Your cooking, from rustic pork pt to elegant omelet, not only travels well, it demonstrates how lucky the city is to have you at the stove. Plenty in his restaurant, a luxe extension of his Seven Reasons on 14th Street NW, will make you glad to be there. Delivery via DoorDash. Inside awaits a beaut of a bar, fronted with sea-foam-colored stools, and high-ceilinged dining rooms painted in soothing shades of green. Dinner Wednesday through Saturday. I want to be open all the time and for all people, says the chef of his window-wrapped restaurant. The multiple rooms soothe visitors with aqua and fuchsia seating, cascades of greenery and servers whose smiles are backed up by polish. The butcher steak, thick and blushing, underscores the chefs tenure at St. Anselm, one of the citys best grills. If the service is a touch more hesitant these days, well, that applies to a lot of restaurants now. Definitive Laotian food is worth a return trip. Alone, the stewlike wild boar, cooked with onions and tomatoes, hums with mustard powder, chili powder, lemon juice and sage. The decade-old restaurant has fun with its wine list, a liquid romp around the world. Kudos to the server who presents the menu as if his fingers were a frame and the list were worthy of one. As Marler shared via text, We really just want to see where these adventures lead us and continue to have fun with it all.. Limited indoor seating (two stools at a counter). Reservations required. rather than working. No barriers at the entrance; a lift in the bar allows access to the main dining room. The cooking places a premium on ingredients and technique rather than the chefs ego. Sign of the times: Ziebold says the most popular category of all is Indulgence. Guests who couldnt travel during the pandemic are spending their vacation money on luxuries such as caviar, truffles, Japanese Kuroge beef and his signature lobster French toast breakfast for dinner for $38. Ditto Annies Paramount Steakhouse and the Hitching Post, which remain prized members of my collection of D.C.-area classics. Knowing that Tyler and her colleagues, chef Jon Sybert and wine maven Bill Jensen, are also behind the nearby Tail Up Goat is reason enough to pay respects. One of the best reasons to reserve at brunch is the chance at pupusas, an idea of sous-chef Alberto Lopez, a native of El Salvador. Seemingly a bushel of arugula shows up with a hailstorm of pistachios, goat cheese crumbles and juicy blackberries. [The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, under a new chef, calls for a road trip]. A custom wood smoker made from a repurposed propane tank, along with an Argentine grill and box smoker in the kitchen, flavor much of the Southern-inspired menu. Lunch weekdays, brunch weekends, dinner Monday through Saturday. Everyone wins: More meals with one stop has the delicious advantage of leaving a smaller carbon footprint. Indoor and outdoor seating. Possibly it was the sting of the orange gazpacho, poured from a slender plastic flask, or the broad metal pan used to ferry the seafood-scattered paella from Penn Quarter to my doorstep. Whatever the detail, takeout from Jaleo, among my hall of fame picks, places me back in the dining room, alive with color and energy in happier times. Limiting the number of guests to 100 or so a night means a happier staff and more precision on the plate, he says. Maupillier, who spent six years cooking for the legendary Michel Richard, believes in braises and makes a compelling case with his Moroccan chicken, served beneath a protective and delicious cover of chicken jus flavored with cinnamon, coriander and cumin. [Italian restaurants can charm and soothe, even without their dining rooms]. Sundas clearly learned a lot at Rasika West End. Only in July did Flamant reopen for dining, and then with a four-course, $75 tasting menu. Just eat it and enjoy it! I wanted to tell her. We thought wed have more figured out by now, he says of operating a restaurant during the pandemic. Since spring, when I wrote about how much is lost without restaurants, a number of favorite dining destinations have closed for good. The slim storefront comes with a big caveat, but let me show the kitchen some love for a few sentences. Production and photo editing by Jennifer Beeson Gregory, design and development by Madison Walls. Pan-roasted lamb loin is nearly upstaged by its dagger of red kuri squash, flavorful from a braise of lamb trimmings and saffron. I wanted to do surf and turf, but not with beef or lobster, says De Pue, who has a catch in flash-fried octopus paired with peach-topped pork loin. Check. Heres hoping grilled provolone on a cushion of toast makes a return appearance and the pecorino cake with pine nuts and jam never strays from the dessert list. Indoor and outdoor seating ($100 for gazebo seating). No restaurant fed me more often, or better, throughout the pandemic than French chef David Deshaiess whimsical tribute to American comfort food near the convention center (hence the name). I have yet to encounter one. Eggplant stars in a schnitzel topped with shaved fennel kraut that would be at home in Germany. The texture is as much a selling point as the taste; different grinds of some of the seasonings add a pleasant crackle to the eating. ), [Jos Andrs brings Spanish comfort food including a lot of eggs to Bethesda]. Take the gourd fritters, finger-length slices of vegetable sheathed in a batter made with feta cheese. 