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From old staples to newcomers, Tom Sietsema's 40 picks reflect a changing culinary scene in the District, Maryland and Virginia. Below are his picks and tips for each.
1330 Maryland Ave SW (at 12th St SW), Washington, D.C.
New American Restaurant · Southwest Employment Area · 17 tips and reviews
Washington Post: If you want to see what separates the good from the great, book a table at this coolly elegant restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and get a master class in the good life.
Indian Restaurant · Penn Quarter · 193 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Rasika in Penn Quarter could easily rest on its considerable laurels, but instead improves on what it does by every year adding fresh reasons to drop in.
1511 17th St NW (at Church St NW), Washington, D.C.
Thai Restaurant · Northwest Washington · 58 tips and reviews
Washington Post: This underground, 28-seat restaurant specializes in the hot, sour and herby notes of northeastern Thailand, doesn't take reservations and offers only a seven-course, family-style menu.
501 9th St NW (9th St NW between E and F St NW), Washington, D.C.
Cocktail Bar · Penn Quarter · 74 tips and reviews
Washington Post: If you want a taste of tomorrow today, reserve a seat at this futuristic lounge adjoining Minibar, the daring dinner theater from Spanish ambassador Jose Andres.
New American Restaurant · West End · 202 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Handsome quilts create a restful backdrop to the assured, farm-to-table cooking of the Texas-born, French-trained Sebastien Archambault.
Washington Post: You don't have to like meat to warm up to the city's best steakhouse. While grilled beef is the centerpiece, chef John Critchley stocks his menu with all sorts of temptations from field and stream.
Italian Restaurant · Logan Circle - Shaw · 43 tips and reviews
Washington Post: The big talent at tiny Etto in Logan Circle is Cagla Onal-Urel, a Turkish native whose Italian small plates underscore the idea that simple can be sublime.
French Restaurant · Logan Circle - Shaw · 314 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Le Diplomate, under the care of executive chef Adam Schop, executes a perfect omelet, an expert steak au poivre, a divine apple tart, everything delivered by some of the best servers in the city.
1813 Columbia Rd NW (at Biltmore St NW), Washington, D.C.
New American Restaurant · Adams Morgan · 93 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Cedric Maupillier is a master of turning familiar recipes into quiet sensations. His menu is French but also American, which means he incorporates ideas from around the world.
1099 New York Avenue NW (11th Street NW), Washington, D.C.
Italian Restaurant · Downtown-Penn Quarter-Chinatown · 44 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Chef Fabio Trabocchi comes from a four-star background -- the late, great Maestro in Tysons Corner -- evinced here by the way he approaches even basic food.
Ramen Restaurant · Chinatown · 285 tips and reviews
Washington Post: There are two ways to experience this restaurant: Stay on the ground floor to sip the broth and slurp the noodles of Sapporo-style ramen or go upstairs to order from a menu small plates.
Jewish Restaurant · Connecticut Avenue - K Street · 74 tips and reviews
Washington Post: DGS is no standard-issue deli. For starters, the Dupont Circle outpost comes with a bar. Further, the kitchen is more respectful than reverential regarding tradition.
Washington Post: Part Thai, part Vietnamese, Doi Moi is pleasure. Mark Kuller (Proof, Estadio) and chef Haidar Karoum returned from Southeast Asia to create flavors that some foodists compare to Little Serow.
1520 14th St NW (at Church St NW), Washington, D.C.
Spanish Restaurant · Logan Circle - Shaw · 159 tips and reviews
Washington Post: True to its name, this Spanish retreat in Logan Circle can be noisy as a "stadium" at full tilt. But good small plates and sherry cocktails are worth any ruckus.
Belgian Restaurant · Palisades · 26 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Every neighborhood deserves an Et Voila!, a source of Belgian steamed mussels and beer-based beef stew that is priced for regular workdays.
Washington Post: Every day feels like Oktoberfest at everyone's favorite beer garden. The fence-enclosed picnic tables on 14th Street NW are some of the most prized seats in the city.
Japanese Restaurant · U-Street · 62 tips and reviews
Washington Post: With its small plates and fresh fish, this serene Japanese restaurant, just 40 seats on two floors, attracts Japanese speakers in droves.
Greek Restaurant · U-Street · 114 tips and reviews
Washington Post: The latest and perhaps greatest idea (yet) from "Top Chef" veteran Mike Isabella. At this Greek restaurant, the familiar flavors are all accounted for, but the presentations are up to the minute.
Washington Post: The trendiest Korean barbecue around is a group-friendly and thoughtful place to feast on meat that's grilled at your table and comes with a swarm of tasty side dishes.
Indian Restaurant · Glover Park · 6 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Introduced in February by the owners of the steady Heritage India above it, the offshoot makes a great compromise for diners who eschew meat and those who embrace it.
800 Connecticut Ave NW (at H St NW), Washington, D.C.
New American Restaurant · Connecticut Avenue - K Street · 23 tips and reviews
Washington Post: The second-most-famous oval room in Washington is the one owned by Ashok Bajaj. Top gun Tony Conte delights in slipping surprises into his cooking.
Mexican Restaurant · Penn Quarter · 326 tips and reviews
Washington Post: This Mexican playground from creator Jose Andres is a trailblazer. Thanks to recent expansion next door, it's also more comfortable than ever.
1822 1st St NW (at Seaton Pl NW), Washington, D.C.
Italian Restaurant · LeDroit Park - Bloomingdale · 86 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Intriguing wines at user-friendly prices make this bustling newcomer in Bloomingdale worth crossing town for, but so, too, does the relaxed Italian cooking from Michael Friedman.
New American Restaurant · Cleveland Park · 56 tips and reviews
Washington Post: It would be easy just to drink dinner at this dashing attraction in Cleveland Park, where the sophisticated cocktails and carefully curated wine list elevate Ripple.
523 8th St SE (btwn E & G St SE), Washington, D.C.
Eastern European Restaurant · Capitol Hill · 75 tips and reviews
Washington Post: The rustic, two-floor room is no mere novelty act. Influenced by Greece, Turkey, Austria and Hungary, the robust food is good anytime, fall and winter best of all.
Washington Post: How does chef-owner Patrick O'Connell do it after all these decades at one of the most famous addresses in the food world? I believe in magic.
Italian Restaurant · Cathedral Heights · 23 tips and reviews
Washington Post: Roberto Donna cooks dinner for a mere four diners at a kitchen counter at Roberto’s 4, a restaurant-within-a-restaurant inside Al Dente.