A couple of years ago 2941 did a great Halloween menu, complete with a spooky eyeball dessert! Are there any chow-worthy restaurants doing anything similar this year?

Youre going to hear alot about Ray's the Steaks. If you like mediocre food, go for it. If you like something delicious with decent service, there are better choices.

Given what you wrote, you might like Taqueria Nacional down on Capitol Hill. Yum. Try the agua frescas in particular....

-----
Taqueria Nacional
400 N Capitol St NW, Washington, DC

Great question!

I would have to say that 2941 delivered. My wife and I both loved it.

Having said that, I am continuously amazed that Ray's rates like this. I just don't see it.

As someone who spent some time (ahem) at some our area's finer steakhouses, here are some thoughts:
Ruth Chris - its not bad, there just isnt anything to recommend it
Mortons: great bar specials at happy hour. Downtown location allows you to smoke cigars on the patio. Food is great, but nothing really spectacular
The Palm- if you are a regular, you cant go wrong. But all you have to do is engage the staff. The food is as good as it gets. And their summer lobster deal is fantastic.
Cap Grille- stuffy and corporate, their food is great. The calimari is the best in the city.
Bobby Vans- I know some people love it here, but I have yet to get a good piece of meat and the staff CONSTANTLY tries to up-sell me. Seriously, Im already spending enough. Dont push me to a higher bottle of wine.
BLT- their food is very good, and you get a lot of little things you wouldnt get from other places: sauces, popovers, pate, a better selection of vegetables. You are going to pay, but it is a fun, delicious experience
J&G/Bourbon: you are on the more "cutting edge" of the steak house world here. If you want meat and spuds, go somewhere else. But if you want to expand out (a bit), both of these places are great.
Prime Rib is a fun Mad Men-esque throwback. Food is good. Nice for a special occasion.
Ray's. Mediocre. Food is ok. Not great. Service rushes you which is aggravating. Prices are good. If I lived in the neighborhood I would go there, but I would never cross the river again to go there. Its a good bargain for a mediocre meal.
Charlie Palmers, food is great. Never had a problem with the service. Elegant setting, if a bit out if the way.

The comprehensiveness of this post makes me think I may want to go to the gym now...

-----
Prime Rib
2020 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006

BlackSalt on Reservoir is a very good market.

-----
BlackSalt
4883 MacArthur Blvd., Washington, DC 20007

I feel like I am taking my life in my hands saying this - as I have pointed it out before and received some spirited commentary - Rays the Steaks is mediocre

I will be in Connecticut for a full day next week along the 84 corridor between Danbury and Hartford. I can have lunch and dinner before I go, and I can structure my day however I like.

I have already been to Nardellis and Spartans Pizza in Waterbury and Capitol Lunch in New Britain. Thought they were all great. But haven't been around much otherwise.

So what do you think? Where should I have lunch? Dinner?

-----
Capitol Lunch
510 Main St, New Britain, CT 06051

I concur on Foster Harris. It was great and added to our entire experience.
It is just a short walk from the Inn.
(For context, I have never stayed at the Inn so can't comment on it relatively speaking).

Ray's The Steaks seems to be the default steak house recommendation on this board. I would like to spend a few sentences discussing why it is not so great.

1. The dining experience. Advance reservations are not accepted. Why not? Is this Olive Garden? There is a group oif 50 people standing outside the dining room waiting to get in. That is not my idea of the start of a good dining experience. Then you get to your table, and you are seated within inches of the next party. While many restaurants use bistro style seating, none that I have experienced try to squeeze as many people into as few square feet as this place does. Finally, the waiters are rude and rush guests out of the restaurant as fast as possible, presumably to turn over the table. For the money I am paying, I expect a better dining experience.

2. The food. It's a steak house. You don't need to do that much. Have excellent quality meat, well-butchered and cooked perfectly. Offer good sides to complement the meal. Nobody is expecting Jose Andres-quality innovation. But what they do, they better do well. And I'm sorry, the steaks are just not that great. They aren't bad, but it isn't great meat. And in my experience, the kitchen does not understand what rare means. This wouldn't be a problem if I could find my waiter and point this out to him. But unfortunately, he clearly has too many tables and is trying to turn them over (see Point 1) as fast as he can, so once your meat is down, you won't see him again until the plates are cleared. Meanwhile, the sides, two which come free (a supposed great selling point) are really not that great. Kind of plain actually. They aren't disgusting, but they aren't anything to write home about either.

3. The wine. Wine list here is adequate. It isn't great. But it isn't terrible. In fact, I'd probably say it's mediocre.

4. The prices. Supposedly, people come here because it is a great meal at a reasonable price. Yeah, it's not a bad meal. But this place isn't cheap. Sure you get your 2 sides for free, but you are paying premium prices and a dinner for two with wine is still going to set you back a pretty penny. Steaks are about ten bucks cheaper per cut than Morton's or the Palm. But these aren't Outback Steakhouse prices. You're still dropping $30 bucks on a filet. Sure you can get a hanger steak for less. But you can go to JG steakhouse and get a $25 hanger steak too. If you know what to order, you can eat very well for less money at any restaurant, but overall, while it's cheaper than the big chain steakhouses, it's still pricey.

You aren't going to have a bad meal at Ray's. And if someone invited me along, I would go happily. I like the place in general. But I don't understand the adulation for this place. I just don't believe that the experience, the prices, the food or the wine list merits it as one of the gems of our area.

-----
Ray's The Steaks
2300 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201

Urban is the best bbq in the area.

-----
Urban Barbecue Co
2007 Chapman Ave, Rockville, MD 20852

In no particular order:
Komi
2941
CityZen
Indique Heights
Equinox
Zaytinya
Sushi Taro
Plume
Kinkeads
Minibar

Have yet to try Volt. Honorable mentions include Taqueria Nacionale, The Palm, Capital grille, Blue Ridge, Good Stuff Eatery, Proof, Brasserie Beck, Bens Chili Bowl, Oceanaire

JR's Stockyards Inn. It is right at the Tysons Corner mall, near Crate and Barrell. I had been passing by it for years, and on a lark, my wife and I stopped in. It was fantastic. the steaks are big, juicy and perfectly prepared. There is a really solid and reasonably priced, though somewhat limited, wine list. Sides are good, and the bread is fantastic. The crackers on the table when you arrive are unncessary, but a homey touch. The prices are far better than many of the chains. Discovering this hidden gem gave me a new addition to add to my Palm, Mortons, Cap Grille, BLT circuit.