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Where to eat in Washington DC


SamanthaF

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I would definitely recommend Bistro Lepic. It is a small, homey restaurant with good bistro food and warm staff. We went for lunch and as we were having a major dinner, we ordered "light" for us.

I didn't take any notes but I was able to reconstruct our menu from their website (http://www.bistrotlepic.net/index.htm)

There were three of us and we shared in 3 courses.

1. Cream of lentil soup with duck confit

Salmon Tartare with dill and oriental seaweed

Country pate with prunes and armagnac

2. Onion Tart with baby green salad

Chicken salad with poached egg and balsamic vinaigrette

3. Cassoulet - my only negative is that I wish the cassoulet had more sausage. Bruno Fortin, the chef, was so gracious that on our next visit, we only have to ask for more to be included.

We took a peek at their new wine bar on the second floor and it looks like a wonderful place to "hang out."

This restaurant would be right at home in Paris and is the epitome of a French bistro.

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I haven't been back since then Heather but would if I ever had a reason to be out there.  I'd be interested in hearing your report of the place.  A micro-coffee roaster opened up in that same strip, didn't it?  I seem to recall a Sietsema chat or a Foraging column which mentioned it.  Even if I weren't situated where I am, I'd go to Bistro Lepic and Le Relais instead, each of which offer lower-priced better value alternatives to their regular dining rooms--and both which operate at a higher, more interesting level than Mannequin Pis--but that's based on just one visit to Pis.

If you rave we might just go back!

It's been since July, so let me see if I can reconstruct our meal...I remember sharing mussles as a starter. I had a lovely little steak with the best frites I've had in Washington. Scott had something delicious, but I was so bowled over by the brussels sprouts with lardons that I can't remember what. I don't remember dessert except that I wasn't disappointed. Not sure if the desserts are made in-house.

Aside from the food, I liked the place, very unpretentious with a traditional menu cooked correctly. They have a very good selection of Belgian beer (my favorite style) including beers from De Dolle Brouwers. I didn't order wine but I recall a small but decent wine list. The service was good, attentive yet impersonal - exactly what I look for. And it's less than ten miles from our house. :smile:

Edited by hjshorter (log)

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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As a woman dining alone from time to time, I have had very nice, comfortable meals at the bars of Kinkead's, and upstairs at Bistrot Lepic, also at the new Pizzeria Paradiso in Georgetown, and at the sushi bar at Kaz Sushi Bistro. Some of the bartenders at Kinkead's are particularly friendly and you can become a "regular" very quickly.

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  • 1 year later...
As I mentioned before, I work in the building that houses Osteria Goldoni. Well, it closed a few weeks ago "for renovations," and now there's a banner up saying it will reopen in May as Vida, serving Latin American cuisine. Is it the same owners/chef? Anybody know anything about this?

So, has anyone been to Vida??

Food is a convenient way for ordinary people to experience extraordinary pleasure, to live it up a bit.

-- William Grimes

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As I mentioned before, I work in the building that houses Osteria Goldoni. Well, it closed a few weeks ago "for renovations," and now there's a banner up saying it will reopen in May as Vida, serving Latin American cuisine. Is it the same owners/chef? Anybody know anything about this?

So, has anyone been to Vida??

That pretty much failed as a nightclub. If its still there I would be surprised.

When a club does a 'Playboy Bunny' night its usually a sign that things are going south...

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As I mentioned before, I work in the building that houses Osteria Goldoni. Well, it closed a few weeks ago "for renovations," and now there's a banner up saying it will reopen in May as Vida, serving Latin American cuisine. Is it the same owners/chef? Anybody know anything about this?

So, has anyone been to Vida??

That pretty much failed as a nightclub. If its still there I would be surprised.

When a club does a 'Playboy Bunny' night its usually a sign that things are going south...

I've been there for drinks (not on Playboy Bunny night though!) and it was just ok. You can do much, much better.

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  • 11 months later...

I was in DC a few weeks ago and ate at Pizza Paradiso and had a wonderful meal at Vidalia.

Lots of gifts from the kitchen and everything was spectacular.

Hjshorter - I love your Achewood Avatar!

Patti Davis

www.anatomyofadinnerparty.com

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  • 3 weeks later...

My local picks...

- Firefly

- Black Salt

- Ray's the Steaks

- Ramparts

- Equinox

- Cameron's

- Teberna Cretekou

- Fatoush

- Mandalay

- Old Glory

--CSR

Edited by C_Ruark (log)
"There's something very Khmer Rouge about Alice Waters that has become unrealistic." - Bourdain; interviewed on dcist.com
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Note that this thread was started almost three years ago, so posters are not responding to any recent requests.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

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Note that this thread was started almost three years ago, so posters are not responding to any recent requests.

Yeah, caught that.... showed up in my subscription list.

"There's something very Khmer Rouge about Alice Waters that has become unrealistic." - Bourdain; interviewed on dcist.com
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Happens. I've seen people pick fights with other posters who haven't posted in months. What's Ramparts?

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

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Happens.  I've seen people pick fights with other posters who haven't posted in months.  What's Ramparts?

Rampart Restaurant Link - not a very effective website, but it has some interior shots.

Ramparts is just a quite little place nearby that I like. Some folks say it's "hit and miss" but I've found it to be pretty decent. It's not anywhere near the level of Firefly and Ray's, but for a Friday-night meal it will do.

- CSR

Edited by C_Ruark (log)
"There's something very Khmer Rouge about Alice Waters that has become unrealistic." - Bourdain; interviewed on dcist.com
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The restaurant side never impressed me. The bar side is a good place to tuck into a pitcher of beer and some wings while watching football (especially since it used to be walking distance for me)

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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