Wash DC restaurant recommendation

L

Larry Stein

Larry Stein
My wife and I will be there in May to celebrate my daughter's college graduation and her full-time job that starts right after (journalist at Bloomberg BNA in Arlington).

We're going to have a Sat. brunch after the graduation ceremony. We already have that figured out.

I want to take her someplace special for dinner (not necessarily on Sat). Places that only offer a multi-course tasting menu (12 courses, etc) is not what I'm looking for. Inn at Little Washington and others at that price point is more than we'd like to spend. I checked out the 1 and 2 star Michelin. Masseria looked intriguing. Yes/No? What else do you all recommend?

No time to jeebus. We're already pretty booked.
 
Makoto and Komi are my faves in town. Both are tasting menus but not the oh-so-precious type. Makoto is 5 minutes from AU. Heard good things about Mirabelle but haven't been yet. I know the last Ripple chef opened a new place but I haven't been there either.

Weren't you just here for her matriculation?
 
Seems like it! She's graduating in 3 years. She's kicked ass and taken no prisoners. Her current paid internship is at the Post. She beat out 2 or 3 grad students to get that position. She did a previous internship at BNA.
 
Larry; I recently got a notice from the wine director at Komi (also at Little Serow) who said they were planning to pour El Jaléo by the glass at both places. Intrigued, I looked at the websites, and they look like very cool places. Maybe too spendy? Not sure.
And, Congratulations!
 
Hey Larry,

First of all, congrats—that's a great reason to be visiting DC!

On the restaurant front, stay away from the Inn, even if it is in your price point. No idea how they pull stars out on reviews, but my lone visit there was one of the most underwhelming dining experiences I've had in the DC area and several friends also had experiences that mirrored mine.

For what you’re looking for, I think Masseria would be a lot of fun and I enjoyed my meal there, though I feel like the Red Hen, while not as fancy, offered slightly better food. I haven’t been there since they opened Primrose, so it’s possible it’s slipped a little bit, but it would be fun. If you’re looking for Italian-focused, I still feel like Obelisk flies under the radar (probably because the food leans towards the stripped down and simple). Tail Up Goat would be another great pick for more Med-inspired dining and a place I enjoyed more than Masseria, as well.

If the Italian focus of Masseria wasn’t super important, I’d be very enthusiastic about going to either the Dabney or A Rake’s Progress. Both are intensely Mid-Atlantic restaurants with super talented chefs (from Husk/McCready’s lineage and Woodberry Kitchen, respectively). I haven't been to the latter but the number of friends who've raved about it to me recently makes it seem like it belongs in the combination (plus, Woodberry is always phenomenal). The pricepoint for both seems about right and the beverage programs are both interesting. They’re both pretty hot right now, so I’d imagine you’d need to grab a reservation for that weekend sooner than later, but I think you’d really enjoy it.
 
I liked Masseria the one time we were there. Liked it enough that we are going back for Chelsea's birthday in a few weeks. It is a good choice for a special celebratory dinner (although be aware it is out by Union Market and there isn't much around it at night - unless you are driving yourselves, you will need to take Lyft or Uber both ways).

If you are willing to consider a place that is one notch more casual, I would think about Himitsu (no reservations, but it is not usually that bad of a wait if you go early and have a cocktail at Petworth Citizen across the street while you wait - they make a great Negroni), or possibly the Dabney or the Red Hen.

Bresca is the place Keith is thinking of, with the chef formerly in charge of Ripple (the one following Marjorie's departure). Haven't been to Bresca yet, so can't comment one way or the other.
 
Bresca is practically around the corner from where I live and we are planning on heading there in a few weeks and I will post my impressions.
 
Himitsu (no reservations, but my favorite meal in DC in recent months) - the chicken karaage with biscuits is the crowd-pleaser, but the crudo and nasu dengaku is where it is at. Mainly Japanese and Latin influenced (some Korean and Chinese influences as well).

