DC Foodie
DC Foodie
Abby West
One lady's totally subjective and slightly bougie take on the DC dining scene. Not comprehensive, but definitely opinionated.
Started eating at these spots in June 2022...
Updated ago
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✅ Recommended
Brunch
Iron Gate Restaurant
@abby
My go to brunch place specifically because it’s not sceney or bottomless mimosa-y. If that’s your vibe, go elsewhere!
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Lunch
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Bandit Taco
@abby
Not amazing, but solid, and one of the cheaper dinner options available. I like the mushroom burrito. West gets Carne Asada.
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Fresh Baguette
@abby
Basically a classic French boulangerie (tho not quiiite as charming as Paris, or as cheap). We like the Parisian & Traditional sandwich, and the pain au chocolate is also quite good.
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Muchas Gracias
@abby
So good! And such a cute little interior. Like everything I seem to like in DC, it's pricey. The sweet potato burrito is so elevated and great. With (expensive, but filling) chips & unique salsas including a salsa macha, you could split 1 burrito for lunch. Carne Asada is also good.
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YELLOW Georgetown
@abby
Cafe with Levantine food (middle eastern-ish). French/Middle Eastern style baked goods.
Best coffee in town. Creative coffee drinks but also just good baristas for regular espresso drinks.
Lunch is great - pita sandos, salads (a bit too small to be a main), shakshuka.
Dinner is excellent - pizzas, salad and dips.
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Dinner
$$$
Maydan
@abby
Best meal we’ve had in DC so far. Spendy, but amazing flavor. We ate outside in the spacious alley dining room, but inside is where the magic happens because of the open flame.
Cocktails are excellent
With 2 drinks and the tasting menu, around $140 pp
Update: have eaten here 3 times and never disappoints.
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Causa/ Amazonia
@abby
This review is for Bar Amazonia (the upstairs, more casual bar), only -- haven't tried Cause (the sit-down, tasting menu downstairs).
Great food - unique takes on Peruvian classics and they really focus on trying to use unusual ingredients. Servers are also happy to talk about ingredient sourcing and what makes each dish special.
Pricey, but we also ordered much more food than we needed. Favorite dish was the INGUIRI NIGIRI, which uses pork as the meat and plantain as the rice, but eats like sushi.
Great cocktails as well. Would be great for just a cocktail and snack if you want to eat more things in one day/evening.
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Tiger Fork
@abby
Great Chinese food, trendy vibes, and friendly service. Stuff does run out, so be prepared for that if you come on the later side. Prices are high-ish, but portions are also quite large.
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$$
Amparo Fondita
@abby
Fancy Mexican. Excellent. You could spend a lot here but you can also get a full meal for two by splitting a main and an app. The portions are big. Don’t bother with chips and salsa. Get the cochinita pibil.
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Daru
@abby
Creative Indian - Rec from district delicious: duck kebab, burrata in daal, lamb shank.
From Michelin:
At the bar-counter set abuzz with vibrant tunes, the kitchen team takes classic Indian cuisine in a novel direction. Is that blue cheese on your tandoor-grilled chicken kebabs? Yes, indeed. Matched with sour cherry reduction and cashews, it's as enticing a preparation as the boldly spiced minced bison momos. Nariyal lamb shank is rich and robust with saffron, chili and coconut. Sop up the heady sauce with light basmati rice and call it a night.
Also a top resto from NYT and Washingtonian.
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Lapis
@abby
Afghan bistro. Fun with a few people so you can share plates. Get a few starters - dumplings and breads are great. Grilled meats are excellent. Veggie dishes also good. Can’t really go wrong! There’s a speakeasy bar in basement.
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Martha Dear
@abby
Greek + sourdough neopolitan style pizza. Appetizers and small plates were great - the lamb hummus was the standout. Americano cocktail also excellent.
Regular cheese pizza was fine, but nothing special. Lacked salt.
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2 Amys
@abby
Still great. Ambience and food both deliver. Casual, comfortable, but impeccable. Service is included in the prices.
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Das Ethiopian Cuisine
@abby
White tablecloth Ethiopian in Georgetown. Get a vegetarian sampler and a meat sampler. They require 1 entree per person.
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$
Beau Thai Mount Pleasant
@abby
Best Thai we've found in the city so far. Flavors are good, but be warned that portions are like 1/2 what you'd get at other takeout spots, but the prices are the same.
Only ever gotten delivery, so can't speak to interior/ambiance.
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Dumplings and Beyond
@abby
Dumpling place! Get the wood ear mushroom appetizer as well.
Can get the dumplings uncooked and then cook yourself at home. Also serve greasy spoon Chinese takeout which is okay but dumplings are the star.
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Menya Hosaki
@abby
Excellent ramen! I got the spicy shorty broth. Very good. Had karaage appetizer, also good.
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CHIKO
@abby
Chinese-Korean, and really good! Same people as Anju, but this is cheaper and better.
Got the fried chicken (a touch sweet but still good), bulgogi & rice cakes, sesame noodles, and the green beans. Would order all again, but the rest of the menu also looks great so may have to try new things!
I got this for take out, but I've been told you can sit at the bar and they make you some of everything.
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🙅🏻♀️Wouldn't Go Back
Just not worth the money
Anju
@abby
Totally fine, and decent interior, but the food was just a little blah, and at roughly $80 for two with tip, but without drinks, it just wasn't worth the money.
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Simply Banh Mi
@abby
Take-out only. Pho is awful. Haven’t tried the bahn mi, which, to be fair, is what the name implied I should have ordered (but not what I was looking for!). Not likely to go back to try.
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Compliments Only
@abby
It was fine but pricey sandwich (basically $20) and had tons of mayo and not a lot of flavor. Maybe an Italian style sub would be better.
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Han Palace Georgetown
@abby
There are a few of these spots around town and unfortunately it’s just not that good and overpriced. Some people may like it for a brunch vibe but I’d skip it.
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🤷🏻♀️ On the List...
Haven't tried these spots yet, but hoping to soon!
Lutèce.
@abby
Looks cute! Walked by and seemed vibey. Lots of outdoor seating. French looking.
Menu looks pricey but would be good date night when we want to go fancier.
Same restaurant group as The Berliner.
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Heat Da Spot Café
@abby
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Duck Duck Goose
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Rice Market
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ala
@abby
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Maketto
@abby
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Baan Siam
@abby
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Kismet Modern Indian
@abby
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Opening soon
- Rosedale (American, Conn Ave by Bread Furst)
- Buffalo & Bergen (American, Cleveland Park)
- Rimtang (Thai, Georgetown)
- Osteria Mozza (Italian, Georgetown)
- Alara (MidEast, Georgetown)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abby West
Cofounder @ Thatch 📍Washington, DC
My favorite way to get under the skin of a place is to eat! I always seek out new dishes and ingredients that are local to the place I'm visiting. My ideal day in a new city involves wandering the streets of a new neighborhood to get a feel for its energy, ducking into an art gallery or museum to see something inspiring, and then stopping for an afternoon coffee and chocolate chip cookie. At night, you'll more likely find me in a cocktail bar than a club. I also love to hike, camp, and be near the ocean!
I lived for 8 years in San Francisco, and spent extended time in Lima, Peru and Mombasa, Kenya. Even though I've moved back to my hometown of Washington, DC, I still stay up to date on the SF food scene and travel back often for work! I'm pretty tapped into the DC food and coffee scene.
Conversational in Spanish. Have some rusty Swahili.
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