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Buckingham Center is located on the east side of Glebe at Pershing in Arlington, VA, a few blocks north of Rt. 50 / Arlington Blvd., and about a mile south of I-66.
Huntington Station is Metro accessible - it is across the street from the Huntington Metro stop, which is the last stop on the southern leg of the Yellow line. (StationMasters map).
Huntington Station is located on the west side of North Kings Highway, just north of Fort Drive (it is just outside the Beltway, south of I-495: use the Telegraph Road exit, Exit 176).
The Flying Scotsman, web site, 233 Second Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-783-3848 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist]
I have yet to go, but I have heard they serve haggis. Unfortunately (fortunately?), I hate haggis. The Post refers to this place as a “snuggery,” where “Time is not of the essence.” Get the picture?
Update June 1, 2006: A commenter says The Flying Scotsman is closed. The phone number is no longer in service.
House of Mandarin, 165 Glyndon Street SE, Vienna, VA, 703-281-9600 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
This old standby was a boring Chinese restaurant for eleven years. Now they have a Chinese menu and it is much improved. Ask for the Chinese menu and ignore the rest. I expect this place will continue to improve, I will keep my eye on it. Small and homey, a nice Vienna institution.
Las Perlitas, 147 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA, 703-319-8500, opens at 9 a.m. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
The boss is from El Salvador, but they have some items from Honduras, and also Peru and Mexico. Their most original dish is the Platillo Hondureno, with tomatillo sauce, beans rolled into the flat enchilada, original and quite good.
Casa Mia, Lalibela, 3111 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA not too far from Glebe Road, 703-920-9500 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist]
The second best Ethiopian place in Northern Virginia. Reliable, and adequately spicy. Not as good as what you find in DC, but a good introduction to the cuisine. In 2002 they moved into their larger quarters, in a former Italian restaurant. Incongruities abound, but they add to the charm of the place.
Rinconcito Chapin, 303 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, in Buckingham Center, 703-807-0025 or 703-525-3836 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
The menu here is like that of an El Salvadorean restaurant, except without the Pupusas. So why go? You might want to say you have been to a Guatemalan restaurant. Otherwise this place, while not bad, is not up to the competition.
Havana Breeze, 1401 K Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-789-1470, closed weekends, closes early, 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday [Washingtonian | Yelp]
I resent them for their hours, but I have never been to a bad Cuban place in my lifetime. Except in Cuba, that is.
Update May 26, 2006: A commenter says this place is closed.
Update September 2006: Now the Lima Restaurant.
Mai Restaurant, 6763 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, Eden Center, # 9 inside the mall, 703-237-2020, Tgfriday14@yahoo.com (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Small Picture]
They don’t have crabs “out of season,” so call ahead. You might call this place Vietnamese. They also do good things with packaged crab meat.
Update September 2006: The best crab place in the immediate area. Fresh. The proprietor likes to talk. Only crabs. Crabs, with ginger and scallions, tamarind sauce, plain, or salt and pepper. I like salt and pepper best. Recommended.
Karaoke Idol, 7151 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, 703-533-0024 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press]
The name alone makes this one worth a try, but frankly I am terrified. Recommended by a reader is the lumpia, Pancit, the tocino (sweetend cured meat), and longaniza. I've now gone, and thought it was "good for a Filipino place," but stil I can't fall in love with the cuisine, at least not in its restaurant versions.
Aling Pacing, 2311 Price Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 301-933-7070, not always open for lunch on weekdays (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
Is this place closed?
See the remarks above on Filipino food under Little Quiapo. This one looks less appetizing, however, although it is easier to find. Oxtail and peanut sauce are often good Pilipino dishes, adobe too.
Ju Mak Jib, 6531-C Little River Turnpike, Alexandria, VA, 703-642-0331, west of I-395 and Landmark Mall, further east on Rt. 236 than most of the Korean places, across from the Salvation Army store. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
Hardly anyone comes here, but this is one of the best Korean places around. The goat dishes are especially recommended, don’t forget to use the mustard sauce. You should get the bone marrow special as well.
Misora, 1315 Old Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA, 703-356-6200 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
Another good one.
Is this closed? Or another name?
Hijole Restaurant, 11280 James Swart Circle, Fairfax, VA, near Fair Oaks Mall, 703-278-7933 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
A reader tells me this one is not bad, though I am suspicious of the fact that they have their own web site. www.hijolerestaurant.com. (Update May 21, 2006: web site dead).
Matsui Sushi, web site, 6408 Landsdowne Center, Alexandria, VA, 703- 550-6100, at Telegraph and Beulah, in Springfield, Fairfax County (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
I have heard they have good sushi, have yet to go.
Pio-Pio, 3360 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA, 703-465-5200 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
Good rotisserie chicken, and look for the chicken standing outside the front, waving a large placard.
El Pulgarcito del Callao, 11333 Elkin Street, Silver Spring, MD, 301-942-5395 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]
Peruvian, El Salvadorean, and Mexican dishes, but Peruvian at its core. I have yet to try it.
Canvas Tapas, 1836 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-797-4930
Their caramelized tapas come recommended, but I am skeptical. Looks like a place for poseurs.
Is this place closed?
Julita’s Restaurant: A Spanish Flavor, 6521 Riggs Road, just a bit away from University Blvd., Hyattsville, MD, 301-559-0958 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
I have yet to go. Supposedly it has Spanish and Caribbean food, drop me a line if you have been there, the place does not appear to fit the usual categories.
Ravi Kabob II (Kabab Masala, Jumeira Kabob & Grill), 297 S. Van Dorn Street, Alexandria, VA, 703-751-2500 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
I love Ravi Kabob I, and this is just as good. Not easy to see from the street, but in the mall with the Safeway.
