Chow Lists

• 1. Westend Bistro

  1190 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

  The floor-to-ceiling windows may make the Secret Service flinch, but transparency is one of the appeals of this see-and-be-seen bistro on the ground floor of the Ritz-Carlton, D.C. WestEnd is the creation of Eric Ripert, of New York's award-winning Le Bernardin restaurant, and when the dashing silver-haired chef is in the house, manning a station in the open kitchen or table-hopping to greet the likes of House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, there's an extra dazzle here. But the food—rustic fare prepared with modern French techniques—is always flawless. The <i>en croute</i> mini pork pies are a down-home spin on pate, the Chesapeake bay stew abundant with shellfish in an aromatic saffron broth, and the roasted chicken for two—a specialty of the house—is a two-day affair, brined for 24 hours, then air dried for another 24 hours to produce the crispiest skin ever to grace a fowl. The wine list, with its emphasis on California labels, is well priced. At the elliptical marble bar, the convivial crowd mostly opts for cocktails, including the WestEnd cocktail—a mix of pomegranate vodka, Triple Sec, lemon and pomegranate juice.

• 2. Fahrenheit Restaurant

  3100 South Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

  The 86-room Ritz-Carlton Georgetown—known as "Baby Ritz" in D.C. hotel circles—is built on the site of what was once a municipal incinerator. You can spot the place from blocks away by the 130-foot-high smokestack. Heat is the theme here, from the fireplace that dominates the lobby and the fireballs offered at the front desk, to the Degrees Bar and Lounge, and Fahrenheit, the signature restaurant. The heat continues with the guests; Hollywood hotshots, including Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, Pamela Anderson, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, standing in for the usual Washington politicos. Take a winding staircase up to Fahrenheit and you enter a dramatic room with soaring ceilings and oversized windows. The menu, divided into "land" and "sea," features high-quality ingredients showcased in contemporary preparations: diver scallops with pancetta, pea puree and veal jus; grilled beef tenderloin with a Vidalia onion marmalade and paprika onion rings in a cabernet sauce. A nice twist: dishes are available in both appetizer and entrée sizes.

• 3. Hook

  3241 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

  In a city where every decision is fraught with conflict, Hook lets its customers, well, off the hook when it comes to choosing what to eat. The Georgetown restaurant is devoted to ocean conservation and every item on the menu—almost entirely seafood—has been vetted as environmentally sustainable and sourced to fishermen who follow humane, responsible practices. Overfished species, such as Chilean sea bass are replaced by more abundant, and less familiar, fish like barramundi and Kona Kampichi. The eco-consciousness doesn't end there: the menus are printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, wind energy credits were purchased to power the place, and the take-out containers are made from sugar-cane fiber. But what draws guests from the Bush daughters to Madeleine Albright isn't just the politically correct sushi, but the liveliness of both the room (with a communal table that seats 14) and the preparations (ivory salmon in a chorizo vinaigrette or arctic char with fried-green tomatoes and a sundries tomato aioli). Not to be missed: the homemade s'mores from award-winning pastry chef Heather Chittum.

• 4. Ceiba

  701 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

  An easy walk from The White House, Ceiba (pronounced SAY-bah) offers a culinary kaleidoscope of all-American fare. South American, that is, with an emphasis on Yucatan, Brazilian, Peruvian and Cuban food. In a festive series of dining rooms, decorated with tropical palms, colorful murals and a sky-blue domed ceiling, you can start with a classic Brazilian caipirinha or a mojito topped with champagne and a sampler of four ceviches, crispy conch fritters or mussels steamed in beer. Move on to an entrée of braised pork shank served <i>feijoada</i> style with layers of beans, rice and collard greens (be warned: the size of this dish will inspire stares), a Brazilian shellfish stew or a whole red snapper dressed with tomatoes, olives, capers and pickled jalapeno. Ask your waitperson to bag half of your entrée, if you must, but make sure to save room for dessert, including <i>churros</i> dipped in hot fudge (Katie Couric's choice when she dined here).

• 5. D C Coast Restaurant

  1401 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

  This titanic two-story seafood restaurant in downtown D.C. boasts a couple of firsts. It's located in what was the city's first Art Deco office building—the space was formerly a bank—and it was the first restaurant in the city to feature an open kitchen. No doubt, it's also the first eatery to greet patrons, who have included everyone from Newt Gingrich to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas and Lance Armstrong-- with a mammoth stone mermaid at its entrance. Hang out the bar, sipping a bellini or a "perfect storm" martini (Goslings Rum, Miller Lite, ginger simple syrup) and chowing down on mini cheeseburger sliders, blue point oysters, crispy calamari with Ipswich clams or a spicy shrimp quesadilla. At a table, the fare requires serious negotiation with flatware: the tottering tower of crab (crisp soft-shell crab, crab cake and sweet corn succotash), Chinese-style smoked lobster, whole striped bass fried Hong-Kong style, or, the restaurant's most acclaimed item, a grilled double-cut pork chop served with sweet potato puree and fruit chutney. For dessert, practice restraint and opt for the housemade sorbets or promise to practice restraint tomorrow and sink into the soufflé (it changes nightly) or the strawberry shortcake with lemon buttermilk ice cream.

• 6. Café Promenade

  1127 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036

  Yes, the Maryland crab cakes are almost all crab, the Black Angus steak a splendid piece of meat, and the pan-roasted duck breast with roasted figs in a teriyaki reduction a perfect balance of savory and sweet. But the real dish at this café, just four blocks from the White House, is history. The elegant room, with white tablecloths, beautiful chandeliers and a stunning skylight, is located in the historic Mayflower Hotel, which opened in 1925 for Calvin Coolidge's inauguration. During WWII, the café's tables were tented so government and military officials could keep their strategy talks private. More recently, Hillary and Barack held a private meeting here (something of a regular, he always opts for free-range chicken with basmati rice and steamed veggies, hold the oil). Other recent guests include CBS's Bob Schieffer, Ted Kennedy, Mohammad Ali, Dave Chappelle, and Bill Murray.

• 7. Café du Parc

  1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004

  From 6:30 a.m. when breakfast service begins to 10 at night when dinner ends, you can experience what has dubbed Paris on the Potomac, in this authentic French restaurant, adjacent to the Willard Hotel and two blocks from the White House. Former First Lady Laura Bush has been here for midafternoon tea and former James Bond, Sean Connery, for morning croissants and coffee. Lunch is the liveliest time, especially in warm weather when the patio opens up and diners eat al fresco under giant blue umbrellas. The menu features hearty bistro fare: a house salad of frisee, sharp blue cheese, a poached egg, croutons and crisp lardoons; a huge bowl of steamed mussels in a garlicky broth; braised leg of rabbit; parsley-encrusted pollack served with a creamy sauce of peas, asparagus, mussels, and poached quail eggs. Featured wines from France's southwest Aquitaine region are a mere $8 (white) and $9 (red) a glass.

See All CHOW Lists

See CHOW HQ's Lists

Create a New List