Where to Eat in Washington
Merrill, Jill
Where to Eat in Washington by Jill Merrill Since so many of our readers have work tliat brings them to Washington, we have decided to start a regular feature that will give them practical...
...A fine Northern Italian restaurant right off Connecticut Ave...
...Empress (Trudie Bal17s), 1018 Vermont Ave., 737-2324...
...Very expensive...
...Lots of hanging plants and salads, as the name implies...
...there is a country rock band and a nominal cover charge, except on Mondays and Tuesdays...
...Expensive...
...and 1621 H St., 483-2816...
...Le Bagatelle, 2000 K St., 872-8677...
...Inexpensive...
...Although the namesake of this distinguished restaurant is now owner-chef of Le Lion d’Or, the food remains superb...
...Modest Greek fare at remarkably modest prices (particularly the specials...
...The food is excellent, by all accounts, and entirely fresh, including nitrite-free meats...
...A good Indo-Pakistani restaurant with a wide selection of cunies...
...Lots of black beans, rice, chicken, and seafood, all modestly priced and well-prepared...
...While the evenings are more civilized, salad for dinner may be less appealing, so a choice between fare and space must be made...
...Crowded at lunch...
...In any given roomful of Washington food snobs there is one subject that is unfailingly controversial: Le Provencal...
...Inexpensive...
...Expensive...
...It is so dark and so noisy, however, that one wonders if one isn’t inside the cow’s stomach, rather than the other way around...
...Excellent pastas and vegetable dishes in an attractive atmosphere...
...the bar is “intimate” and attractive and the drinks generous...
...Delicious Latin-American food at this restaurant...
...Columbia Station, 1836 Columbia Rd., 667-2900...
...Crowded and noisy but the cuisineAmerican-Jewish4 excellent and the jocks and lobbyists love it...
...Chez Camille, 1737 DeSales St., 393-3330...
...Unpretentious on the outside (one has to walk downsters into a black hole), but the food is supdrb most of the time...
...If you want to star-gaze at lunch, this restaurant near the White House is the place for you...
...About $10 a person...
...Food is as average as the atmosphere is wild...
...Gaylord’s, 1731 Connecticut Ave., 232-1 128...
...The menu is extensive, ranging from squid (superior) to many variations of chicken with rice...
...ktor, 1813 M St., 331-7994...
...Arabian Nights, 2915 Connecticut Ave., 232-6684...
...Couscous and kifta are good...
...Harvey’s is a Washington institution...
...Very expensive...
...Expensive...
...Apart from the Crab Imperial, however, there seems to be little here to justify the celestial prices...
...Peking duck available without advance notice...
...No credit cards or reservations...
...In spite of its rather undistinguished decor, this is the ne plus ultra of Washington’s increasing number of fine French restaurants...
...If you require a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth when dininn out, this is the place for you...
...The menu is extensive and the pastas and desserts are consistently good...
...Cold dishes such as the pate platter, hors d’oeuvres varies, or tongue are particularly good...
...Hearty fare...
...Butger Chef, 12 16 18th St...
...They will continue to alternate each month...
...Expensive...
...A handsome room, with handsome beef, at handsome prices...
...Good, tangy Szechuan fare...
...A small, charming Vietnamese restaurant near the Washington Hilton...
...We recommend the veal Francaise and the sole meuniere...
...Self-service salad bar, but not much else, distinguishes it from the other fast-food places listed here...
...The decor is California Redwood and the atmosphere, like the food, is light and healthful...
...Right near the Washington Hilton...
...Expensive...
...Iron Gate Inn, 1734 N St., 737-1370...
...No reservations...
...Sea Catch, 2100 Massachusetts Ave., 659-8000...
...Moderate...
...Always crowded, with tables too close together, one can nevertheless eat very well here-seafood and desserts especially...
...which is north of the Washington Hilton in a Spanish-speaking community...
...This charming hotel now has a restaurant...
...Le Lion d’Or, 1150 Connecticut Ave., 296-7972...
...very crowded at lunch...
...however, a carry-out window has been thoughtfully provided for those who want to picnic in Lafayette Park...
...Across Rock Creek Park from the Shoreham Hotel, this is a good value...
...Prices are higher ($4.50-$6.95, drinks $2) upstairs at night where the belly dancer performs every evening after 8:30...