Exotic Marrakesh Casbah, 2309 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-234-4632 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Gayot]
Seems to be more à la carte than fixed price Moroccan, but I haven't been.
This place is now Afghan Grill. web site, [zabihah | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Naan and Beyond, no longer at 513 South 23rd Street, Crystal City, Arlington, VA. Now at 1710 L Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-466-6404 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | openlist | Yelp]
Above average Tandoori chicken, overall the place is less spicy than most.
Montserrat, Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, between Rt. 50 and I-66.
I went once and found the meat too tough, though the red beans and rice were excellent. The place has potential, but still needed to work out some kinks.
Update May 26, 2006: A commenter says it is open and located at 85 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, just north of Rt. 50, across the street from the McDonalds.
Bombay Garden, 4008 University Drive, Fairfax, VA, 703-383-1553 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yahoo]
It takes stones to open an Indian place right next to Connaught's. Do I ever go here? Yes. It has different dishes and consistently offers chicken tikka on the buffet. Very good all around, and a bit cheaper. Recommended.
SoBe Seafood Co., web site, 3100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-528-0033 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist]
In the trendy part of Arlington, which usually spells death for food. The Washington Post says it is “pretty good, not great.” Some of the dishes have a vaguely Caribbean tinge.
Coastal Flats, 11901Grand Commons Avenue, Fairfax, VA, 571-522-6300, there is one in the new Tysons Corner extension as well. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Gayot]
A chain-looking seafood place, but it is packing them in regularly. Probably an OK alternative if you have to go bland and mainstream.
Johnny’s Half Shell, web site, 2002 P Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-296-2021, closed Sunday (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Economist | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Supposed to be the best place in DC for crabs, clams, and the like. I went once, it did not thrill me.
UPDATE: Now moved to 400 North Capitol St., Montsouris is in the old location on P Street NW
Crisfield's, web site, 8012 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 301-589-1306 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Just off Georgia Ave. Plain fish of high quality. The Art Deco architecture and atmosphere is stunning. Is this 1953 or what? Great clock. Order the Flounder stuffed with crabmeat. Don't expect so much from the salads or soups, however. Not cheap, but a treat. The accompanying visit to Silver Spring is an object lesson in how Maryland and Virginia differ. A great place to bring visitors who want to see something they will remember.
Legal Sea Foods, Tysons II, Vienna, also at National Airport and K St.
Good seafood, and tasty, but why go here? The whole point of this guide is to avoid places like this. Not cheap, and set in a shopping mall.
BlackSalt, web site, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Washington, DC, near U St., 202-342-9101, closed Monday (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Way overrated and yes I love seafood too. It just isn't that good. It's OK, just don't make any big effort to go here.
Hank's Oyster Bar, web site, 1624 Q Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-462-4265 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | Yelp | Gayot]
Overrated. Warning you off places like this is exactly what this guide is good for. I wanted it to be good, I really did. It is just not that good, sorry. Many people love it though.
Royal Mile Pub, web site, 2407 Price Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 301-946-4511 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp]
Let’s hope they can fit as many Indians into that place as possible, as quickly as possible.
Domku, 821 Upshur Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-722-7475, closed Mondays (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Wash Times | Hill Rag | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell]
Mustard, pickled fish, meatballs, sandwiches, etc. I have yet to go, Thomas Head liked it.
Chirilagua, a neighborhood in Alexandria/Arlandria, at Mount Vernon Avenue and West Glebe Road.
Did you know that 350,000 Salvadoreans live in this area? I’ve decided that when it comes to El Salvadorean restaurants, there is no point in simply listing more of them. The key is to find out which dishes you like, not which restaurants you like.
Restaurants in this area include RT's and Po Siam. Also located here is the Birchmere music hall.
A little further south are Bombay Curry Company and Los Tios. A little futher north are the taco trucks at Gunston.
El Golfo, 8739 Flower Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, near Piney Branch Road, 301-608-2122 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist]
It is hard to review all of these Salvadorean restaurants, and say something new about each one, don’t you think?
Las Placitas, web site, 517 8th Street SE, Washington, DC, 202-543-3700, no weekend lunch (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Overpriced Salvadorean food, with real napkins and tablecloths. Pretends to be a real restaurant. For that reason, the only Salvadorean place many people would go to. The food is still good enough to justify the price, just realize you’re paying twice what you have to. Good for those stuck near Capitol Hill.
Pupuseria El Buen Gusto, 10012 Main Street, Fairfax, VA, 703-218-3489 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
Surprisingly good, their tacos are excellent and fairly authentic. No one there speaks English. Limited menu. Very good chicharron (fried pork) with yucca. Worth a visit. N.B.: Restaurants in this locale tend to be yummy but don’t usually last long.
Sarita's, 2794 Graham Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-533-9448 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | Yelp]
Authentic, to say the least. Plus you can find Sarita’s II in the Culmore Shopping Center on Rt. 7, west of Bailey’s Crossroads: 6013 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-820-2700 [Yelp]
A good rule of thumb is the following: just about every El Salvadorean place in the area is worthwhile if you order well. Which means getting the pupusas. In Sarita’s II they dress the waitresses to maximize the number of leering male customers, so beware if you go.
El Zunzal, 917 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-532-9372, also 5900 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-379-5100 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press | City Paper | Yelp]
A good place for El Salvadorean food, and more accessible to non-Salvadoreans than most, without selling out on the quality side. There is no doubt what you should order here: two mixed pupusas, one corn tamale, and perhaps a side order of beans. That makes for a great five dollar meal. Some of the other menu items are good here as well, but I am never really tempted to deviate from the above.
