Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. For the steamed crabs, Jones buys only live specimens from the Chesapeake Bay, which he plies with a seasoning blend that runs a dozen ingredients long. From the bar flow some of the most beautiful and delicious drinks around. Indoor and outdoor seating. My visit featured grilled prawns and sweet scallops napped with two sauces one fruity with mango and raisins, another lobster bisque enriched with sun-dried tomato and staged with julienned snow peas that offered welcome crunch. Culinary heroes Nobuyuki Nobu Matsuhisa and Jol Robuchon are celebrated in a sublime dish pairing the Japanese chefs silken fish in miso with the late French chefs crazy-rich whipped potatoes. But if theres one dish I never leave off an order, its crispy fried jasmine rice tossed with scallions, cilantro, peanuts, coconut and fried tofu meatless and marvelous. Is it still good?, [Three Blacksmiths invites more to the table]. Im a folder, says the owner. Takeout, no delivery. Enhance this page - Upload photos! Its a kinder, gentler dining experience at Et Voila!, which might find House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) or Imperfecto chef Enrique Limardo at the next table. Expect a serious wine list, an herb-packed hamburger, pistachio cake for dessert and cosseting service. Her husband and co-owner, Louis, is responsible for the brio on the plate. Which it is, despite some trimming of the drinks and wine lists and a format switch. Rubbas inspired food is served by attentive staff in a small dining room whose pinks and greens radiate joy. Unclaimed. Indeed, Johnsons list draws inspiration from around the world. Notice a pattern? New head chef Samuel Meoo, 27, is behind the whole chicken, brined in a host of goodies ginseng tea, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, honey then air-dried for a day, roasted, lacquered and gussied up with so many colorful flowers, its as if the chicken encountered a ticker-tape parade en route to the table. Playing the meaty role, however: ground black walnuts imbued with a housemade version of Old El Paso taco seasoning. Additional salutes are in order for lemony crab linguine garnished with sliced celery, a French twist on Peking duck (its confit, of course) and brunch offered daily. Reservations recommended for indoor; patio is first come, first served. Drinks show up quickly. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. Takeout and delivery. Word seems to have spread. Same for the generously apportioned food, fussed over by chef Justin Moore. Takeout, no delivery. Seng Luangrath is uncompromising. Kinship is tasteful in all ways. Spring for the sweet lumps of crab scattered over a tangle of linguine stained black with squid ink. "I dont want to be stingy," says the chef. The bowl packs in seafood and country ham along with seemingly a bushel of vegetables, in a broth made rich with a quartet of stocks. Takeout and delivery. Moses Krishnarajan and Venkatesan Krishnan (Laura Chase de Formigny), Brussels sprouts and apple kimchi (Dixie D. Vereen), Terrine of rabbit, olives and eggplant (Deb Lindsey), Chef Jeeraporn Poksupthong (Scott Suchman), Wine director Alissa Diaz talking with diners (Scott Suchman), Chef Frederik De Pue (Laura Chase de Formigny), Mannequins in the dining room (Laura Chase de Formigny), Flauta with jamon (Laura Chase de Formigny), Roast chicken and sides (Laura Chase de Formigny), Spicy jumbo shrimp with snap peas (Deb Lindsey), Eggplant lasagna and other dishes (Deb Lindsey), Mannequins in the dining room (Deb Lindsey), Burrata agnolotti and chicken to go (Scott Suchman), Chef David Deshaies with his daughter, Vikki (Dixie D. Vereen), To weather the pandemic, restaurants reinvent themselves, again and again. Mama Changs glorious tofu skin salad, slick with chile oil and garnished with cilantro and scallions, qualifies as a final meal request not anytime soon, fingers crossed. Frederik De Pue has moved the indoors outside at his destination restaurant in Annapolis, where a 30-seat patio dressed with carpets, curtains even a temporary roof makes for a considered and cozy backdrop for his creative tasting menu. His page-long "Manhattan Project" allows imbibers to mix and match spirits, vermouths and bitters to create one-of-a-kind versions of the classic cocktail. (Yep, the Southern staple is vegetarian. Takeout via Toast. Indoor seating only. Further crowding the table is a brass plate set off with a bed of rice topped with a fried egg, sprinkled with ground chiles and enhancers of purple onion and lemon wedge. No barriers to entry; ADA-compliant restroom. Proof of vaccination required. Production and photo editing by Jennifer Beeson Gregory. Wheelchair users are asked to call in advance. "We just got a couple in from Chicago," he told me last month. Berbere, the Ethiopian spice blend that torches whatever it touches. Drizzled with smoked tomato honey, lamb is staged multiple ways on a shareable plate that turns shaved squash into pretty yellow ruffles and tucks some meat into tasty peppers. Crispy