Favorite dinning spot in DC
 

I have one free night to treat my wife while were are in DC. Any suggestions?
Restrictions: Must be open on a Sunday night (sorry only night I've got free) and it can't require "coat and tie" (I'll have tails and white tie but I'm not going to wear those)
Also, any suggestions for lunch, if we get free time during the week?
We like all types of food (favorites, French, Italian and Japanese) and we are not on a budget (yet). Prefer in DC rather than suburbs as we have no car but always use the metro.
Thanks for the suggestions

All of Jose Andres' restaurants are very good.
If you can get a seat at the Minibar in Cafe Atlantico, that is a really fun and interesting dining experience.
(more reviews)
Jaleo and Zatinya are both good for tapas and mezze respectively. Jaleo is a bit more casual.

Kinkead's is good all around and has some nice fish dishes.

Cashion's Eat Place
Citronelle
Jaleo
Marcel's
Ten Penh

Never been overenthusiastic about Kinkead's kitchen,
although the people are pretty nice.

ben's chilli bowl

edited to say "never mind"; i just read the part about the OP wanting to treat his wife.

Teatro Goldoni is a nice lunch spot. If you want a "Washington experience" dinner, a place like the Palm, the Caucus Room, or 1789 works well (though the last, being in Georgetown, would probably require a cab).

Sorry I'm not listing many for your favorites (not into French or Japanese) but here goes for places not yet mentioned:

- Old Ebbitt Grill by the White House (continental) has nice ambience
- Cactus Cantina and Tequila Grill are good choices for Mexican
- Banana Cafe is good for Mexican & Caribbean (Cuban, Puerto Rican) fare
- Lauriol Plaza in Adams Morgan is nice (more Latin food!)
- The Little Fountain in Adams Morgan (continental) always had a nice cozy atmosphere
- Tony Cheng's in Chinatown for seafood or the "mongolian grill"
- Bobby Van's for steaks

There's plenty more... do you want to say more specifically where in DC you'll be? That might help narrow down some choices. Happy dining! :)

We'll actually be staying at a hotel near the Pentagon for an orchestra rehearsal (Violist take note -- oh, sorry about that )-- but anywhere we can get to via the Metro is fair game. We previously lived in Chicago, so walking a mile or so is not a big thing for us.
Thanks for all the information so far, I'll try to get reviews on these places and then let my wife choose. I promised the concertmaster of our orchestra a Japanese lunch if possible --- I know we've been to one around 12th and M (I think thats the general location) but the name escapes me at this time. Hope its still there and we can find it in the phone book.

Obelisk, near Dupont Circle.
 

Take the red line to Dupont Circle, and walk a couple of blocks to OBELISK
2029 P St., NW 202-872-1180. Now I'm going to have to duck, but you noted you're from Chicago, and DC restaurants are a pale imitation.

It's possible Obelisk isn't open on Sundays. They also own the pizza place next door, which is, and which is very good. BUT the waiters have a terrible attitude problem.

In any event, there are a bunch of fun, and also some upscale places, in the Dupont Circle area. Well worth a visit. Don't miss Kramer books (http://www.kramers.com/) afterwards.

Thanks again for additional info.
Kaz Japanese Bistro I believe is the name of the place I was trying to conjure up.

I think both Marcel's(noisy) and Melrose(very quiet) are open Sunday. Both have excellent food. I have not been to Viadalia since it reopened.

Seasons, & Citonellel are also both open on Sun.

Due to the tourist influx, very few places in DC expect coat and tie. I wear a sport coat into most places to keep warm, and usually look out of place.

edited to add: Tosca if you wish to do Italian. Very quiet, very elegant, the class Italian restaurant of DC and is open on Sun.

I am not a fan of Kinkead, Galileo, Taberna or Nora. I do not know if they are open or closed on Sun.

you should look in the Mid-Atlantic forum in the "Travel&Dining: Destination >> United States"

Many threads on DC dining with very good advice.

Restaurant Nora.

Thanks for the additional information
Sweet Willie speaks the truth.

:cool: I have not yet seen a mention of Georgia Brown's. ^ ^ My wife and I seem to gravitate there when we venture into the city. After dinner, it is nice to stroll around the White House area.