Restaurante El Salvador, 4805 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-521-3225 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper]
One of the best Salvadorean places, in a universe of dozens. Juicy pupusas, nice atmosphere. Also get the corn tamales, tamale de elote. When going to an El Salvadorean restaurant, always order the pupusas. Always order the pupusas. Always order the pupusas. A Pupusa, for the uninitiated, is a Salvadorean "pancake," made of corn-based bread, stuffed with meat, cheese, or both. Make sure you put lots of spicy cabbage on the top (called “curtido”). The cheapest good meal around, also. They have some Peruvian dishes, too.
Atlacatl & Pupuseria, 4701 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-920-3680, usually open (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
In decline, and no longer the best El Salvadorean in the area. The herb pupusas are still good, though. If you’ve never had this kind of food before, still good enough to be a revelation. Nice funky décor, too.
Russia House, web site, 790 Station Street, Herndon, VA, 703-787-8880 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
I drove to this place once, but it looked boring and overpriced. So, I reoptimized and opted for Peruvian chicken in a nearby strip mall, I think it was called Pollo Inka.
See also under Serbian.
Temari, 1043 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, 301-340-7720 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Highly authentic, too authentic some would say. Right next to a Japanese store and Japanese supermarket; patronized primarily by Japanese. More a cafe than a restaurant. If pork cutlet doused in ketchup is your thing, this is the place to go. Here you will encounter the other side of Japanese food.
Blue Ocean, 9440 Main Street, at Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA, 703-425-7555 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]
Excellent, and attracts a largely Japanese clientele. More than just the usual teriyaki dishes, also. Worth having in the repertoire.
McCormick & Schmick’s, web site, branches at Tysons, Reston, and K Street NW. National chain (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
In the Legal Seafood mode, but tries to be sexier at the same time. Better, though, at times comes close to fine dining despite the generic nature of the product. The fish is simply very tasty. This place will definitely make you happy, subject to the price caveat. Not up to Oceanaire, though.
Russia House Restaurant and Lounge, web site, 1800 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, near Florida Avenue, 202-234-9433, closed Sunday (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Some claim it is excellent, I need to check it out. I love good Russian food, despite its unavailability in Russia. The best places I know are in Helsinki.
Many of the staff from Connaught's relocated to Infusion Restaurant, web site, 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Unit 8008 LA, McLean, VA, 703-748-9800 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Gayot]
Other locations according to Infusion web site:
Connaught's, University Ave., Fairfax, at Main St., Rt.236.
Good Indian food - this restaurant revolutionized the Fairfax dining scene. The lunch buffets are good, especially if you arrive early. Probably the best place in downtown Fairfax.
But note: as of November 1, 2005, it was closed, forced to shut by the evils of eminent domain. I’ll keep this review on the web site for a few years, just so you know how Fairfax City handled this matter, they didn’t even give much notice…
Many of the staff relocated to Infusion Restaurant.
Peter Chang has left China Gourmet and his whole new Sichuan menu is gone...a new chef has some sichuan dishes, including good rabbit, but it is not the same restaurant.
El Guajiro (Cuban) and Texacan Beef and Pork Co. (Barbecue) are now both closed.
For Vietnamese soups, try any number of local Pho (pronounced pha) places, first choice is Pho 75, 3103 Graham Road, Suite B, Falls Church, VA, 703-204-1490, go early to avoid the line. Full Pho 75 entry here.
Then try Eden Center, but the one in Culmore Shopping Center, Bailey Crossroads is also quite good. I frequent the one on Main Street (236) in Fairfax, just a bit east of Robert Road, on the left side, it is close to my work. I have been told that the original branch of Pho 75 has reopened, on Wilson Boulevard, up the hill from Rosslyn in a small strip shopping center, on the right, past the fire station. See full Pho 75 entry for details.
A reader recommends Pho 495, web site, 7215 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA, 703-451-9495.
The soups will be fragrant, filling, very cheap, and often intriguing. Beef, mint, bean sprouts, brisket, tripe, chilies, and lemon, are among the ingredients that are in the soup already or can be mixed in. Vietnamese fast food. Blows McDonalds away. Should be a staple for us all. Why isn't it?
West African
See also Ghanian, Nigerian, Senegalese, Cameroonian.
Rainbow, 312 E. Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD, 301-947-0099, open daily 11-9 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
I don’t usually cover the dining paradise that we call Gaithersburg, but West African places are hard to find. I have yet to go. The cooks are from Ghana and Sierra Leone.
Sumah's, web site, 1727 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-462-7309, (near 7th and R, Howard Univeristy metro stop) (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]
From Jeff Bryan, who works at AID:
”Down-home West African (Sierra Leonean and Guinean) cooking including house-made ginger beer, rice akras, pepper soup, peanut butter soup, potato leaf, crain-crain, tola, fufu, eba, fried fish, plantain, okra, couscous, cassava leaf stew, and more”. The owner, Sumah, is very friendly and welcoming. In addition, the best African CD shop in town is in the same restaurant, so pick up a CD while you’re there. They used to have a sign by the door that said “no political discussions”, but unfortunately it’s been gone for a few years. Easily as good as Ghana Cafe, friendlier and cheaper too.
Chez Aunty Liby (also Libe, Libby), 6115 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-291-6454 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
From Jeff Bryan, who works at AID:
”This is one of the few restaurants specializing in Senegambian dishes such as mafe' (peanut sauce), Thibou Dien and chicken yassa”. Aunty Liby is usually in the dining area to greet you with a “Bonsoir” when you walk in. The décor is straight out of Dakar, as is the food. It’s friendly and fun.”
Pho Cyclo, 8102 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-573-2210, really on Gallows Road next to the 24-hour CVS (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
Not just Pho. Excellent lemon grass chicken.
