Need DC Restaurant Recs

[Busboy]

I like Les Halles fine but if you're going to get serious enough about the food to take a cab somewhere I'd see about a late reservation at Central Michel Richard, Cafe du Park (at the Willard Hotel -- stop in for a cocktail at the Round Robin bar) or Beck's, which may be open by the time you arrive and is sure to be The Next Big Thing for a couple of week.

[onocoffee]

LEDlund-

The service at Les Halles is pretty good. Of course, I go there enough that the staff knows me and treats me pretty well so, YMMV.

But I do enjoy eating there enought to make the trek from Baltimore on a regular basis. Who knows, I might even get down there tonight since the weather is so enjoyable.

I like the food at Les Halles better than BdC and prefer the environs at Les Halles as well. Neither place is subdued when busy but Les Halles layout creates a somewhat intimate and comfortable feeling that isn't possible in the warehouse-like BdC.

When it comes to the food, Les Halles has yet to disappoint. From the onglet to tartare to duck confit and everything else I've tried, just about everything is on the money for me.

When I go it's usually with a group of friends and we order a wide variety of items to keep it interesting. The larger our group, the more we order. It's usually a minimum of three or four of us and it's not unusual for our table to order the steak tartare, moules mariniere, mac n cheese, foie gras, onion soup and escargot for the appetizer round. We follow that up with individual entrees and then dessert.

For entrees, the onglet is a steady standard. But when the mood strikes, I'll go for the cote du beouf, couscous (with lamb shank), cassoulet or any of the other menu items. So far, I've found very little to be disagreeable on the Les Halles menu.

I just wish they would bring the ribeye, as well as the coconut ice cream down from their Park Avenue NYC location.

I'd like to recommend Central but I haven't been there yet. My old Les Halles buddy, Aicha, now works at Central and she's been inviting me down. I just haven't had the time yet. Best thing about Les Halles - no reservations required.

I just avoid Fri/Sat nights since they're usually jam-packed. Instead, you'll usually find us there on a Sunday or week night.

Be sure to let us know the places you end up eating.

PS - And I've heard that Sitka & Spruce on Eastlake is supposed to be quite tasty.

[Busboy]

Next week, my husband and I will be visiting DC (from Seattle) for the first time. I have been reading tons on all of the boards and getting advice from friends who have been before as well as those who used to live there. I've got a couple of specific things I haven't been able to nail down yet....

Lauren

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So?

[LEdlund]

I have all my notes and am writing them up. I will post tomorrow or the next day. I promise! Of course I meant to do that last week!

[LEdlund]

First of all, let me say Thanks! to all of you for your help. We had such a great trip. The weather was outstanding and we walked everywhere. What a beautiful city - I can't wait to return.

We got to the Hotel Madera about 10:15 on Saturday night and decided to stick close to home and have a bite at Firefly. No such luck. They closed at 10 PM! On a Saturday night! I was shocked by that. So we hopped in a cab and headed to Old Ebbitt Grill. We started with cocktails and briny oysters. My favorite was the Stonington followed by the Moonstone and Wellfleet. Next we had burgers and a glass of zinfandel. It was a perfect slide into the weekend.

Sunday morning we walked to Luna Grill for breakfast. We had the worst breakfast of the trip here (flavorless eggs benedict and cold, musty tasting breakfast potatoes) but we also had the best drip coffee of the trip at Luna.

We were near downtown at lunchtime so we stopped in at Chinatown Express. We had the pork buns, the fried noodles with beef and the house special chicken. This was the first time I'd had soup dumplings and I was underwhelmed. The wrapper and the pork filling were fine, but there was no soup in them. The fried noodles were very good but the best part was the chicken. It was cooked to perfection and the skin was extremely crispy. It was sitting in a soy sauce broth in a pie pan, skin side up so the meat was all flavorful but the skin was still crispy. It was great.