potatoes stuffed into pillowy housemade pita is a lot of carbs almost too much fun. Indoor seating only. A Caesar assembled with pea shoots, charred snap peas and breadcrumbs instead of croutons is unconventional but so good, even purists polish it off. Youre not going to get the usuals here, says the chef. ADA-compliant restroom. Is there a dish Ruta doesnt excel at? Bring on the cold weather. Limiting the number of guests to 100 or so a night means a happier staff and more precision on the plate, he says. With just four stools at the bar and no more than six seats on the sloped patio, this may be the hardest reservation in town right now. The reaction to the restaurants news was so heartwarming, the owners began taking steps to buy themselves at least another six months or so. The fire in the red lentils? He grew up watching his mother cook the food of their homeland and was raised to pick and choose the best of Korean and American cultures. Definitive Laotian food is worth a return trip. Ribbon-shaped mafalda pasta shows off leeks, thyme and a handful of wild mushrooms, while a mighty pork chop Milanese is accompanied by a little pitcher of mustard sauce to cut the richness. Or duck confit, staged with tender little scallion pancakes and miso-poached pear. On the other hand, he feels hes bonded more with his colleagues since the pandemic set ego and hubris aside. Echoing others in the industry, Barreto says, We give so much to guests. Theres not a bite out of place at this youthful retreat from the owners of the late Baan Thai. Limited indoor seating (two stools at a counter). A coffee shop and bakery by day, the Mount Pleasant storefront morphs into a lovely little restaurant at night, where chef Brad Deboy says his response to the pandemic has been having fun with food and being creative.. Lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. The heart of Spanish Diner, for me, is a category of dishes toasting our grandmas cuisine, everyday food you might find in casual dining establishments or in the home of a conscientious Spanish cook. Reservations recommended. Going into Amy Brandweins warmhearted osteria and market, I always know I can count on seeing a few regulars. Heat lamps and blankets are the new endearments at this beloved Italian fixture in CityCenter. But an even finer dish is the chicken, brined in citrus, massaged with oregano and dried before roasting. "They drove straight here," knowing they could crash before dinner, says the amazed and grateful chef. Even after more than four decades, the Inn at Little Washington manages to up its game. Avocado toast has nothing on this sensation. Jon Krinn at Vienna's Clarity is serving up quality three-course dinners (e.g., lamb bolognese pasta, sea scallops over vegetables, and tiramisu) for $35, brioche cinnamon rolls baked by his. A warm Persian treat moves in near the convention center. Spiced potatoes, cabbage and carrot compose one of nearly a dozen rousing fillings. What started as a glorified 7-Eleven in 1968 quickly morphed into a source for soul food as founder Henry Smith added a grill, fryer, chicken dinners and sweet potato pie to his storefront on U Street NW. Luangrath prefers the texture and taste of fresh collard greens, which she puts to use as DIY wraps for lightly fried catfish, rice noodles and julienned ginger. [Italian restaurants can charm and soothe, even without their dining rooms]. Last winter, Blend 111 served meals in a parking lot turned Andean outpost. Owner Michael Biddick promises the return of the attractive heated space, along with one of my prized pandemic purchases from any restaurant: $12 blankets woven from cotton and recycled fibers. The constant here is consistency. Reservations recommended via Resy. Delivery via Caviar, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Skip the Line. Indoor and outdoor seating. [On Capitol Hill, two ambitious restaurants debut from one thoughtful owner]. I used to work at Montmartre, the much-missed French draw on Capitol Hill, he tells us. Cool detail: Those and other tastes can also be enjoyed from a cart parked in front of the restaurant, where the ice cream is scooped into housemade sourdough waffle cones. The smooth filling revels in nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and orange, albeit in amounts that let the sweet potato shine. ) One of the finest combinations of bread and filling in town is the epic flauta with slices of serrano ham or rugged chorizo, swaddled in paper and practically begging to go on a picnic. At a time when her many of her peers are retired or thinking of it, Law-Yone has become the public face of the ambitious restaurant she co-owns with her daughter, Simone Jacobson, and Eric Wang. While Ive experienced his cooking only as takeout, the food inside the bags and boxes is arranged just so, as if waiting for a photo shoot. A dinner from this big-hearted restaurant, whose seating now spills onto the street, is almost guaranteed to result in tonights midnight snack or tomorrows lunch. Takeout via Tock or phone. The fish slick with olive