Izora, 1115 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 301-495-2960 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Silver Spring Voice | Washingtonian | openlist | Yelp]
UPDATE May 20, 2006: A commenter says Izora is closed, replaced by Gallery with Carribbean and Latin food, web site, 1115 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 301-589-2555. I haven't been.
Or is this place Caribbean? Should it go under Nigerian? East-West Highway is prime territory for undiscovered spicy food, let me know if you visit this place.
Congress African Restaurant, 6834 New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, MD (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
This place looks like a total dump and when I drove by it was closed. A report would be welcome…it appears to have promise…
Viet House, 9966 Main Street, Fairfax, VA, 703-691-0090, in the Fairfax Circle Shopping Center (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
I don’t list most of the soup places, which are uniformly good, this one has lunch dishes too, a good place especially for Fairfax.
Vietnam-Georgetown Restaurant, 2934 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-337-4536 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
See under “Saigon Inn,” immediately above. Don’t go.
Green Papaya, web site (Flash), 4922 Elm Street, Bethesda, MD, 301-654-8986, near Woodmont Avenue (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
The Maryland equivalent of Minh’s. Good enough if you live too far from Eden Center, but frankly I feel sorry for you. Ten years ago Maryland had better ethnic food than Virginia, now the reverse is clearly true.
Minh's Restaurant, web site, 2500 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, at Cleveland Street, 703-525-2828, the Virginia branch of a small chain (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Along with Nam-Viet, one of the better Vietnamese places in Clarendon. More yuppie than most, a deliberate attempt at outreach. For me, this is ultimately a turn-off; although the food here is reasonably good, it is a little more expensive than it need be.
Nam-Viet, web site, 1127 N. Hudson Street, Arlington, VA, 703-522-7110 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Economist | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Other locations:
Maybe the best Vietnamese place in Clarendon, currently. Clarendon, however, is no longer the area’s center for Vietnamese food, Falls Church is, especially in and around the Eden Center. My favorite here is the caramel pork in ginger sauce.
Saigon House, 7235 Arlington Blvd., #2, Loehmann’s Plaza, Falls Church, VA, 703-560-8180 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Yet another very good Vietnamese place. Best for their big seafood combo dinners, for up to ten people, even including some jellyfish but the non-squeamish will like it too. When you go inside, you will be surprised how large this place is.
Cho Cu Saigon, 6763-6D Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-538-2168, inside Eden Center - use the entrance under the clock tower, next to the grocery store (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | Yelp]
Get the roast pork there. You might call this Cantonese but it is a Vietnamese vision of Cantonese food. Duck and seafood as well, recommended.
Update September, 2006: An unknown and much underrated Cantonese restaurant. Good congee. Also get the salted and baked chicken. Fully authentic, try the noodles with ginger and scallion, I think this place is quite good and I haven’t even yet discovered their best dishes.
Update March 9, 2006: Today I had a great meal at the Cantonese place inside Eden Center... the casserole with minced chicken and salted fish was superb.
Huong Viet, 6785 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-538-7110, in the Eden Center (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Opens at 10 a.m. and is full by noon in the Eden Center. Get the picture? All the Vietnamese staples, definitely recommended.
Song Hau, 6763 #6A Wilson Boulevard, Falls Church, VA, this is an inside resturant at Eden Center and not visible from the parking lot, 703-241-1880 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper]
I’ve yet to try it but it must be excellent to survive in this mall.
Four Sisters, Huong Que, web site, 8190 Strawberry Lane, Suite 1 Fairfax, VA, 703-539-8566, previously in Eden Center (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | The Hill | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
A bit fancier than Viet Royale, this was once the best or at least the best known of the Vietnamese places. I like the caramel fish, the Vietnamese pancake, anything with lemon grass, the soups, anything that doesn’t sound Chinese. Fancier decor and less crowded than most other Vietnamese places. But it's gone increasingly mainstream and I no longer see reason to go here. It's still good, but the most specialized places in Eden Center are serving up more interesting meals. It moved in late 2008 to Fairfax.
The same folks own Song Que, a few doors away. [Hobnob Blog | Washingtonian]
The other places in Eden Center are great. If you go on a Saturday, you must arrive before noon to get a parking spot in this mall. All the restaurants are open by 11, so this is not a problem.
Viet Royale, 6795 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA, 703-533-8388, in Eden Center, Arlington, off Wilson Boulevard, near Rt. 50 and Rt. 7. This center is the center of Vietnamese and Asian life in northern Virginia. Excellent stores as well. I suspect no one goes to the Eden Center just once. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Avoid anything that sounds like Chinese food, the standard advice in a Vietnamese restaurant. The lobster is excellent, for one thing. On weekdays, order the Bo 7 Mon - Seven Courses of Beef. Not as intimidating as it sounds. In any case, this restaurant is much better than the overrated Queen Bee. Fish in caramel sauce is one idea. Vietnamese pancake. Sweet and sour soup. You get the idea.
Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant, web site, 2531 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, VA, 703-319-3888, just a bit south of Nutley Road (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Many vegetarian dishes, good quality ingredients, but I find each dish combines too many ingredients. Many vegetarians love this place, though. If you want it really spicy, speak up, don't just say "spicy" or they will treat you like a wimp.
For real vegetarian food, see Indian and Southern Indian.
Bistro Med, web site (Flash and music), 3288 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-333-2333 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Turkish food in Georgetown, eggplant and lamb are the specialties.
Meyhane, 633 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC, 202-544-4753 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | WBFN]
I have yet to visit, and don’t expect to soon, I am happy enough with my local alternatives.