For dinner that night we went to Cashion's Eat Place. This was our favorite meal of the trip. It's just the type of atmosphere we like. Homey and comfortable but not "cute". Our waiter was engaging and knowledgable. As I sit here looking at the menu that I brought home, I can't for the life of me remember what we had! I know we had the Asparagus with remoulade, local baby greens, american sturgeon caviar and malden sea salt. But that is it! I know we had a good martini before! And a nice cheese course after! I will definitely come back here.

On Monday, we grabbed a to-go breakfast at a deli on our way out sightseeing. We spent the afternoon walking around Georgetown (and up the Exorcist steps!). We had lunch at J Pauls where I tried the mini crab cake burgers and a J Paul Amber. They were both quite tasty.

Dinner Monday night was at Citronelle. We had a 9 PM reservation and we got there a little early so we could have a drink in the bar first. We checked in and were told our table wasn't ready. We said that was perfect because we wanted to have a drink first and would it be okay if we waited in the bar. Of course! They'd come get us when our table was ready. Around 9:10, they came and brought us to our table. Our waiter started off by telling us the Promenade Gourmande menu was only available for reservations up to 9 PM and therefore we would need to order off the regular menu. We were disppointed but started to peruse the regular menu. As we sat there, we got more and more disappointed because it was too hard to pick just two things and there were no wine pairings. We rarely do this but we decided to speak up because our reservation was for 9 PM and we were even there early. Our waiter said he'd check to see if that would be okay. I jokingly said we'd eat fast! It turned out to be okay, but they really did crank us through the menu.

We had:

Amuse Bouche, egg surprise, mushroom cigar, haricots verts tartar.

Champagne Michel Arnould Pere & Fils, Grand Cru, Verzenay

The egg surprise was fun - cheese shaped to look like a wedge of hard boiled egg. The haricots vert tartar was served in a hallowed out egg shell, halved horizontally.

Asparagus Vichyssoise.

Good, but not great. It did motivate me to make an awesome chilled asparagus soup when I got home though.

Soft Shell Crab, corn risotto.

Riesling "Beblenheim". Domaine Marcel Deiss 2004

I have never been a fan of soft shell crab but I really liked this. It was stuffed with something - lobster? I can't remember but I liked it.

Rockfish, vegetable pearls, lemon verbena emulsion.

Sancerre "Cuvee Flores", Domain Vincent Pinard 2005

I liked this okay but my husband loved it. He loved it so much he had Rockfish for dinner the next night.

Lobster Burger

Meursault, "Les Pellans", Domaine Chateau de Chorey 2005

It's a lobster burger - what's not to love? Actually my husband found this boring. I liked it.

Veal, black angus steak, sweetbreads, morel sauce, asparagus

Benjamin de Pontet, Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 1995

We had just made a beef with morel sauce for a party and this version wasn't much different than the one we made. At this point, the food was coming out so quickly and the wines were piling up around us. I started to pick and choose what to eat. The veal got left on the plate - too uninteresting. The sweetbreads were great though.

Selection of Imported Cheese

Malbec Reserva, Enrique Foster Bodega, Mendoza, Argentina 2003

I totally forget what cheeses there were.

Apple Napoleon

Vouvray Moelleux, "Cuvee Matieu", Domaine Gendron 2003

Normally I don't like anything with cooked apples. The "pastry" was very, very thinly slided apple slices that were fried (?) until totally crispy. In between were rounds of cooked apple. It was fun.

Mushroom Vacherin

Banyuls Rimage "La Coume", Domaine du Mas Blanc, Dr. Parce 2004

Also a fun dessert. The meringue in the shape of a mushroom was clever.

Petit Fours

As I said, the food was really cranked out. One plate was barely gone from our plate and another one appeared. I didn't really get to savor the courses the way I like. And the wines were all blending together after a while. The wine pairings weren't quite as spot on as I would have hoped, especially with the cheese. I'm not a cheap person, but I do recognize value and, at $235 per person before tax and tip, Citronelle did not give me the value I would expect. We did meet a lovely couple from Denmark who we will see when they are in Seattle in a couple of months. That was fun! And it was a nice meal, just not extraordinary.