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. I still stand behind stalwarts Bucks Fishing & Camping in Washington and Charleston in Baltimore, which you can find in my Hall of Fame. Indoor and outdoor seating. The most dramatic restaurant entrance in Washington? The white tufts run red with raspberry coulis when pierced with a fork. Quality is matched by quantity. Indoor and outdoor seating. Other delicious options include spicy steamed shrimp, fish and chips staged in a fry basket and tacos (pork or fish) distinguished by their two-ply cradles: a soft flour tortilla lined with a fried corn tortilla. Looking for a party room? Proof of vaccination or negative test required. Surprise! (Roses Luxury swaps sea bass for the original black cod and rings the entree in brilliant chive oil. The flaky paratha, meanwhile, has become my choice mop. So is a lot of fried food. No wonder reservations are still hard to come by. Scores of wannabe customers stand ahead of my posse at the first-come, first-served pizza-and-wine draw in the Eastport part of Annapolis. Ashok Bajaj is giving diners fresh reason to visit the oldest in his stable of 10 restaurants. Indoor and private outdoor seating. Lettuces, shishito peppers and cardoons are a given. Albi now counts two, the newest of which is a glass-enclosed rear patio that can seat up to 25 revelers. Reported by mediums, the ghost in the oldest dining room is harmless. Designed for two, the feast can easily feed four a bountiful bargain. Takeout and delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats. Its more global. The redo reflects that, and extends to the menu, overseen for half the life of the restaurant by chef Nilesh Singhvi. Takeout and delivery Monday through Saturday via Tock. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday. But the restaurateurs are doing a four-star job of helping us navigate the pandemic with life rings including pizza and ice cream at Happy Gyro. Her husband and co-owner, Louis, is responsible for the brio on the plate. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post) RIGHT: Rigatoni with sausage at the Red Hen in Washington. Takeout, no delivery. Dinner $125 per person, Sunday supper $95. Same for the generously apportioned food, fussed over by chef Justin Moore. Omakase is on hold, but Sushi Taro is still turning out gems. The truth is, there are lots to like here: housemade sodas that change with the season (fall finds pumpkin pie and Concord grape), a small dining room decorated with old cooking utensils and Mason jars-turned-lights, and warmth beyond that of the oven. Takeout Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday, no delivery. Because your name, more than almost any other, comes up in practically every conversation Ive had with food fans about great takeout. Fans can rest assured that the original details remain in place and that the new hosts have no plans on making any changes, says Jake Addeo, who last cooked in Washington at the Occidental and Bibiana. The newcomer, adjacent to the Roost food hall in the Hill East neighborhood, is neither cheesy nor cheffy. The smooth filling revels in nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and orange, albeit in amounts that let the sweet potato shine. No barriers to entry; ADA-compliant restroom. Its missing in a lot of places these days, but Muchas Gracias is a poster child for inattention. While it might seem ticklish to toast the restaurant scene, and some businesses are in flux as this issue goes to press, what better way to honor the community than by showcasing some of its best representatives? " Of course, the takeout containers are all marked with whats inside them. The dry-fried lamb has diners breaking out in sweat and smiles, as the juicy morsels are fueled with red chile pepper, powder and oil. The meat, carved into two chunks, rests on a whip of turnips and alongside carrot coins ignited with harissa. Ahn delivers. And yet, its always about the crust, says Linn. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The paneed rabbit, a star on the opening menu, has been replaced by breaded skate wing, but rabbit is destined to flavor the fall gumbo. Takeout via Tock or phone. Rubbas inspired food is served by attentive staff in a small dining room whose pinks and greens radiate joy. "I make food the way I like it," says the co-owner of Northern Virginias premier Laotian outpost, as well as Thip Khao in Washington. No takeout or delivery. Indoor and outdoor seating. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. A tangle of slippery lo mein noodles shows up slick with chile oil, crisp with fried shallots and colorful with red cabbage and chopped scallions. See: fingers of fried flounder served in a little skillet of red chiles, black beans and celery, and the crisp, bao-shaped "pancake" packed with chives. Meaty rockfish teeters on a bed of corn and diced cuttlefish, circled in a sauce coaxed from peanut butter and shellfish broth. Its a leftover from the previous occupant, Alba Osteria. A motherly server adds to the outing, revealing that the chicken wings are on the hot side and pork shoulder tacos are enough food for a family. The ancient grain salad unites golden couscous and nutty black quinoa beneath a cover of sliced sunchokes and pickled cucumbers, a construction amplified by dressings that veer from hot to sweet to tangy. Entrees $23-$85 (duck jambalaya for two). In the hands of chef Yuan Tang, the familiar is still fabulous, Three-course dinner $75 per person, a la carte entrees $25 to $43. Major talent has stepped into big shoes at this road-trip-worthy restaurant in Loudoun County, where Vincent Badiee replaced Tarver King last November, following Kings news that he planned to open a place of his own in the area. (The crust is based on the one created by the owners father, who founded what became La Prima Food Group based in College Park.) 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. Your fork doesnt know where to start. Going into Amy Brandweins warmhearted osteria and market, I always know I can count on seeing a few regulars. The strapping bowl from the dashing McLean retreat brims not just with the expected beans, but with minced beef, dried dill and streaks of yogurt. Tom Sietsema spotlights 48 DC-area restaurants, including his 10 favorites Line cook Sam Hoefer works at the dessert station in the open kitchen at the Dabney in Washington. Sections ; Home; . Indoor and outdoor seating. Arranging the takeout for a group portrait on my kitchen counter this summer, I was struck by the beauty of the spread. The calm presence in the open kitchen? Maple panna cotta with caramelized hazelnuts is the definition of sublime. Indoor and outdoor seating. Her contribution. The drinks are as much fun as the food. Grilled octopus shares its grandma plate with craggy zucchini fritters and hibiscus chimichurri, brined red snapper is circled with a chunky puttanesca that ought to be sold by the jar, and the crusty Royal burger available in three sizes and cooked the way you ask lives up to the billing thanks to a patty of local Roseda beef and a glossy bun from Lyon bakery. He has also written for Food & Wine. 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. Meanwhile, halibut sauced with coconut milk, curry leaf and green peppercorns, part of a collection of regional classics, is an invitation to south India. [If family-style takeout is on the menu, these 3 restaurants have a whole lot to offer]. Inquire and the response might be rabbit in a hot-and-numbing sauce with sliced lotus root and velvety strips of seaweed. Ninety percent of the restaurants business now is takeout; the minority of customers find potted plants atop tables to maintain social distance. Who needs flowers in the house when theres carryout from Anju? Details cloth napkins, Rancho Gordo beans, guacamole that relies on super-creamy Mexican avocados enhance the grazing. How are you, Jesse Miller? These days, customers can still count on Smiths high standards in every order of carryout. 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. Still around, and still tasty: head-on shrimp in a dark pool of earthy birch beer, rosemary, cracked black pepper and what Essig calls woozy, or housemade Worcestershire sauce. Indeed, the vast menu in Fairfax is a celebration of homestyle cooking, the kind of food I enjoyed growing up, says Lydia Chang, the couples daughter and business partner. 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. Crafted from rum, curdled and clarified kefir and a puree of cilantro and mint, its the color of life green and inspired by mint chutney. Aim for a counter stool and the chance to watch the staff shape rounds of dough on a surface of durum and maybe meet Valerie Harding. Dinner daily, brunch weekends. So I asked experts how to minimize it. Executive chef Kristen Essig comes to Washington from the Big Easy, where she co-owned one of its most beloved restaurants, Coquette. Were you worried there wouldnt be a fall dining guide this year? Tom Sietsema has been The Washington Post's food critic since 2000. Consecutive doors at entrance; ADA-compliant restroom. My lifeline throughout the pandemic is owned by a native of Guyana who bought it from a Black couple who opened the place 53 years ago and still live above the shop. His latest creations zesty crab and roasted coconut served beneath a rice crisp, soft duck patties made tangy with goat cheese and set on orange chutney should help fill the plush seats. Never mind that the signature twice-fried chicken, accompanied by sweet-spicy gochujang and Alabama-style white barbecue sauce, is apt to cool down en route. Hate the name. From this longtime visitors perspective, 2021 will be remembered as one of the most mouthwatering. 