Roger Miller Restaurant, 941 Bonifant Street, Silver Spring, MD, 301-650-2495 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Silver Chips Online | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp]
I love the name (named after a Cameroonian football player). It is probably the best general African restaurant around right now, although it is not the best we have had in the last ten years. The chef is from Cameroon, but you will find dishes from Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana as well.
Cafe Divan, web site (Flash), 1834 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-338-1747, in the Georgetown Hill Inn, opens 7 a.m. on weekends (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Good but not spectacular. Does fill a gap in DC Dining, by giving the town a real Turkish place. But too bland and not adventurous enough. Still, good enough to enjoy.
Atilla's Restaurant, web site, 2705 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-920-6524 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Turkish food, tied to an ethnic grocery, doner kebab on Fridays and Saturdays.
Simit & Kabob, 9558 Main Street, Fairfax, VA, Turnpike Shopping Center, 703-426-1901 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Don Rockwell | Yelp]
They haven’t learned how to treat customers like customers. And they seem more comfortable serving boxed crackers from Turkey, or canned olives, than warm food. Nor are portions huge. That being said, they get the essentials of the taste right, and that is exactly what most other restaurants fail to do. So it’s worth going, at least if you have your priorities straight.
Temel, web site, 3232 Old Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA, 703-352-5477 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Washington Diplomat | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | WAMU | openlist | Yelp]
Mainly Turkish, but has some Greek and Israeli dishes as well, pizza also. Very tasty, fancier than you expect it to be, not as cheap as most other ethnic places. The worst thing is that the service is terminally slow, and without apology. Even at lunch a 45 minute wait to be served is not unusual. Draws a very mainstream crowd and doesn’t have much of an ethnic feel, despite the menu.
Kazan, 6813 Redmond Drive, McLean, VA, 703-734-1960, closed Sunday. In the McLean Shopping Center. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo (orange baklava) | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Receives less publicity than Nizam's, but better in my opinion. Closer to real Turkish food. One of the first oases in the dining drought known as McLean.
Nizam's, web site, 523 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA, 703-938-8948 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Washingtonian | Wash Times | WaPo (Phyllis Richman) | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Doner Kebab on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. A full-priced restaurant, and old-fashioned in style, but the food is good. A Vienna institution, pretending to be a real fancy restaurant. I like the ravioli in yogurt sauce.
Senegalese
See Nigerian.
The Islander Caribbean Restaurant and Lounge, 1201 U Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-234-4971 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Original, good prices, truly spicy, terminally slow, and I am never sure whether I find it tasty. While I love the culture of Trinidad, is their food really so good? It combines Indian and Jamaican spices, and wraps the whole thing into a big bread called a Roti. I always wonder what the bread adds. Your opinion on this one is welcome. I need to be talked into trying it again.
Cafe Mawonaj, 624 T Street NW, Washington, DC, between 6th and 7th, 202-332-4480
Closed.
It features “vegan and vegetarian specialties." It is described as “hip,” if you research it on Google.
Eden Center, web site, directions, use this address for locating on online maps: 6795 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church, VA.
Eden Center is on Wilson Boulevard, in Seven Corners, near Rt. 50 and Rt. 7.
To see the restaurants at Eden Center listed in this Guide, click the Eden Center category.
This center is the center of Vietnamese and Asian life in northern Virginia. Excellent stores as well. I suspect no one goes to the Eden Center just once. Not really a strip mall. It is a mall for Vietnamese and Asian businesses, including many restaurants and food stores. If you go on a Saturday, you must arrive before noon to get a parking spot in this mall. All the restaurants are open by 11, so this is not a problem.
Falls Church has held on to the reputation it established in the 1990s for Asian and especially Vietnamese food. Indeed, the Eden Center on Wilson Boulevard -- the bustling economic reflection of a county where one in every four residents is now foreign-born -- attracts Asian visitors from the entire East Coast. I used to go to this huge mall whenever I wanted; now I worry about whether I can find a parking space.
"Ethnic Goes Exurban: Washington's Sprawl, As Told Through Its Migrating Restaurants," by Tyler Cowen, The Washington Post, September 3, 2006
West Indian
I’ve now put these under Caribbean.
Sakoontra, web site, 12300-C Price Club Plaza, Fairfax, VA, 703-818-8886 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
I went here once, and enjoyed the fried watercress salad. The rest was fine but I thought only average. A number of readers have sent positive reports, but I don’t yet get it.
Urban Thai (formerly Thai Smile), 561 23rd Street, Arlington, VA, 703-979-0777, between Fern and Eads, near Crystal City (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
A reader tells me it is great.
There are many other Thai places, more than I can try or list.
Thai Seafood and Grill, The romance Restaurant, web site, 2732 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD, 301-932-4388 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
I’ve given up adding random Thai places to this list. There are too many of them, and too few are unique. But an avid reader recommends this one, plus Wheaton and environs is probably the best neighborhood for Thai restaurants. I bet this one is worth a try.
Pad Thai, 11199 Lee Highway, Unit E, Fairfax, VA, in front of Expo Design Center, 703-591-2525 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
For the most part, I am bored with Thai food, except when I have the seafood at Duangrat’s. But this place is refreshing, nothing radical but everything tastes as if one is approaching Thai food anew. Recommended, especially for those stuck in Fairfax. Also very reasonably priced.
Bangkok Blues, web site, 926 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-534-0095 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Gayot]
The former home of a Laotian place, same patrons. Good Thai food, but not at the very top, compared to the competition. I love the blues videos they show, but at the same time it comes off as a bit of affectation too. There is live music as well.
Khun Ya, 328 Elden Street, Herndon, VA, 703-742-8881 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper]
Good Thai place, rounds out the Herndon ethnic offerings nicely.