Tuesday we started with room service as we had a busy tourist day planned. At the end of the day - we were hot and starving so we grabbed a couple of drinks and apps at Thunder Grill at Union Station. Dinner that night was at Circle Bistro. We started with an appetizer of asparagus with brown butter vinaigrette and hazelnuts. It arrived without brown butter or hazelnuts. It was great asparagus though (and they comped it - which was appropriate). Paul had his second Rockfish of the trip and I had the gnocci. It was a totally pleasant meal. We had a drink in their bar before dinner and it was obvious that it's someplace the college crowd would hang out and smoke! We had a decent cocktail there.

Wednesday was our last day in town and we started at Trio's for breakfast. I love places like this! It reminded me of the (now departed) Dog House here in Seattle. Of course I had the creamed chip beef on toast! How can you not order that when you see it on a menu! We wandered around Adams Morgan that afternoon and snacked at some places there (we shared a hand dipped corn dog!) before heading out of town.

Like I said, I'm totally looking forward to our next trip. Thanks for all your advice. If you ever get to Seattle, I hope I can do the same.

Lauren

[hjshorter]

Thanks for the update! You really lucked out with the weather. I'm glad you liked Trio - it is hands down one of my favorite places in Washington.

Edited May 11, 2007 by hjshorter (log)

[Mirandar]

Hello everyone!

I am coming to dc in august (crazy, no?) to visit my best friend and I'm wanting to eat some great food in my 4 day stay. I've read around a lot on this forum, and it sounds like i've got to go to 2amys, Jaleo, Zatinya, Central (if finances allow at the time), and maybe dino, Bourbon, Bistro du coin? my dad is in DC often for business and really recommends Bebbo trattoria, though i'd love to hear opinions about that too.

I'm very open, I'm looking for the best! I'd love a little guidance!

thanks so much!

[hjshorter]

2 Amy's is a solid choice for pizza, although I prefer the charcuterie and small plates there. Comet Ping-Pong is a worthy option, with a different atmosphere. Try the soft shell pizza if it's still on the menu. Reports are that Jaleo can be hit or miss these days, but I had a lovely lunch there a couple weeks ago at the downtown location. Zaytinya is a scene, and worth a stop for lunch at least. The food can be uneven but the Turkish Coffee Chocolate remains one of my favorite desserts in the city. Bistrot du Coin is great late night or Sunday afternoon, but for the ambiance and not for great food.

If you can get a reservation try Central, but I'm liking the new, more gently priced Brasserie Beck (more extensive thread here) for moules frites and a Bavik on a hot summer day. Latest reports are down on the service, but with luck they will turn that around very soon.

[Busboy]

As always, save when discussing synth-heavy Britpop bands, I agree with everything Heather said, adding that if you hit 2Amy's go early or late and not at all on a weekend evening. Washington Augusts are not suited to standing line line outside for 45+ minutes (nor are august Washingtonians, but that's another post). My wife and I prefer to sit at the bar and watch the charcutrier(?) do his work, ordering by pointing at whatever looks good. (Actually, now that I think for a moment, 2 Amy's is planning to expand rather dramatically in the near future. Check here to see if they've been able to hold onto the magic while shortening the wait.)

On a meta level I'd suggest that it's kind of a "safe" list: 2 to 3 star food, mid-priced safe neighborhoods. Maybe consider spending one night eating cheap Ethiopian or Salvadoran food and then use the money you've saved to splurge. Two of the best restaurants in town offer bar menus as well as their main menu in the bar. Maybe go to Palena (early) for their burger (eh, but others love it) or whatever else is on the cafe menu and splurge on something expensive from the main menu to see what recent Beard Award-winning chef Frank Ruta can do when price is no object. Similarly, dressing up a touch, heading over to the less-crowded Marcel's, kicking back to the piano music, getting the Gruyere pizza with a side of the greatest boudin blanc on earth or whatever else looks delicious on the main menu.

Where are you coming in from?

[hjshorter]

And as always, save when discussing synth-heavy Britpop bands, I agree with everything Charles said.