I believe that Kaz Sushi Bistro is on I Street between 19th and 20th.
Another idea for a Japanese lunch is Sushi Taro 1503 17th Street (P Street is the cross, I think)

Minibar is lots of fun. I went there last week for the first time, but I believe it is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Other suggestions: Equinox-right by the White House. Hotel Washington on the terrace - Best View in DC but mediocre food. There is a non-terrace restaurant that is located on the top floor as well. Although the view is lacking you might be able to convince them to serve you the better "indoor" food while sitting on the terrace. Woo Lae Oak Decent Korean restaurant in Pentagon City. Lebanese Taverna in Woodly Park. Red Sage - south western food in a fun (upstairs) environment or fancier food in the lower level dining room. All of the above are metro accessable. So when are we going?? :)

I'd definitely support both of these - Woo Lae Oak is great! I haven't eaten there in a while, but I'll give it ^^. Lebanese Taverna has delicious shwarma's - good stuff. I'm hungry just thinking about their shwarma!

Woo Lae Oak is a chain, I would suggest this restaurant only if one is looking for an introduction to Korean cuisine as they are (IMO) sterile and "overpriced".

If you like Korean food I have to imagine there is better out there in the DC area. There sure is in Chicago.

Hope you have a good concert
 

What orchestra, and when?

It is a chain, albeit a small one, with a few restaurants in a few cities, including Seoul. DC outlet isn't too sterile, but probably not as "authentic" as some other venues

Right you are about better Korean existing in DC. I've been told (unsubstantiated) that the DC metro area has the 2nd largest Korean population in the US. Unfortunately the area with the excellent Korean restaurants (Annandale) is not metro accessible or walkable from Pentagon City. I'm happy to recommend better places if you are interested.

I agree with Slawecki. These are two of my favorite places in DC. Melrose is very good, quiet. refined, and elegant. Marcel's is a sometimes a bit noisy because of the tile floor, but the food is excellent and the esprit de corps of the waitstaff cannot be beat. If you really want a night out on the town, schedule Marcel's limo to take you over to the Kennedy Center after the meal, and then to pick you up and bring you back for coffee, dessert, and/or a nightcap.
Metro to Foggy Bottom (three stops on the blue line from the Pentagon City
station) for both of these.

If it's just the two of you, you might consider 2 Quail. Eclectic, funky, and romantic. You can pick up a nice bottle of wine at the store right before the restaurant and pay the $10 corkage fee.

:)

Two excellent Japanese places are Sushi Taro (mentioned above) on 17th & P above the CVS, and Sushi-Ko, on Wisconsin 100yds down from Calvert. Sushi-Ko is pricey, but serves excellent quality food... (incidentally, I've seen Rumsfeld there twice...)

Cashion's Eat place at 18th and Columbia is, bang for buck, the best in the city. Totally fresh every day.

Ditto on Sushi-Ko. FYI... Kaz of Kaz Sushi Bistro was the head chef (or one of them) at Sushi-Ko for a long time before opening his own restaurant. Sushi-Ko is a bit more traditional than Kaz.

Ditto to all of the above comments. Hotel Washington's rooftop terrace is fantastic at sunset.

It's been several years since I've been in DC, but based on prior trips:
For Steaks, Sam & Harry's (Downtown)
For Italian, I always had good experiences at Donotello's (despite its relatively low prices), but I don't see it listed, so it may have closed or changed.
For Cajun, 219 in Alexandria
For German, Cafe Mozart

I would like to add Makoto to the list of excellent Japanese restaurants in DC. It's a little off the beaten path (Foxhall area which is NW of Georgetown) but the restaurant is like a little slice of Tokyo in DC complete with waitresses shouting "irrashaimase!" and "arigato gozaimasu!" in unison upon entering and exiting the restaurant respectively. The set menu ($45) is reasonably-priced and oh-so-heavenly-good. Sushi here is also out of this world. Thought I'd share that for all the Japanese food fans out there :)

A few echoed choices...
 

Vidalia - great and original cuisine, good wine list, nice setting.

Citonellel - delicious but a bit on the pricey side

Smith & Wollensky - great steaks and fish - nice outdoor seating

Dupont circle has a plethora of choices on CT ave.

Alex

Mykonos -- Greek. In Rockville. You can get there on the Red Line to Shady Grove. I think the closest stop is White Flint or Twinbrook.

In Georgetown. Zeb's Ethiopian food. A real dining adventure. You'd probably need to take a taxi. It's quite a walk from Foggy Bottom.

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions -- but I only have one night.
Ah, but then there is the United DC bonus. A good reason to try a few more restaurants on a few more trips. :)

An excellent place if you are interested in sushi is Spices. Excellent food, not too pricey. Located on the Metro Red Line, at the Cleveland Park stop.

Address is:
333-A Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20008

Has anyone dined at olives?