...L’Escargot, 3309 Connecticut Ave., 966-7510...
...Near Jean-Pierre and Le Bagatelle, Tiberio offers Italian haute cuisine...
...whole lamb stuffed with pine nuts is excellent but must be ordered two days in advance...
...The menu is extensive: a bit too ambitious for the critic, a bit overwhelming for the initiate, but never dull...
...Moderately priced, this tasteful restaurant provides a relaxed respite from the noises of downtown life...
...Delicious onion rolls and a wine list that, despite recent price increases, still offers a few bargains...
...excellent dumplings, I’m told...
...Mixed drinks are only 75 cents...
...No reservations...
...The staff is accommodating and willing to explain the menu...
...Hot Shoppes, 1825 Connecticut Ave...
...Moderate...
...the service is efficient but discreet...
...The food is unpretentious, well-prepared, and very tasty...
...the striped bas with a delicate sauce-either hot or cold-is another delight...
...President Adams Room in the Hay-Adams Hotel, 800 16th St., 638-2260...
...The large Greek salad at $1.45 and the Moussaka for $1.95 at either lunch or dinner are quite good...
...Restaurants in other parts of the city will be covered in future issues...
...Moderate...
...Giardino, 11 10 21st St., 223-4555...
...Rocky Raccoon Saloon, 1243 20th St., 872-1643...
...The most expensive item is the sirloin steak with vegetable at $4.65...
...A special for $3.50 is served every night and Spare Rib night (Thursday) is very popular...
...Expensive...
...No reservations...
...Belly dancer upstairs in the evenings...
...Where to Eat in Washington by Jill Merrill Since so many of our readers have work tliat brings them to Washington, we have decided to start a regular feature that will give them practical information to help make their stay a pleasant one, information about where to stay and where to eat...
...The food is entirely Middle Eastern and the most expensive item on the menu is $4.25...
...Washington’s only bookstore-cafe...
...El Dorado, 1832 Columbia Rd., 232-0333...
...Court of the Mandarins, 1824 M St., 223-6666...
...Inexpensive...
...Good service in spite of the sardine configuration of tables...
...The Middle Eastern food doesn’t quite match the ambiance, but is still a good value...
...Le Bagatelle looks like an elegant garden with trellises, greenery, and excellent food...
...Off Connecticut, this homey restaurant offers substantial meals at very good prices...
...Inexpensive...
...Moderate...
...While there is certainly no reason to go out of one’s way to get here, its proximity to the two hotels is an asset...
...Expensive...
...Moderate...
...No credit cards, reservations, or alcohol...
...Don’t bother with the overcooked peas and carrots, but try carrot cake, liver and onions, pies, and spoon bread...
...Sans Souci, 726 17th St., 298-7424...
...No credit cards...
...This restaurant, in the Fairfax Hotel, has undergone a great many changes since its ascendancy during the Kennedy years...
...In spite of its newness-it opened in July-a devoted clientele has already formed...
...Fresh, vegetarian food...
...Nathan’s II, 1211 Connecticut Ave., 659-121 1. A new Northern Italian restaurant that is decidely superior (for the time being) to its Georgetown parent...
...Tucson Cantina, 2605 Connecticut Ave., 462-6410...
...Kozy Korner Restaurant, 1253 20th St., 785-43 14...
...The fare is all-American, with an emphasis on seafood...
...beefburger for $2.65 to N.Y...
...The atmosphere is lively, the food moderately priced...
...Restaurants listed here are all located in the center of the city along-or near-the Connecticut Avenue corridor, beginning at K Street and ending in Upper Northwest above Rock Creek Park...
...Good if not exceptional American cooking in the most spacious non-hotel dining room in Washington...
...The Montpelier, Madison Hotel, 15th 8c M Sts., 785-1000...
...Golden Temple of Conscious Cookery, 1521 Connecticut Ave., 234-6134...
...Its popularity, which is partially responsible for the harried service, is well-deserved...
...Just off K St., this well-known restaurant specializes in Peking duck and Hunan (spicy) specialties...
...For dinners, prices range from $1.49-$3.34...
...It’s good as well...
...This is neither more nor less than the name implies: good, hearty Italian fare, complete with redchecked tablecloths, for a top price of $4.25...
...La Fregate, 2020 Florida Ave., 332-0682...