More thoughts...I'd hit Dino for wine and small plates, but not for dinner. Bebo Trattoria gets high marks for food but some of the worst service stories. This thread on donrockwell.com will give you some idea of the extent.

It's absolutely worth seeking out Ethiopian food here. I like Etete, a tiny, stylish place near the intersection of 9th and U Street NW.

Edited June 12, 2007 by hjshorter (log)

[Mirandar]

thanks for replying to quickly! I think a safe list is a good idea, and I'm coming from Portland, OR, so if Washingtonians aren't cut out for standing in line for 45 minutes, I certainly aren't either!

Dino's sounds really good on their website, and reasonably priced. I would also love cocktail suggestions, my friend lives in Eastern Market, but I don't know how easy or likely it is that we will venture from the neighborhood.

thanks again! I'm taking notes. . .!

[Busboy]

Capitol Hill (of which Eastern Market is a sub-section) is widely and justly considered something of a Culinary wasteland. Fortunately, the lovely Montmartre is just a few doors down from the fire-damaged market and may be the best mid-range French place in the city. Belga Cafe is well-regarded, down near Barracks Row, but gets crowded fast. Sonoma is also well-regarded, and reputed to be a good place to begin or end an evening with wine and cheese/charcuterie.

When I think of "cocktailing" I think you should leave the Hill and head to Penn Quarter, where there are more hip lounges and good restaurants than you can shake a Manolo Blahnik at. But if you are up for "drinking" The Hawk and Dove just got named one of Esquire Magazine's "50 best bars in America" and The Tune Inn is legendary; both are dives that have nourished -- if you can call it that -- generations of underpaid Hill rats in search of a cheap burger and cheaper buzz. They both smell bad, and that's the way we like it.

[arbuclo]

By the way, we have Restaurant Week in August. Not sure if you'll be in town for it (August 6-12) but great deals are to be had ($20.07 for a three course lunch and $30.07 for a three course dinner). The list of participating restaurants hasn't yet been released.

[Ellen Ivy]

Despite the heat and humidity, we love DC in August. Everyone is gone. We have this great city to ourselves. No lines. Just walk in anywhere. Though admittedly, if I were you I would still make reservations since you will just be visiting and don't want to miss out on the places you choose, or have to schlep around in the heat to find alternatives.

You didn't say what kind of food you like. If fish, then try Hook in Georgetown. Just got 2.5 stars from the Washington Post critic, and coming from him, that's quite good. If you like classic Belgian mussels and frites, then Brasserie Beck. I join Busboy and Heather in endorsing Palena, but it isn't cheap, even for burgers. But worth every penny.

I think before anyone can really give you more specific recs, you need to give an idea of preferences, price range, and neighborhoods. Will you have a car? Where are you going to stay?

[katbert]

hi, I thought about starting another thread but figured I'd just tack on to this one since it's essentially another request for recommendations.

I'm taking the Chinatown bus from Philadelphia and will be staying at the Hilton Crystal City by DCA starting tomorrow evening through July 5th (ballroom dance camp!). I don't think I'll have access to a car at all, so places that are walkable from Metro stops are preferable.

My classes don't start until 10am so I'm interested in going to a few early breakfast places (read about Market Lunch at Eastern Market) since it's my favorite meal.

I'll try to get ppl to go out for dinner 3-4 nights and would like some casual low budget recommendations (<$10), especially Salvadoran since I haven't tried it and also maybe Thai? (I'm not a big fan of Ethiopian even though in theory I should like it since I like stewed sauceful dishes).

And I'll probably head out as a solo diner and go for at least one mid and a higher end dinner (~$50).

If you have any local lunch recs I'd also appreciate it, but I'm considering taking almond butter and jelly to make sandwiches for the duration. (Jaleo is close though. Bebo too but reviews are "meh".) Other things that I like include ice cream, chocolate, and french fries and I'm more interested in food than atmosphere.

Thanks. Link to some of my food pix on flickr.

[tjaehnigen]

Lots to try in this fine city....