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. To eat either entree, delivered by servers who look after you like most honored guests, is to understand whats kept the doors open all these years. Desserts are outsized. And this in a honey-lit, wood-bound dining room that factors in sheepskin stools for purses, local rocks to ferry the bread and tiny anvils with your partys name written on it. Takeout and delivery via Caviar, DoorDash, Tock, Toast or phone. Cut in quarters, rubbed with butter, lemon zest and rosemary and roasted so that the inside seems to melt and the outside takes on char, this cabbage might as well be on a pedestal, especially when paired with plump figs, brilliant Japanese carrots and a pool of sheeps milk yogurt. The name of his place is tongue in cheek, says owner Frank Linn. A recent visit found us in the middle of what felt like a nightclub loud music, busy bartenders but still serving food thats very much the personal expression of its muse. Right on, chef. Its been tough, says the chef and co-owner of one of the brights lights in arty Mount Rainier. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The fire in the red lentils? Make room as well for the water spinach, softly crunchy and punchy with chiles and garlic sauce. See the big domed oven inside? Sandwiches are iffy. Proof of vaccination required. Delivery via Uber Eats. His rib-eye, for instance, hails from Seven Hills in Virginia and enjoys a salt cure before its pan-roasted and served with two terrific toppings: a puree of herbs and a whip of hollandaise and brown butter. It takes skill and good timing to achieve jjolmyeon with the desired chewiness. I know just what Im having the moment I have to pull on a sweater: lentil soup from one of the best Afghan restaurants in the area (the other standard bearers being Aracosias siblings in Springfield and Washington). Suffice it to say, the deftly charred fish and luxurious potatoes would make their masters proud.). Indoor and outdoor seating. Opening Hours Monday - Closed Lunch Tuesday - Friday : 11:30 am - 2:30 pm Saturday - Sunday: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm Dinner Tuesday - Saturday : 5 pm - 9:30 pm Sunday: 5 pm - 8:30 pm Holiday Hours 12/25/2022 | Christmas Day | Closed (Sunday) Contact 136 Paramount Park Drive, Gaithersburg MD 20879 contact@chennaihoppers.com (240) 813-0061 Share. Delivery via Caviar and DoorDash. Mezze $16-$25, shareable entrees $52-$65. Berbere, the Ethiopian spice blend that torches whatever it touches. Nyama choma is a dish that could keep the newcomer part of a mini-chain with a branch in Newark and plans for New York and Tysons in business. Indoor and outdoor seating. "I dont want to be stingy," says the chef. We briefly pause to admire the edible canvas before plunging into the spread: deep golden cabbage, zesty red lentils, a rosy mound of kitfo that replaces the usual minced raw beef with raw tuna. Delivery via Skip the Line. Brunch and dinner daily. One of the areas best ambassadors for the food of southern India is this retreat, opened nine months into the pandemic by chef John Rajoo, a native of Tamil Nadu, whose capital is Chennai. Harding insisted we stay for dessert. No on-site seating. The executive chef at Anju in Washington, whos spent half his 32 years in the industry, is no Ted Lasso. - CLOSED. Their engagement is likely to grab your attention, too. Takeout, no delivery. The constant here is consistency. Another is their preparation. Indoor and outdoor seating. Small plates $9 to $27. What we are drinking is a weekly-changing page of recommendations, and if you guess the grape behind the current mystery wine, you get half off the price of the glass. Anywhere else, the chile-fired lamb kebabs might be a signature; here, they go unfinished only because the rest of the food is so compelling. Takeout via Tock and phone. I like the way Brandwein thinks. His pints come in such fun flavors as oatmeal cookie with shaved chocolate and ricotta with sour cherry. Ditto. Sofra tasting menu $95, chefs table at the hearth $150 per person. Heat lamps and blankets are the new endearments at this beloved Italian fixture in CityCenter. Trust me when I tell you: Bammys goes down like a day at the beach. tosses pies that reach for perfection (and come close)]. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Value is not a dirty word, describes the category of $6 wines by the glass; I got class, I just dont want to pay for it includes the $9 options. The chef makes things other restaurants offer, but often with some small twist or two that turns them into more personal statements. Note that Saravan "Sam" Krishnan and his brother Venkatesan, or "John," also put in time at the now-dark Udupi Palace in Takoma Park, and ask for a dosa. Im equally enamored of the slender lumpia, stuffed with ground pork and shrimp; sisig, the funky and fiery stir-fry of pigs ears, headcheese, Thai chile, garlic and cane vinegar; the pale-green, super-moist pandan cake made by the chefs sister; and some of the best fried rice for miles, this bowl enriched with crab fat and longanisa, sweet sausage thats made on site and that Fernandez plans to sell. To keep things interesting for everybody, Kuya Ja is selling Filipino soup kits, featuring weekend specials (whole fried snapper with peanut curry) and offering the occasional kinamot.
tom sietsema best restaurants 2020