What to get: Sweet-smoky duck-confit nachos; grass-fed sirloin burger at lunch; bison rib eye rubbed with cocoa nibs; sea bass over udon noodles; surf and turf featuring an outstanding filet mignon.
If the prospect of driving to Columbia for Chinese food doesn’t appeal to you, focus on the specifics: the best tea-smoked duck we’ve found and superlative dim sum that’s cooked to order.
Any number of restaurants offer Kung Pao chicken and beef with broccoli, but to be reminded of the depth and variety that even a single subset of Chinese cooking contains, this is the place we turn.
What to get: Baby squid with wild mushrooms; clams stuffed with spinach, walnuts, and onion confit; bouillabaisse with scallops and sea bass; hanger steak; roasted-pineapple baba au rhum.
What to get: Corn chowder (summer); Thai-style mussels; hanger steak with chimichurri; cheeseburger; roast chicken; apple crisp; potato pancakes with house-made apple sauce (brunch).
The kitchen’s handiwork reinforces the something-old/something-new theme, packaging dishes from the Greek isles into stylized miniatures without stinting on the garlic.
What to get: Deviled eggs with pastrami bacon; bowl of pickles, tomatoes, and cucumbers; steamed mussels with lomo; Cuban-style pressed-pork sandwich; grilled quail; grilled rib eye; lamb Bolognese.
The dining room hints at a '20s train station, complete with a large clock, an opulent bar, and glowing lamps. We loved the raspberry-rhubarb shortcake & the blueberry-lemon crostada on our 1st visit.
The blond-wood dining room has the air of a downtown DC hangout. The filet mignon is the only entrée that stays on the menu, but seafood is often more rewarding.
What to get: Miniature Elvis burgers with pimiento cheese; mixed greens with goat cheese, flaxseed cracker, and cider vinaigrette; Scottish salmon in foie gras sauce; Amish chicken with mole.
This modest storefront is a soulful spot with vibrant, generous cooking and a familial feeling. What to get: Anticuchos, skewered, marinated beef hearts; ceviche garnished with soft sweet potatoes.
There are moments in nearly every meal here—a soup that activates every taste sensor, a salad of Technicolor intensity—that make you think you’ve never really eaten Thai food before.
Steaks are of very good quality, from the $19.99 hanger to the $35.99 rib eye called a cowboy cut. They no longer come with free sides, but in steakhouse land, $5 for mashed potatoes is a steal.
The dishes explode with flavor, the kitchen is remarkably consistent, and the setting is comfortable and calming.
What to get: Pan-fried dumplings stuffed with chicken and shiso; salmon ceviche with ikura (salmon roe) and yuzu vinaigrette; vegetable and shrimp tempura.
When diners aren’t gazing out at Lake Kittamaqundi, they’re studying the sushi bar, where chef/owner King Lin and his team of cooks assemble the area’s most inventive rolls.
The ultimate indulgence is Table 21 in the kitchen, where Voltaggio crafts a 21-course meal as up to eight diners watch.
Voted one of the best bar snacks in America : Flatbread with Arugula, Asparagus, and Fried Eggs. Follow our link to get the full recipe! Read more.
