollar is currently very unfavorable to brazillians, I am inclined towards the < $100 per couple meals.

 

Thanks for your help.

What parts of the DC area are you going to be visiting? What sort of food are you interested in? What is your price range? The range of options runs from The Inn at Little Washington to food trucks.

The Washington Post and Washingtonian magazine both have websites with lots of local information, events, and reviews. You may also want to peruse DonRockwell.com (a DC area dining site).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The area near the Smithsonian museums does not have any good restaurants that I know of... the cafeteria at the National Museum of the American Indians is supposed to have the best food in the area.

Where is your lodging? Perhaps we can recommend some restaurants in that area. Will you have a car? Are you willing to take the Metro (subway)?

Edited by curls (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The area near the Smithsonian museums does not have any good restaurants that I know of... the cafeteria at the National Museum of the American Indians is supposed to have the best food in the area.

Where is your lodging? Perhaps we can recommend some restaurants in that area. Will you have a car? Are you willing to take the Metro (subway)?

I won't have a car for the full stay, but I'm willing to take the subway or a taxi.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assume you're staying in DC itself (vs. the surrounding communities -- Alexandria, Arlington, etc.). It would help, though, to know exactly where. For example, if you're staying in the popular Dupont Circle area, we can recommend places that are walking distance from there.

 

So far, in your price range, I'd recommend:

Rasika or Rasika West End (progressive Indian cuisine; don't miss the Palak Chaat), for lunch, dinner, or pre-theater dinner

Tosca (classic Italian; pre-theater dinner + one glass of wine each would be ~$110 before tax/tip, but I've never had a bad course there)

Corduroy (near the Convention Center; inventive cooking; expensive regular dinner, but a super-bargain three-course prix fixe upstairs in the bar (menu not on web site), plus inexpensive wine by the glass during happy hour)

Le Diplomate (very good, very popular, probably a bit off the beaten track for you, but one of the go-to places if you're in that area)

Zaytinya (Mediterranean -- think Greek/Turkish/Lebanese -- small plates; very popular place)

Birch & Barley (ditto)

La Chaumiere (classic French cuisine, in Georgetown)

Kellari Taverna (Greek)

 

I think this list of pre-theater options is up to date.

 

Lunch bargains in the bar area are available at Proof, Oval Room, 701, and many other places.

 

Indian Buffet Champagne Brunch in a beautiful setting at Bombay Club

Champagne brunch also at Nopa

 

My two favorite resources for DC are dc.eater.com and the aforementioned DonRockwell.com (register there as you did for eG to access the Dining Guide).

  • Like 1

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assume you're staying in DC itself (vs. the surrounding communities -- Alexandria, Arlington, etc.). It would help, though, to know exactly where. For example, if you're staying in the popular Dupont Circle area, we can recommend places that are walking distance from there.

So far, in your price range, I'd recommend:

Rasika or Rasika West End (progressive Indian cuisine; don't miss the Palak Chaat), for lunch, dinner, or pre-theater dinner

Tosca (classic Italian; pre-theater dinner + one glass of wine each would be ~$110 before tax/tip, but I've never had a bad course there)

Corduroy (near the Convention Center; inventive cooking; expensive regular dinner, but a super-bargain three-course prix fixe upstairs in the bar (menu not on web site), plus inexpensive wine by the glass during happy hour)

Le Diplomate (very good, very popular, probably a bit off the beaten track for you, but one of the go-to places if you're in that area)

Zaytinya (Mediterranean -- think Greek/Turkish/Lebanese -- small plates; very popular place)

Birch & Barley (ditto)

La Chaumiere (classic French cuisine, in Georgetown)

Kellari Taverna (Greek)

I think this list of pre-theater options is up to date.

Lunch bargains in the bar area are available at Proof, Oval Room, 701, and many other places.

Indian Buffet Champagne Brunch in a beautiful setting at Bombay Club

Champagne brunch also at Nopa

My two favorite resources for DC are dc.eater.com and the aforementioned DonRockwell.com (register there as you did for eG to access the Dining Guide).

I'll be at the Hampton Inn near the white house.

Thanks for the tips !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Oval Room, that Alex mentioned, is a great recommendation and is near the White House.

 

Do you think that you will be in the Penn Quarter area or the Dupont Circle area... I can make some recommendations for those areas. Hope you enjoy your trip to DC!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...