oil, fragrant with cardamom and fiery with mitmita does what the chef, Senait Mimi Tedla, intends: It makes you feel good, she says of her enlightened version of the Ethiopian classic, whose flames typically come from spiced butter. (Empty ring fingers are so yesterday; these days, singles are more interested in a potential someones vaccination status.). Fans of the standout Japanese restaurant in Dupont Circle were crushed by the news that Sushi Taro would do only takeout following the pandemic. After discussing their favorite spots (both new and old), the dining experts get specific on the. No barriers to entry; ADA-compliant restrooms. Dinner as an evolving experience in Annapolis, Tasting menu $75; entrees $46 to $54, serving two. Only in July did Flamant reopen for dining, and then with a four-course, $75 tasting menu. Because readers asked, the following reviews offer information on vaccine mandates and accessibility. The owners publicly declared theyre in trouble in September down to our last four weeks, says Jill Tyler, hostess with the mostest at whats become the first place I think of on a rare night off from table hopping. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, lunch Wednesday through Saturday. Sixty dollars gets you 10 courses, served on a banana leaf. This years showstoppers included chanterelles wrapped in country ham and presented as tempura, lobster mousse cloaked in savoy cabbage and staged like a comet tail, and a small chocolate globe with a center of hazelnut mousse that ran yellow with persimmon sauce when cut with a spoon. Recipients might have to play sous-chef and reheat something, but any directions are easy to follow and the color-coded packaging keeps you from mixing up garnishes. Sofra tasting menu $95, chefs table at the hearth $150 per person. Open for indoor and outdoor dining, delivery and takeout. (But if you like leftovers ). Some of the inns classics arent publicized. Indoor and outdoor seating. No matter where you settle, youll find a menu framed by what farmers and growers are sending chef Neal Wavra, who co-owns the property with his wife, Star. Long may they serve us. Takeout via Caviar, DoorDash, website or phone. One of them, Angel Barreto, sees something profound positive even coming out of the mess. Try the dumplings filled with shredded cabbage, carrots and potato, each bite improved with a swipe through roasted tomato sauce. On the upside, that just gives me more excuses to return. Steps at the entrance require wheelchair users to enter through a door to the left; ADA-compliant restroom. Rooster & Owl is newly comfortable, thanks to a handsome front patio set with table lamps and a dining room that has replaced concrete floors with wood. Because of a step at the entrance, wheelchair users should enter via door to the left of the storefront; ADA-compliant restroom. 2020 Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema entertains your dining questions, rants and raves. Its easy enough to do when you order a "tour of the world to go" from Compass Rose, the little restaurant with the big heart and the best way I know to cure any wanderlust. To order alcohol with your meal, use GoTab. This is top five, for sure.. Whatever your preference short rib birria flavored by a complex mole, grilled fish brightened with avocado mousse reveals care and thought. No floppy crusts here. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Takeout via Toast, Caviar and DoorDash. Wheelchair users should call ahead so a ramp can be set up at the door and seating at the kitchen counter can be arranged; ADA-compliant restroom. Tasting menu $60. Apple cobbler with marjoram ice cream? Share. Email special orders (omakase, etc.) It would be easy to fill up on pancakes alone; the scroll-like dosas, wrapped in both wax paper and foil and tucked into pizza boxes, are excellent. Chef Yuan Tang and his wife and co-owner Carey say theyre too busy with guests in the dining room to juggle the former and that wine pairings involve too many interactions ill-advised in pandemic times. Right on, chef. 2Fifty expanded into D.C. during the pandemic with a small stall inside Union Market. The talent behind the ice cream, Ben Brunner, is the reason I broke up with Jenis this year. A ramp leads to the entrance, where a wheelchair user might need help with double doors; ADA-compliant restrooms. Right on and right in my mouth slide slices of the round wonder decked out with salami, chopped okra and sweet onions. During the pandemic, the owners resurrected at Komi their popular, plant-based pop-up, Happy Gyro, featuring Greek diner-style creations. Im a fool for golden nuggets of fried potatoes and juicy pork meatballs draped with tomato sauce, and fall-apart cod flanked with velvety red peppers. Law-Yone asked the hotel kitchen staff to make a dish they would typically cook for themselves, nothing fussy. Tack on dessert, if only to see what cheesecake tastes like as a ripply cloud spun from whipped cream, cream cheese and lemon. Im most drawn to fish here, although the plump pork chop, brined in