Posted on 03/31/2011 8:28:57 AM PDT by Poundstone
For FReepers living in the Washington DC area: what's your favorite restaurant?
As you know, we have TONS of choices in this area. I find that all of the best restaurants are fully booked all the time, so you have to make a reservation at least a week in advance. I'd be interested in learning of some good restaurants where maybe you can reserve a couple of days in advance. Thanks.
My apologies to the fine 10% of government and associated contractors who do a fine job and work hard. To the other 90%, fatten up fella's, hog killin time comes in November of every year.
Back when I haunted the area, there were a lot of great restaurants on King St. in Old Town Alexandria. My very favorite was the now defunct Scotland Yard...the atmosphere, food, portions, etc. made for a perfectly satisfying experience, and the way they decorated for Christmas was right out of the 19th Century.
Etete, excellent Ethiopian place just off U Street.
Tuscana West on I Street.
Neyla in Georgetown (best Lebanese I’ve ever had), just off Wisconsin.
Old Siam, on Capitol Hill along Barracks Row
Cuba Libre in Chinatown
As a chef and sometime connoisseur I say:
La Chaumiere on M Street in Georgetown is hands-down the finest traditional (provincial “plus”) french restaurant in the DC area, if not the country. I believe it is also the best restaurant, generally, in Washington.
Service is of course impeccable and consistently so.
Other restaurants like Citronelle or Butterfield are trendy and very good (especially if you go in for small ‘nouvelle cuisine’ portions and highfallutin’ presentation, but they are exorbitantly expensive and their atmospheres lack warmth. La Chaumiere is where those ‘in the know’ dine.
The souffles are a must, by the way.
P.S. I have no business connection to any restaurant.
Mickey D’s?
Are you looking for something right in town or in the surrounding area? What type of food? Some of my favorites are Old Ebbitt Grill (hear Whitehouse) and Marrakesh (in NE). I’m also partial to the hotdogs at the permanent stand just SE of the Washington monument:)
Red Hot and Blue! Lee Atwater connection and the best potato salad on the planet. . .
Personally, I don't prefer paying the 10% tax on restaurant meals in DC, so I don't bother dining there.
Sooooo, what does a food-lover do? Well, think about heading to Del Ray, in Alexandria. There's La Strada, excellent Italian (sorry, can't remember if it's Northern or Southern), Ethiopian at the Caboose, Cheestique, for great cheese choices, Los Tios for El Salvaldoran, Tacquiero Poblano (sorry if I messed up the spelling on that one) for modern Tex-Mex (and the BEST margueritas).
O.k., you have to overlook the fact that Obummer took his kids to the Dairy Godmother in Del Ray for Father's Day, but they are just kids.
Ah, the memories of the ol' neighborhood...but, I digress.
The thing I like about Del Ray over Old Town, is it seems that Old Town restaurants rely on the tourists who don't stick around - therefore, I don't know if they try as hard. In Del Ray, the many members of the chattering classes that live there, eat out a lot, so word would spread quickly if a restaurant got lazy.
Hope this helps!
It’s been a few years since i’ve been to the hotdog stand so I don’t know how it is now. As Lonely Planet says ‘good places go bad, bad places go out of business.’
I loved the Scotland Yard in Alexandria. The Scottish proprietor with his heavy accent always offered to seat us in a “beeph” under our hanging tartan. (That’s booth in America.) His wife appeared to be 30-years his junior and do all the work! Sad to see it go.
Another favorite years ago was the Bamiyan in Georgetown. Oh, what they did with eggplant and spices! They called one day to cancel our reservations for that night because the cook was in jail. Place closed up shortly after.
Tabard Inn near Dupont Circle is my favorite DC restaurant that still exists. Amazing food in a beautiful old building with walled courtyard.
Love Central on Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. as well as Capital Grille.
If you want a burger, by far the best is Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington (1713 N Wilson Blvd). Yeah, Obama ate there, but so what?
I like Indian cuisine, and my favorite is Dishes of India in Belle View (1510A Belle View Boulevard, Alexandria). Great food, nice atmosphere, and reasonably priced. If you’re outside the beltway, Angeethi in Herndon (645 Elden Street) is also terrific.
My standard order was the Salmon wrapped asparagus appetizer, the Royal Stuart Quail for the main course, followed up by the Blackberry Bramble mist for desert. My samplings off the abundant "Scotch List" varied.
I have often told people that if I were advised that I had one meal left before I died, that would be my choice.
I miss that place, too. His young American wife really did do all the work (and the two El Salvadorans in the kitchen) and the old guy was usually drunk. I think they played the same Rod Steward Great American Songbook CD for two years straight.
I also miss Generous George's Positive Pizza & Pasta Place. Worst service in the DC area, the cruddiest looking place you can imagine but the food...divine! At some point DH and I started getting it for takeout so we wouldn't have to suffer through sticky tables and invisible waiters.
For an actual DC restaurant, Old Ebbitt Grill is my favorite. On the Maryland side...ugh - never go there if I can help it!
I was there one time, shortly after the city fathers decided that restaurants would be smoke free. I would join him out front to smoke. He knew I was in the Army and would regale me with stories of his experiences in the British Army. He had some good ones!
Cuba Libre looks good.
It depends on whether you want good food or want to brag that you paid too much at a fancy Georgetown place.
Ride down to Solomon’s Island. lots of really good food there and no reservations needed.
Best Seafood Restaurant anywhere, bar none,
Lowery’s in Tappahannock Va.
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