Update May 24, 2006: a reader says this place is closed and recommends Chao Phra Ya, 2465 Centreville Road, J1, Herndon, VA, 703-713-0103
Luang Thai or Thai Luang, web site, 171 Elden Street, Herndon, VA, 703-478-2233, recommended by a correspondent, on Baron Cameron/Elden Street, in the Virginia Power Building, across from an Outback (“somewhat,” writes Rick Gonzalez), hidden from the street. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Hidden from street, that is usually a good sign.
Manee Thai, web site, 2500 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-920-2030 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
An excellent Thai place, in the Columbia Pike Thai row.
Thai Square, web site, 3217 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, just east of Glebe (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Wash Times | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
I've been going to this place quite a lot lately. It is one of the three or four best Thai places around, and probably the one most popular with Thais. Excellent atmosphere, lots of small Thai kids. The best satay around, without a doubt. The best green curry. Very original pig's knuckle dish with fragrant spicing. Very highly recommended. Not as fancy as Duangrat's but in some regards a more durable restaurant.
Bangkok 54, web site, 2919 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-521-4070 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
A reader recommends. I have yet to go.
Across the street from Rincome Thai.
Rincome Thai Cuisine, web site, 3030 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-979-0144, in the Travel Lodge (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Lately it has been too sugary. That being said, I will take the sugary Mee Krob. Attached to a hotel. One drawback: you have to take an elevator up to the second floor for the bathrooms. But not up to the other Thai places on the same road in the same area. By the way, a reader recommends Bangkok 54 across the street.
Po Siam, 3807 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 703-548-3925 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Not as good as it used to be, but a Thai place is never bad.
Neisha, web site (Flash), 6037 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-933-3788, in the Culmore Center, on Rt. 7, near Bailey’s Crossroads (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Other locations:
7924 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA, 703-883-3588
4445 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-966-7088
Mom and pop Thai, with yuppie pretensions at the fringes. Tasty, cheap, but for me somehow not satisfying. The flavors are a little too sweet for my taste. Has started drawing some customers away from Duangrat’s.
Cattleya Restaurant, web site, 3981 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA, 703-934-8880 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
A good Thai restaurant, mom and pop in orientation, very friendly. I like best here the beef curries (not usually my favorite dish, I might add), I recommend a visit. We’re now at to the point where Fairfax proper has better dining than does Arlington!
Benjarong, web site, 855-C Rockville Pike, Wintergreen Shopping Center, Rockville, MD, 301-424-5533, closed Sunday lunch (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
A very good Thai place, somewhat more expensive than most but also nicer than average and better than average.
Thai Hut, 408 South Van Dorn Street, Alexandria, VA, 703-823-5357 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist | Yelp]
Another of the Van Dorn St. entries on this list. Not fully consistent, but the peaks are high. I love the Crispy Fish in Black Bean Sauce, although the other whole fish dish is not so great. But order the fish, plus the Mee Krob and the Nam Sod, and you are in for a treat.
Cheap rents, easy parking and highway proximity have made possible places there like the Thai Hut on Van Dorn Street, where I go now to find my favorite mee krob.
"Ethnic Goes Exurban: Washington's Sprawl, As Told Through Its Migrating Restaurants," by Tyler Cowen, The Washington Post, September 3, 2006
Update: I believe this place is now closed.
Ghin Na Ree, 2509 N. Harrison St. and Lee Highway, Arlington, VA, 703-536-1643, closed Monday lunch (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
A classic mom and pop. They even let the small child have one of the tables for her toys and crayons. Charming decor, and one of the most authentic Thai places around. Is this the best Thai place in the area? No. Is it worth going anyway? Yes. Spicy.
Dusit, 2404 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, Wheaton, 301-949-4140 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Wheaton is an ethnic food center, and here is one of its Thai places. There are many Thai places in Maryland, and as far as I can tell, they are all excellent.
Pilin, web site, 116 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-241-5850, on Rt. 7, a tiny bit west of Rt. 29 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
No surprises, but it delivers. Better than Tara Thai on Maple Avenue in Vienna. In any Thai place I recommend the Mee Grob.
There is a separate branch of this restaurant in the mall on Rt. 7 where Tower Records is located: 8385 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA, 703-556-9191 [openlist | Yelp] The Leesburg Pike branch is more of a lunch place, and not as good as Pilin, but it is certainly good enough to go to and enjoy. Cheaper and quicker as well. The place also has some Vietnamese specialties, which are good as well.
Between 1960 and 2006, the District's population dropped from close to 800,000 to just 550,000, about 20 percent of whom live below the poverty line. High taxes, bad schools and expensive housing impelled people to leave for the suburbs, taking their businesses with them. Immigrants also began following the new opportunities -- settling outside the city. During the same period, Tysons Corner went from a cow patch to a bunch of auto dealerships to a first-tier shopping and business center. Small wonder that would-be restaurateurs such as Nat Kittayapifon, the manager at Pilin, chose Tysons over the District. "We were the first Thai restaurant in Fairfax County 17 years ago," he remembers. "Now I can count 10 on my fingers with no problem."
"Ethnic Goes Exurban: Washington's Sprawl, As Told Through Its Migrating Restaurants," by Tyler Cowen, The Washington Post, September 3, 2006
Suporn, web site, 2304 Price Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, 301-946-7613 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
One of the best Thai places around, it has real bite. Thai food is going the way of Chinese food, where most restaurants have the same menu and same taste. Not this one. Most of the dishes sound ordinary but don’t be put off by that.