baking spices, is mighty impressive. Wheelchair users can reach the dining room via a side door near the kitchen; ADA-compliant restrooms. Regular customers are known to get extras messages even tucked into their bags; Marler compares them to notes in a kids lunchbox. Eye-openers include kinche boiled cracked wheat finished with clarified butter and beef stew mixed with torn injera. Another liquid pleasure is an old-fashioned, gold with saffron liqueur, biting with ginger liqueur and softly nutty, thanks to the introduction of Scotch to cashew butter. The food is both recognizable and wonderful, and vegetarians are treated like most honored guests. Jeremiah Langhorne says hes serving half as many customers as he did pre-pandemic and his is a better restaurant for it. A magnet since it opened in 2013, Red Hen does normal well. Proof of vaccination required for indoor dining. Have you been? patrons asked me. Ahn delivers. One of the best vegan memories in recent months is the chefs Blue Ridge bowl with local vegetables and basmati rice, over which a server pours an amber liquid that tastes like the distillation of a garden with a whisper of ginger. Reservations, required for now, are for 90 minutes. How you can help restaurants - The Washington Post january 2022 / 50 top italy. Editing by Joe Yonan and Jim Webster. - CLOSED. The kitchen treats people who dont eat meat like VIPs. A year like no other calls for a different dining guide. Takeout and delivery. The combination of nine beans mung, kidney, soy and fava, among others warmed with bay leaf, cloves and chiles is fuel you wont forget. Takeout and delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats. A pupusa bursting with oxtail and octopus gives new meaning to surf and turf, and the dish inspired by a dishwasher who makes staff meals is better for a sauce of black beans made darker and more maritime with squid ink. Additional development by Madison Walls. The roomy, unisex restroom thoughtfully includes Braille type near the entry. In Annandale, wheelchair users can enter the restaurant via the right side of the building, which has a ramp. Save. During Phase 2 of reopening in Washington, the sophisticated mom-and-pop made some changes to reflect how many customers prefer to dine these days. The restaurants smart service with a smile feels like old times. Then the coronavirus started dominating headlines, and he was forced to rein in anything more ambitious than survival. Corn might be stuffed into pasta and arranged on a piney cream sauce; local beef is sliced over charred shishitos alongside a brushstroke of mustardy Diane sauce. Even though Im eating in the restaurants parking lot, beneath a tent, it feels like old times when Im handed multiple menus for dinner, drinks and smoked dishes from a new outdoor kitchen and Argentine grill. Chef-owner Jon Krinn addressed the pandemic by giving customers what they were accustomed to lots of options, expanded in spring to include a cigar "bar" to the side of Clarity and making frequent adjustments to his proactive strategy. Every dish tastes best in class, be it light arancini that any Italian chef would be proud to serve or a pork chop from Autumn Olive Farms that leaves the wood grill tender and juicy (and eats like a prized steak). Generous grinds of cracked pepper and a brick to press the chicken super-close to the heat reward the recipient with a blast of spice and an entree that crackles when you bite down. While Patierno feels obliged to retain crowd-pleasers, specials are a way to keep his cooks interested. Ashok Bajaj is giving diners fresh reason to visit the oldest in his stable of 10 restaurants. As for dessert, the eye-opener of the bunch is the pineapple boat, swollen with a rum syrup and bright with mint and lime. If youre the kind of customer who appreciates eye contact or acknowledgment it takes seconds to say Good evening. Baba ganoush is hardly the most photogenic dish in the world, but chef-owner Michael Rafidi primps it so that the first course eggplant three ways: whipped, charred and pickled holds our gaze. My favorite green beans, deep-fried and strewn with pickled cabbage, come from this kitchen, as does my choice Hunan-style chow mein, springy noodles tossed with tender chicken and black beans and warm with jalapeos. No matter what you think of the bridge between Latin America and the Mediterranean created by Enrique Limardo, you cant say he overpromised. We try to create joy, says Silverman, whose team excels at awesomeness. Like before, the courses are restrained, and sharing them is encouraged. Smooth off the edges of a rough day with the Hari Daiquiri. Takeout via phone. Indoor dining only. Ziti stuffed with ricotta comes with a topping of bacon-y steamed clams and garlic toast: clams casino as a garnish. ) The ambiance feeds me as well as the kitchen. The server has been on board since Frankly Pizza! The diners lively, art- and plant-stocked dining rooms are bridged by a long stretch of bar, my preferred place to eat and drink when Im not enjoying Deshaiess happy meals at home, that is.