Palena

Dino

Tosca

Mendocino

Blacksalt (if you don't mind a trip over to Macarthur blvd)

[Busboy]

hi, I thought about starting another thread but figured I'd just tack on to this one since it's essentially another request for recommendations.

I'm taking the Chinatown bus from Philadelphia and will be staying at the Hilton Crystal City by DCA starting tomorrow evening through July 5th (ballroom dance camp!). I don't think I'll have access to a car at all, so places that are walkable from Metro stops are preferable.

My classes don't start until 10am so I'm interested in going to a few early breakfast places (read about Market Lunch at Eastern Market) since it's my favorite meal.

I'll try to get ppl to go out for dinner 3-4 nights and would like some casual low budget recommendations (<$10), especially Salvadoran since I haven't tried it and also maybe Thai? (I'm not a big fan of Ethiopian even though in theory I should like it since I like stewed sauceful dishes).

And I'll probably head out as a solo diner and go for at least one mid and a higher end dinner (~$50).

If you have any local lunch recs I'd also appreciate it, but I'm considering taking almond butter and jelly to make sandwiches for the duration. (Jaleo is close though. Bebo too but reviews are "meh".) Other things that I like include ice cream, chocolate, and french fries and I'm more interested in food than atmosphere.

Thanks. Link to some of my food pix on flickr.

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First, sadly, there was a fire in Eastern Market and Market Lunch will be off-line for many months during reconstruction.

Given your budget, I might recommend the sammies for lunch and saving the difference for dinner, there are few meals in DC available near the metro, for under $10 that can't be supersized and don't involve Ethiopians.

Zorba Cafe is a competent little Greek place steps from the Dupont Circle (north exit) that offers cheap wine and possibly the best and most overlooked outdoor eating (and people-watching) in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, near movie theaters, all-night bookstores and beautiful people. If it's fries you want, about 400 feet from Zorba's is Bistro du Coin. The fries can be a bit inconsistent, but when they're good they're very very good. If you're in the mood you can get a decent bowl of mussels to go with the fries, otherwise you might just want to get a Stella at the bar. Do not go here between 7 and 9. Some people hate this place and service can be brusque, but others take to it immediately.

If you get off at the south entrance of the Dupont Station, you might head toward Malaysia Kopitiam for excellent Malaysian.

Over by the U Street/Cardozo stop, you might want to try Bar Pilar for small plates amongst the terminally hip. There's also a Salvadoran place in the strip mall/storefront across the street from Pilar, whose name escapes me, that a friend of mine in the neighborhood quite likes, and a few other storefront operation (kebabs, etc) that may be worth checking out. As with the Dupont recommendations and with Eammon's, below, these are in a very busy nightlife area, with all the attendant good and evil such places attract.

If you want to take the train to Old Town, you have a ten minute walk down King Street befiore it gets fun and if it's cheap fun in Old Town you want you may want to try Eamonn's for fish and chips. Eamonn's is run by one of the area's best chefs (one of Food and Wine's 10 Best New Chefs last year), Cathal Armstrong, who also happens to be an old Doublin boy with a taste for fried, as well as fine, dining. If you want to swank out in your ballroom dancing clothes, you may want to try upstairs at the extremely limited-seating neo-speakeasy PX.

Finally, if it's Salvadoran you're after, get up to the Columbia Heights station and wander over to Mt. Pleasant, where there are six places on Mt. Pleasant Street. Erecilia's Pupuseria on Mt. Pleasant and Irving is regarded as the tops for pupusas, Haydee's, just up the street, offers a broader menu and a slightly more refined atmosphere (Erecilia's is a kind of florescent lighting and Formica place). There's a couple other places on the street I haven't checked out, as well. If your friends are comfortable in an urban environment, you might want to walk up the 14th Street past where Yuppieland ends (you can't miss the transition), to Salvadoran place where I just had some decent pupusas and chicharons with yucca, but whose exact name and address escape me now.