Duangrat's, web site, 5878 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, near Bailey's Crossroads, 703-820-5775, usually open (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Gourmet Thai at reasonable prices. The ruling Thai restaurant in this area. There is another branch of the same restaurant, with a slightly different menu, right next door, called Rabieng's. Has more modern decor than Duangrat's, but fewer offerings, although I am told you can still order off the Duangrat's menu. It used to be that every dish here was great, then for a while it turned spottier. Now it has been reinvigorated. It remains not fully consistent but the best dishes are better than ever and the menu is more innovative than ever before. The weekend “Thai tapas” are especially fun. Go, and go often.
Al-Khartoum Restaurant, 1782 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-986-5031 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Oilier than it needs to be, and not a huge menu. But where else are you going to get Sudanese food? The tastes are unique and also pretty good, start with the fava beans and the okra. Draws a cool crowd.
Corner Bistro, 6706 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA, 703-918-9770, next to Le Petit Mistral (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Connection Newspapers | WaPo | Don Rockwell | openlist | Gayot]
Supposed to be a tapas place, I have yet to go. It cannot help but elevate the quality of McLean dining options.
El Pueblo, 9550 Old Keene Mill Road, Burke Town Plaza, Burke, VA, 703-455-4401 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]
It doesn’t have to be real Spanish food, it only has to be “Spanish food by the standards of Burke.” They have Mexican dishes as well.
El Manantial, web site, 12050-A North Shore Drive, near Wiehle Avenue, Reston, VA, 703-742-6466 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
A bit of Spanish, but arguably Pan-European as well. Not this region’s comparative strength.
Sol de Espana, web site, 838-C Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, 240-314-0202 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | City Paper | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
A new Spanish place, from the former managers of Andalucia, in Bethesda. In other words, they had to lower their rent, so they reinvented their place. The core problem is that our Taberna is one of the best Spanish restaurants in the world outside of Spain. So why visit the others? But if you do, get the shellfish.
Churreria Madrid, 2505 Champlain Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-483-4441 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
I have yet to go.
La Tasca, web site (music), 722 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC, right across from the MCI / Verizon Center, 202-347-9190 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Also a branch in Arlington, near Whole Foods, 2900 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-812-9120
I like the cheese plate, and a few dishes, but most of the tapas are mediocre. A place where yuppies go to drink.
Tibetan
See Nepalese.
Taiwanese
See Chinese, especially Bob’s Noodle 66 in Rockville.
See also Kosher.
Anita's, web site, several branches, the main one is on Rt. 123 in Vienna, often they are open quite late. 521 E. Maple Avenue, Vienna, VA, 703-255-1001 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
10880 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 703-385-2965
13921 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy, Chantilly, VA, 703-378-1717
701 Elden Street, Herndon, VA, 703-481-1441
9278 Old Keene Mill Road, Burke, VA, 703-455-3466
Once an excellent restaurant, now merely a good restaurant, sometimes a mediocre one. An attempt to mimic the food from New Mexico. Go spicy here, if you can. I like the Mr. T's special, spicy pork with potatoes. Quick, convenient, and sometimes hits the spot. Still has a place in my repertoire, whether it deserves it or not. And the atmosphere is total, classic Vienna Virginia. A good hang-out. The breakfast specials look intriguing, but I have never tried them.
Red Sage, web site, 605 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-638-4444 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo (Phyllis Richman) | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
NOW CLOSED.
Soul Vegetarian Restaurant & Exodus Carry-Out, web site, 2606 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-328-7685 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
Huh? All-vegan, no lard, excellent food, lousy service. At least that is what I hear.
Caribbean, see also Haitian, Jamaican, Cuban, and Trinidadian, among other individual headings
See also Caribbean Grill, listed under Cuban.
There are also some good Caribbean places on 18th Street in Adams-Morgan.
The Georgia Avenue row … right now you might try C+I Jackie’s One Stop, 3400 block, at Park, 202-882-7089, but the turnover is high. Usually there are a good half dozen or so Caribbean places along Georgia Avenue, starting around Howard University, stretching up to Maryland.
Southside 815, web site, 815 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA, 703-836-6222 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp]
Biscuits, grits, mashed potatoes, etc. I have yet to go. I am told they have some New Orleans dishes as well, such as Po’ Boy with fries and slaw.
Brown Sugar, 928 U Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-462-2370 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | Don Rockwell]
It looks intriguing, I have yet to go or hear reports.
Vantage Point, 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive (Holiday Inn), Arlington, VA, 703-527-4814 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist | Yelp]
The Washingtonian magazine described the offerings as "Southern Coastal," and cites crab cakes and peanut-roasted pork tenderloin. Sounds too hotel for me to go unless you tell me otherwise.
Flavors Soul Food, web site, 3420 Carlyn Hill Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-379-4411 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Gayot]
I am fond of this place. The sides are the best. I get the trout, candied yams, and mashed potatoes. More soul food than barbecue, but recommended, and first-rate atmosphere.
Vidalia, web site, 1990 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-659-1990, closed Sunday. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Economist | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Nouvelle Southern food, extremely tasty and creative, can be one of Washington’s best restaurants. One meal I had here was superb, and the other was mediocre. You are taking your chances, but with a potentially high payoff. Order the Pecan Pie for dessert. Expensive. Lots of World Bank and IMF types go here, in search of what is to them exotic. It’s reinvented itself a few times, so caveat emptor, let’s hope someone else is paying the bill.
Georgia Brown's, web site, 950 15th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-393-4499. On the west side of the park, at the place where there appear to be two 15th Streets. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Economist | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
A visit here will almost make you think you that America is an integrated nation. Here is where the black upper and middle class hangs out. Great atmosphere, and sometimes excellent food. Make sure you get some grits. The place has slipped from its early days, but I have had some excellent meals here, usually at Sunday brunch. Sometimes the music is too loud. In any case worth a visit.