...Jean-Pieme, 1835 K St., 333-1066...
...Jean-Pierre Goyenvalle has been responsible for enchanting the palates of many denizens and visitors for a number of years, and his new restaurant does not disappoint...
...Very expensive...
...Greek Village, 1712 Connecticut Ave., 2324768...
...The first is close to the Washington Hilton, the second near the White House...
...Vegetarian dishes also offered...
...Sholl’s Cafeterias, 1032 Connecticut Ave...
...No credit cards or reservations...
...Napoleon’s, 2649 Connecticut Ave., 265-8955...
...No reservations...
...No reservations...
...Altogether a good bargain in simple surroundings...
...Best of all, Roy has two excellent sauces you can’t find at other fast food places-barbecue and horseradish...
...Breakfast and lunch are particularly good times to spot luminaries...
...It has some good specialties, such as the agnolotti and cannelloni in cream sauce, but the service is poor at dinner and even poorer at lunch...
...F’ho Soup and Chicken with Five Spices are excellent...
...Several blocks off Connecticut, this is the newest in a spate of recently opened northern Italian restaurants in this area...
...Right across from the White House, this is a splendid room in the grande dame of Washington hotels...
...Duke Zeibert’s, 1722 L St., 296-5030...
...Good service, good food, good value...
...Like the Jockey Club, the Sea Catch is in the Fairfax Hotel...
...Simple, home-style cooking in the middle of downtown Washington...
...Cheap...
...Moderate...
...Uneven in quality but worth taking a chance on if you’re up this way...
...Kramerbooks‘ Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Ave., 387-1462...
...Luigi’s, 1132 19th St., 331-7574...
...In addition to ten dining rooms, there is a sidewalk cafe...
...The hamburgers are fresh and hand-formed...
...This is a cafeteria, in the middle of the downtown area, that serves good soups, stews, and sandwiches...
...The quality of the food, like the prices, is modest...
...There are a number of stars who lunch hereregularly (but not many from the Carter Administration), and, if you are more interested in craning your neck than eating good food, you won’t be disappointed...
...The service is good and the setting attractive and quiet, but, by all accounts, the food is uneven...
...In the same neighborhood as Napoleon’s, but the cuisine is more American with, naturally, an emphasis on seafood...
...Prime Rib, 2020 K St., 466-8811...
...A neighborhood restaurant offering good Cuban food in a totally unpretentious setting...
...Inexpensive...
...Huge, Italianate garden complete with music and gurgling grape-infested plaster putti...
...Inexpensive...
...several other specialties for those who want to sample various Chinese cuisines...
...Although the decor is more pretentious and it’s noisier than JeanPierre’s, the same high standard prevails in the kitchen...
...Of course, if one is already having dinner, there is no charge for the entertainment...
...Moderate...
...Greenery, 1144 18th St., 872-1658...
...Paul Young’s, 1120 Connecticut Ave., 331-7000...
...This all-beef menu is surprisingly low-priced: 7-oz...
...Sidewalk tables and a standard-shrimp, beef, chicken-menu...
...Primarily Northern Italian cuisine, this newly opened restaurant is still ironing out the wrinkles...
...Empress (David Lee’s), 1875 Connecticut Ave ., 462-8 11 1. Mandarin restaurant with large portions...
...Inexpensive and a good value...
...Moderate...
...strip steak for $6.95...
...sidewalk tables too...
...No reservations...
...Inexpensive...
...one should not expect too much...
...They also share attractive surroundings complemented by discreet but attentive service...
...Good Spanish food at modest prices...
...Service, like the food, is spotty...
...Moderate...
...The food is excellent, particularly the hors d’oeuvres...
...No credit cards, no reservations...
...Late-night dancing, too...
...No credit cards...
...El Caribe, 1828 Columbia Rd., 234-6969...
...For our money, this is the best-and most underrated-fast-food place around...
...Very crowded at lunch...
...Wine by the carafe is one of the best buys in Washington...
...The freshly made pastas are excellent and rich...
...A fxed price menu for $8.95 is offered in addition to other good, solid, French fare...
...Caffe Italiano, 3516 Connecticut Ave., 966-2172...
...Le Souperb, 1221 Connecticut Ave., 347-7600...
...Moderate...
...This Italian restaurant stands apart in one way: it is bigger than the others...