[Busboy]

Checked it out this evening: the Salvadoran place in Columbia Heights is La Molienda, on the 3500 block of 14th, at the corner of 14th and Perry Place. A little further south (closer to the metro stateion) is Taquerio Distrito Federal, a good, cheap, authentic Mexican place at 3463 14th. Be aware that neither offers fine dining and that, if you're with friends, them as ain't used to urban living uin a transitional neighborhood might feel a little uncomfortable walking there.

PS: If you go to Mt. Pleasant, one of the great remaining dives in DC still does a booming business as The Raven. Just look for the neon sign across the street from the 7-11. Something to wash back your pupusas with.

[Mirandar]

Wow, this is all so great, thanks everyone!

As to the question about specifications, etc. about budget, I'm open to whatever suggestions, but I will probably only eat one "splurge"erific meal and otherwise stick to places where i can ideally get out for under 25.00- i work in food, so of course, i don't make a ton and live on tips. . . wonderful of course, but financially limiting sometimes

[katbert]

Hi-- thanks for all the help.

I ended up eating a lot of macadamia/cashew strawberry jelly sandwiches for lunch, crossed the street to Kabob Palace twice (loved the fresh handmade off the grill bread and the smoky grilled surprisingly tender lamb kabobs), one of the nearby Thai places, Jaleo for some sangria and tapas, one of the pupuserias on Mount Pleasant for my first pupusas and some fried pork and yucca, Chinatown- dropped into the hand drawn noodle place, Cafe Atlantico for a terrific cocktail and a lot of toasted quinoa for dinner (yummy, I would try upstairs the next time I'm not eating with someone staying kosher). When we walked over to Mount Pleasant from the metro, it was dark but there were a lot of ppl around; we're from Philly, so we're kind of used to gritty.

Pictures at some point when I get around to organizing, but I wanted to say thanks in the meantime.

[Busboy]

Hi-- thanks for all the help.

I ended up eating a lot of macadamia/cashew strawberry jelly sandwiches for lunch, crossed the street to Kabob Palace twice (loved the fresh handmade off the grill bread and the smoky grilled surprisingly tender lamb kabobs), one of the nearby Thai places, Jaleo for some sangria and tapas, one of the pupuserias on Mount Pleasant for my first pupusas and some fried pork and yucca, Chinatown- dropped into the hand drawn noodle place, Cafe Atlantico for a terrific cocktail and a lot of toasted quinoa for dinner (yummy, I would try upstairs the next time I'm not eating with someone staying kosher). When we walked over to Mount Pleasant from the metro, it was dark but there were a lot of ppl around; we're from Philly, so we're kind of used to gritty.

Pictures at some point when I get around to organizing, but I wanted to say thanks in the meantime.

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Sounds like you did it right. Looking forward to the pics.

[Mirandar]

I also wanted to say thanks for the suggestions! I just arrived in DC and we're going to brasserie beck tonight, i will let you know how it is!

[LittleChef22]

I would also recommend a new restaurant in Georgetown called Hook. It just opened a few weeks ago, and is located on M street. It features very fresh seafood in a modern yet elegant atmosphere.

[gfron1]

I'm coming to town this coming Sunday through Wednesday and will be staying near Capitol Hill. Anything new that I should care about? I eat anything especially ethnic. Also, I'm travelling solo, so if anyone's looking to play host, I'm not a fan of dining alone

I would really like to get to Palena but only if its doable by the metro.

[chappie]

Adams Morgan used to be the epicenter for great ethnic eateries; it's been gentrified somewhat and is more of a center for trendy bars (not to say there still aren't good eats there, just fewer).

One favorite that used to be in Adams Morgan but moved is The Islander, now at 1201 U Street. Owner/chef Ms. Addie Green has been a fixture of the Trinidadan community for years and years, and she's still the best host around, putting out some really good Trinidadan cooking. I always get something with goat in it, usually roti. Back when the place was a tiny upstairs closet on 18th St., with a chalkboard for a menu, she would often recite recipes for us to try at home. Often there's live music, too.

I really like that whole U St. corridor for checking out restaurants. Lots of quality Ethiopian places nearby, too.