Gourmet Picks Five DC Favorites

[vengroff]

This month's Gourmet has a little pull out guide to America's best restaurants. (It also has Eric Ripert on the cover, looking like he is trying out for a Green Day tribute band, but that's a whole seperate story.) The guide is supposed to be something you pull out when you've just gotten off the plane in San Diego, or Boston, or Chicago, or wherever and you're looking for someplace good to eat (Silly you, you didn't check eGullet before you got on the plane). Each city gets six restaurants, one for business, one personal favorite, one with a buzz, and three neighborhood gems.

In DC, the choices are :

Business: TenPenh, because it has the looks and wine list of a top steakhouse, but a more exotic menu.

Buzz: Maestro, because Fabio and his team pull together the traditional, the luxurious, and the avant garde like no others.

Personal Favorite: Galileo, including Laboratorio and the bar/cafe for Donna's staying power and ability to cover all bases. An unusual choice, I thought, if only because so many commentators make a very clear distinction between the Lab and what goes on in the rest of the building. If Laboratorio alone were picked, I would not have been surprised at all. [Mental note to self: You've been in DC for a while now, get your butt down to the Lab already.]

Neighborhood Gems: Zaytinya, for it's elegant versatility, dress-up/dress-down flexibility, and cooking unmatched by many higher-priced competitors; Heritage India for standing above it's Indian competitors with elegant styling and subtle flavorings, despite irregular service; and Thai Square, for bringing distinctive flair to traditional Thai cooking in an affordable, family-friendly atmosphere.

I wonder how other eGulleteers would have voted. Please follow up with your thoughts. Note that there is no explanation of the categories, which makes the neighborhood one subject to especially wide interpretation, or who the person(s) who chose the personal favorites were.

One other note from the booklet. There is a very nice picture of a dollop of caviar served in an eggshell. I thought it might have been from Citronelle until I read the caption that credited Everest in Chicago.

[vengroff]

Flipping though the same issue, I just ran across an ad for Cook For the Cure, a program where chefs create special menus and donate a portion of the profits to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Locally, Jose Andres (Jaleo), Roberto Donna (Galileo), Scott Houghton (Ortanique), and Katsuya Fukushima (Cafe Atlantico) are participating.

[BBhasin]

Tried Thai Square after reading a great reveiw in the Post my neighborhood Thai favourite still remains PO SIAM on Mt.Vernon Aveune in Alexandria.

Heritage India definitly serves very good food but I think its too expensive to put it in a neighborhood place as those are usually percieved as inexpenive to mid priced places.

Speaks of the legacy of Chef Sudhir Seth. The partnership I believe is over, Sudhir has taken over the Bethesda location and we may see a name change there.

[John W.]

Five restaurants per city? Someone's always going to be left out.

[vengroff]

Five restaurants per city? Someone's always going to be left out.

Make that six, contrary to what the title says. But your point stands.

[John W.]

Five restaurants per city? Someone's always going to be left out.

Make that six, contrary to what the title says. But your point stands.

I was going to make an educated response, but have since been disqualified because I can't count.

Maestro and Galileo are pretty airtight choices. But the other categories lend themselves to debate. Heritage India has great food, but I won't suffer through the service again. Zaytinya is must-see dining in DC, but I feel Nectar is as well. Everyone has their favorite Thai place. Other neighborhood places? There's a bunch. Business? Charlie Palmer Steak (had a great meal there on Wednesday)? Tosca? Citronelle?

I don't pay much attention to the magazines unless we are in them, (and don't very much when we are), for reasons like this. It sells copies, it is important for the businesses mentioned, but trying to pick 6 places in each metropolitan area leaves too much open for debate.

Anyway, congrats to all that were mentioned.

Edited September 27, 2003 by John W. (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

Five restaurants per city? Someone's always going to be left out.

Make that six, contrary to what the title says. But your point stands.

I was going to make an educated response, but have since been disqualified because I can't count.

Maestro and Galileo are pretty airtight choices. But the other categories lend themselves to debate. Heritage India has great food, but I won't suffer through the service again. Zaytinya is must-see dining in DC, but I feel Nectar is as well. Everyone has their favorite Thai place. Other neighborhood places? There's a bunch. Business? Charlie Palmer Steak (had a great meal there on Wednesday)? Tosca? Citronelle?

I don't pay much attention to the magazines unless we are in them, (and don't very much when we are), for reasons like this. It sells copies, it is important for the businesses mentioned, but trying to pick 6 places in each metropolitan area leaves too much open for debate.

Anyway, congrats to all that were mentioned.

2 years ago Citronelle was #17 in their "50 Best Restaurants in America" article. That was the year that Chez Panisse was #1. This year, we don't exist. Curious. Does Chez Panisse advertise in Gourmet? I don't know because I stopped buying it 5 years ago.

[DonRocks]

Everyone has their favorite Thai place.

For what it's worth, Thai Square is hands down my pick for favorite Thai in DC. No, I haven't been to them all, but I've probably been to twenty or so over the years. It isn't perfect, but it's usually interesting, and sometimes excellent. Plus, it's sort of a dive which I find appealing. Their slow-cooked pig knuckle stew is gooooood.