Cafe Nema, web site, 1334 U Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-667-3215 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Somalian, Middle Eastern, North African, and Italian dishes. Here is their menu, http://www.cafenema.com/cuisine.html, hard to classify. You could call it “International.”
Singapore Bistro, web site, 1134 19th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-659-2660 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Arguably this could go under Pan-Asian, but since they call it Singapore Bistro … the sushi is supposed to be good. But it is nothing like going to Singapore, where an incredible meal can be had for $1.50 in the hawker centers. Tiong Bahru is the best place to eat there, take a cab.
The Serbian Crown, web site (WARNING: flash and speech), 1141 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA, 703-759-4150, near historic Colvin Run Mill (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
I have not yet been. They also claim to have Russian and French dishes. The image of Great Falls conjures up blandness in my mind, though.
Raw food
Everlasting Life, web site, 2928 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-232-1700 [Yelp]
Delights of the Garden, 2616 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-319-8747 [Yelp]
Thanks to Bill Cowley for the pointers. I’ve yet to go to either, perhaps I have the Modigliani-Miller theorem in mind.
(Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
French – see also Fine Dining.
Cancun, 11260 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton, MD, 301-949-9838 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
Mostly a Mexican and El Salvadorean restaurant, but they serve some Puerto Rican specialties on weekends. Sleeveless shirts are not allowed, that kind of place. Alas, no mofongos, however, which means not enough garlic for my taste.
See also Banana Café, under Cuban, they have some Puerto Rican dishes.
Carmello's & Little Portugal, web site, 9108 Center Street, Old Town Manassas, VA, 703-368-5522, no weekend lunch (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
They have Italian food also, and it is expensive. I have yet to go.
A Caravela, web site, 4615 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-537-3200, closed Sunday and Saturday lunch (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | Wash Times | City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Salt cod, in many different manifestations. I have yet to go.
Tavira, web site, 8401 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD, 301-652-8684 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Here’s my theory of Portuguese food: go to the Ironbound section of Newark, otherwise forget it, at least outside of Portugal and Fall River, Massachusetts. This place gets good reviews, but I expect it to struggle. And at $17.95 an entrée, why bother unless it is truly fine? Let me know if you go and find out.
Sanur Restaurant, 18 Doyers Street, Chinatown, New York, NY, 212-267-0088/0976 [A Guy In New York | MenuPages | Citysearch]
The food was great. My favorite dish was the greens (Ok-Choy) perhaps but everything was a cut above other Malaysian places I have found in this country...
Pizza
See Esposito’s, under Italian, the owners are from Elizabeth, New Jersey. City Paper says that 2 Amys, 3715 Macomb St., 202-885-5700, is the best around, their reporter sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Pizzeria Paradiso, 2029 P St., is considered the best DC pizza by many, now also at 3282 M St. Coppi’s, 1414 U St., comes recommended. Chris Coyne, who is from New Jersey, says Atlantis on King Street / Rt. 7, east of I-395, is the best he has found. Nor should you neglect Elena’s, listed under Bolivian. Two old places are Ledo in Adelphi, and Mario’s Pizza in Arlington, both about fifty years old. If you’re really desperate, drive to New Haven, Connecticut, the best pizza in the U.S. Chile and Sweden are strong pizza countries, too.
Also see the mostly-NYC pizza blog, slice.
2 Amys, web site, 3715 Macomb Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-885-5700 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Pizzeria Paradiso (web site) is considered the best DC pizza by many.
-- 2029 P Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-223-1245 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
-- 3282 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-337-1245 [WaPo | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Coppi’s, 1414 U Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-319-7773 [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Atlantis, 3672 King Street, Alexandria, VA, 703-671-0250, in the Bradlee Shopping Center [City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Ledo, 2420 University Blvd. East, Hyattsville (Adelphi), MD, 301-422-8122 [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
Mario's Pizza, 3322 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-525-0200 [City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
(Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
See the Peruvian category.
Peruvian cuisine is considered one of the most diverse in the world. Thanks to its pre-Incan and Inca heritage and to Spanish, African, French, Sino-Cantonese, Japanese and Italian immigration (mainly throughout the 19th century) it combines the flavors of four continents.
Peruvian cuisine - from Wikipedia
The Economist magazine, for example, reported in a January 2004 article that Peru could "lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines". Norman Van Aken, one of Florida's most gifted chefs, acknowledged that Peruvian cuisine was possibly the most enticing of those he had studied. And Patrick Martin, academic director of Le Cordon Blue, said that one of the reasons why they had a branch of the school in Lima was the excellent quality of local cuisine.
"Peruvian Cuisine: An Introduction to Peruvian Gastronomy," The Peru Guide
The guinea pig, or cuy as it is known in Peru (from its chirping cries), is a delicacy throughout the central Andes. It was domesticated nearly 5,000 years ago. “Raise guinea pigs and eat well,” enjoined an Inca saying.
"A guinea pig for all tastes and seasons," The Economist, July 15, 2004
To outsiders, Latin American food may conjure up not much more than the smell of Mexican tacos. But Peru can lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines. Beyond its trademark dish of cebiche (raw fish marinaded in lime juice), Peruvian food is little known abroad. That may be about to change. Peru is in the throes of a “spontaneous revolution” in gastronomy, as Raúl Vargas, a journalist and foodie puts it.
"Peru's gastronomic revolution," The Economist, January 29, 2004 (subscription required)
Rivera's Restaurant, 6552 Backlick Road, Springfield, VA, 703-451-5343 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Citysearch]
Has pupusas as well, selection of standard Peruvian dishes, very small, definitely a mom and pop, I have yet to try it.