The Dabney - the food is cooked over open flame hearths, and the smoke from the fire informs all the dishes here. I really like how they pile on fresh, leafy greens on their dishes as well. Hyper-local a la Husk. Rustic.

Tail Up Goat - I'm biased because my sister's friend is a co-owner, but this is really inventive Mediterranean cuisine (leaning towards Greek and Italian). The breads are excellent and the lamb dish is the signature dish.

Hazel is a sleeper. I did not enjoy it as much as the first three, but it is inventive and well-made. Strong Asian influences. Richer style of food than Himitsu.

Little Serow is great and affordable. I think it's a $50 prix fixe menu. Again, no reservation. Also, it is unadulterated Thai food (too spicy for many of my friends).

Le Diplomate is a very good French bistro that does the classics very well. My favorite meal here was a cheese plate at the bar with friends, soaking up the fantastic atmosphere. The bread basket here is fab.

Mirabelle wasn't that great. Boring food. The foie gras poached in consomme was interesting, if not necessarily the most delicious thing ever. But, the mains were dull, dull, dull. Desserts are quite good here.

Masseria only has a prix fixe menu. Ditto Obelisk. People I know consistently like Obelisk. I hear more mixed things about Masseria, but both are just hearsay for me.

Can't go wrong with the Andres restaurants (Zaytinya, Jaleo, and Oyamel). Kapnos is good too in this vein.

I regret moving out of DC before a Rake's Progress opened. (But, then I go to State Bird Provision, Cotogna, Liholiho, Mensho, Saigon Sandwiches, and on and on, and my regret disappears).
 
Can’t believe no one has recommended Pineapple and Pearls.

Or Del Mar. Owned by DC’s best restaurateurs and at the newly developed “Wharf”.
 
P & P is too expensive and we don't want a 10+ course tasting menu. I'll check out Del Mar.

If we can get in, A Rake's Progress is the most intriguing to both me and her.

One thing I noticed is that unlike SF, restaurant websites in DC pretty much don't mention how much corkage is. I'll probably bring a couple of bottles from my cellar.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
My wife and I will be there in May to celebrate my daughter's college graduation (congratulations!) and her full-time job that starts right after (always a big relief!).
Click to expand...

Just went through the same thing with our daughter last year, who also ended up in DC. Too far, but such a pleasure and relief to see them launch well. Have a great time.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:

One thing I noticed is that unlike SF, restaurant websites in DC pretty much don't mention how much corkage is. I'll probably bring a couple of bottles from my cellar.
Click to expand...

Although I will happily be corrected by DC area residents, but one should not assume one can bring bottles to restaurants (outside of the Bay Area and LA) unless you call ahead to discuss it and/or find out if it is OK. That is certainly the case in Manhattan.
 
Larry, corkage is certainly possible in DC, but you definitely need to call ahead and discuss corkage fees and bottle restrictions. The fee can be pretty steep at some places (such as Masseria). A handful of places simply do not allow it at all. Unfortunately, some of the most corkage-friendly restaurants are much more casual and the food is likely not at a level you would want for a special celebratory dinner. At the places you are considering, it will definitely cost you something to bring wine. If you are thinking of ordering off of a list instead, my view is that right now the Dabney has the best and most Disorderly list among the good restaurants in DC. Himitsu also has a nice, albeit much smaller, list.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Obelisk is a long time favorite of mine. It is prix fixe, but more like 4 courses.
Click to expand...

I'll second this. I've been eating there since the mid-90s and it has remained wonderful with an excellent, interesting and well priced list. No idea what their corkage policy is these days, but I've brought wine in the past (but also had connections).

I've gathered that my old buddy Spike Gjerde is opening a restaurant in DC. I've always loved his food and he has generally had good wine lists and an open mind about corkage (he is a wine lover himself). Edited to add Saul mentioned it above: A Rake’s Progress.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top