Get the burger. Chef Frank Ruta uses Angus beef laced with dry-aged steak, truffled cheese and a brioche bun made in-house.
Bacon gorgonzola mac n' cheese is the dish to get. They achieve creamy and crunchy with house-smoked bacon blended into a slightly sharp gorgonzola and then scattered across pasta. Read more.
Order the pumpkin curry. Tender kabocha squash is the sweet counterpoint to the fire and kicky basil in this traditional Thai red curry. Read more.
Go for the lard-fried buttermilk chicken. It's soaked overnight in a brine with rosemary, parsley, bay leaf, lemons and apples before it's coated with seasoned flour and a dip in pork fat. Read more.
Toki's kimchi ramen is a standout. It's a pork-laden, vinegary soup that's a perfect follow-up to a pile of dumplings. Read more.
El Chucho's elote callejero is worth it. The grilled corn is gilded with brown-butter aioli, cilantro, chili-lime salt and pungent Parmesan-like cotija cheese. Wash it down with a $5 margarita. Read more.
Ted's has transformed the Pop-Tart into legitimate pastry. They fill handmade, almost cakey crusts with homemade jams, fresh berries, brown sugar, and peanut butter and bacon. Read more.
Order the spicy crispy tofu. The tender puffs of silken tofu are lightly battered, fried and flecked with lemongrass. Read more.
Rasika's sev batata puri is the real deal. The crispy little rounds of bread are topped with potato, sour raw mango and crunchy threads of fried chickpea batter. Read more.
Ask for the burrata appetizer. Made with 3 kinds of kale (one flash-fried for crunch), sweet apples, smoky nuts and tart tamarind-honey dressing, it's a vegetarian capable of satisfying any carnivore. Read more.
Drink up. Estadio's gin and tonic, aka the Gintonic, showcases the drink's Spanish twist. They couple Old Raj gin or Tanqueray No. 10 with house-made orange-flower tonic.
Stoney's grilled cheese isn't particularly imaginative, but it's a classic. The Super comes with the standard American cheese, salty, buttered toast, layers of bacon, tomato and onion.
Go for the macarons. Creamy sweet potato is unique, the passion fruit/milk chocolate heady. Other great picks include black-and-white bubbly, a peanut butter and jelly, or a cheese-laced variety. Read more.
Order the Margherita DOC. Made in the old-world Neapolitan fashion, the pie shines with San Marzano tomatoes, milky mozzarella di bufala and just a handful of ingredients in the dough. Read more.
Tabard's simple yeast doughnuts are a must. Before the designer doughnut obsession took off, these guys held the title of best fried dough in the District. They're still amazing and freshly-fried. Read more.
The soul rolls are ridiculous and ridiculously good. Brisket is Urban's strong point and this is their Southern-fried version of an egg roll. Every order comes with a cup of cheese-covered chili. Read more.
During dim-sum service, grab the duck bao buns. Slivers of moist duck are tucked into doughy Chinese steamed buns and paired with crunchy cucumbers. The duck takes 3 days to make and it shows. Read more.
Life is short. Order the deep-fried, bacon-wrapped peanut-butter cups. They're mini peanut-butter cups wrapped in fried bacon and dipped in a cola batter. Read more.
The standout at Sakuramen is the vegetarian ramen. It features a broth of Japanese kelp, layers of bamboo shoots, corn and mushrooms marinated like Korean bulgogi. Read more.
Ford's fish and chips are as authentic as anything you'll find in New England. The fries are skinny and served with the skin on for crunch, and the battered, fried cod arrives hot and flaky. Read more.
Get the lambs & clams. Chef Dylan Fultineer pairs Olde Salt Middleneck clams with sauteed, grass-fed lamb for this stick-to-your-ribs stew. Read more.
Pitango's best flavor is its nocciola, or hazelnut. They source roasted hazelnut paste from a producer in Italy's Piedmont region for nuts that bear a more flowery note than their U.S. cousins. Read more.
Go for Shagga's vegetarian combination. It's a plate of fuchsia-colored beet and potato salad that's brightened with only lemon, string-bean fosolia and spicy chickpea mash ladled onto spongy injera. Read more.
The potato tots here beat anything you remember from the cafeteria at school. Gooey Gruyere cheese and parsley are ensconced in creamy potato and served with Sriracha-spiked ketchup. Read more.
Get the brussel sprouts. A mound of crackling, nearly blackened Brussels sprouts is served on a plate of yogurt and tossed in a maple syrup and pancetta dressing. A hard-boiled egg tops it off. Read more.
The facturas here are a metaphor for Argentina's diverse culture: In the not-too-sweet flaky layers lies the influence of Italian, French and German immigrants -- and a rich dulce de leche filling. Read more.
Pepperoni + Jalapenos = The Hottie. Wash it down with some Allagash White. Read more.
The kitcha fitfit is a rustic Eritrean staple that Aurora excels at. Crusty flatbread is tossed in clarified butter, fenugreek, cardamom, garlic and the crimson chili berbere. Read more.