...Cantina d'ltalia, 1214-A 18th St., 659-1830...
...In the Safari Lounge you can have a more limited lunch menu at a moderate price and Heineken on draft...
...Romeo & Juliet, 2020 K St., 296-7112...
...Moderate...
...Once a wonderful “little” restaurant near the Washington Post,.Camille moved and is now a “big” restaurant but, sad to say, only in size...
...Yenching Palace, 3524 Connecticut Ave., 362-8200...
...Formerly Tippy’s Taco House, the Cantina has improved its menu to include such items as beef and chicken enchiladas...
...The specialty of the house is a quite good roast beef sandwich, and there’s also so-so fried chicken...
...Between the Shoreham and Sheraton-Park Hotels...
...Cheap...
...on the other hand, it is quieter and more serene at dinner...
...If you want to be grand, this room is fit for the Sun King...
...After 9 p.m...
...Tiberio, 1915 K St., 452-1915...
...Very low prices-a full meal for $2-$3...
...If you like Indian food, you will not be disappointed...
...They are all northwest of the White House...
...Szechuan East, 1805 H St., 296-3588...
...Moderate...
...Excellent value...
...Tabard Inn, 1739 N St., 785-1277...
...No reservations...
...Very expensive...
...near Washington Hilton...
...Moderate...
...For reasons that have always escaped this writer, this restaurant commands a following that Hannibal would envy...
...and 1433 K St...
...Expensive...
...Roma, 3419 Connecticut Ave., 363-6611...
...Expensive...
...Right near Luigi’s, this is also an attractive outdoor cafe...
...Although it's noisy and crowded (especially at lunch), the Astor has maintained a loyal clientele-for good reason...
...A converted 19th century stable, whose quiet courtyard offers the most charming setting for outdoor dining in downtown Washington...
...No reservations...
...Near the Washington Hilton Hotel, this is a neighborhood barlrestaurant in a primarily Spanish-speaking community...
...Since there is no real kitchen, the menu is limited (quiches, salads), but the browsing is good...
...Roy Rogers, 2021 I St...
...Moderate...
...Expensive...
...Good Middle Eastern (mostly Iraqi) food, spiced more interestingly than at most restaurants of this sort...
...At dinner it’s halfempty and not chic at all...
...Christopher’s Steaks Unlimited, 1232 20th St., 785-2100...
...Calved Cafe, 1967 Calvert St., 232-5431...
...Open for breakfast and lunch...
...The places we recommend most highly are indicated by an asterisk...
...Omega, 1856 Columbia Rd., 667-9600...
...indeed, they share the same kitchen...
...Sea-Fair, 2655 Connecticut Ave., 667-51 15...
...Recently converted to buffet service with more efficient, albeit more uncertain-and still expensive (lunch $12.50, dinner $19.50)-results...
...Right near the Shoreham and Sheraton-Park Hotels...
...A comfortable family cafeteria, clean and reasonable...
...Located right next to the Mayflower Hotel, it is probably better at lunch than at dinner...
...Expensive...
...Whether you're on a tight budget or a generous expense account, we'll try to guide you to the right places...
...McDonald’s, 1909 K St., and 2481 18th St...
...Peking duck can be ordered with no advance notice...
...The reviews are mixed...
...Harvey’s, 1001 18th St., 833-1858...
...Moderate...
...StiU the cheapest fast food place in Washington...
...Done up in a western way, the food here is strictly “Tex-Mex...
...The portions are huge and the terrific pickles are gratis...
...Expensive...
...Paradise Cafe, 1900 M St., 833-1218...
...Gusti’s, 1837 M St., 331-9444...
...Le Provencal, 1234 20th St., 223-2420...
...Inexpensive...
...Jockey Club, 2100 Massachusetts Ave., 659-8000...
...Last month's subject was where to stay, this month's, where to eat...
...The Lounge is less fancy and serves a lunch buffet with slightly less princely prices...
...Usually crowded so try to go very early or very late...
...closes at 8:OO p.m...
...Very crowded at lunch...
...Two blocks off Connecticut Ave., this is a good value for either lunch or * dinner...
...The pizza is excellent as are some of the fish dishes...
...For those who are cholesterolconscious, no butter is served...
Vol. 9 • September 1977 • No. 7
