eam531's Profile
Very small wedding venue (8 people or less) in the DC or NoVA area
Yes, that is what I was talking about too--we went to the 'nice' restaurant upstairs. The idea of being in a nice restaurant for a wedding and having to fight your way through crowds in the tavern in the basement to use the bathroom is pretty unappealing, I'm sorry. I didn't like doing it when we went there for dinner.
Very small wedding venue (8 people or less) in the DC or NoVA area
The last time I was at Darlington House, I had to go downstairs into the noisy tavern that shares the building in order to use the restroom. I thought that was a turnoff. If there are now restrooms upstairs at Darlington House, my apologies, but I would have zero desire to hold a wedding in that venue.
Five days, many meals, special snowflake details.
Jeserf has some great suggestions. Soupergirl is great (I take the Takoma Metro every day); it isn't a destination; but there are wonderful soups and salads and it's all vegan.
Teaism and Sticky Fingers are excellent suggestions too.
You could also try Jaleo (Spanish tapas) and Zaytinya (Middle Eastern small plates/tapas)--both of these restaurants have vegan options.
Another thought is Java Green. There is one in downtown DC and they have a sister establishment called Cafe Green in Dupont Circle. These are basically cafes, but they have vegan and raw selections.
I'm vegan myself, so these are the places I enjoy going.
Have a great trip.
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Jaleo
480 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004
Sticky Fingers Bakery
1904 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Teaism
2009 R St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Java Green Cafe
1020 19th Street N W, Washington, DC
Zaytinya
701 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Cafe Green Java Green
1517 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
Jaleo or 1789?
ITA with Crackers.
Corduroy is one of my favorite 'occasion' restaurants in town. The food is wonderful, the setting is lovely, and yes, you can converse.
Viener Schnitzel
Not to sound like a pedant, but it's actually *Wiener* Schnitzel (but pronounced as you spelled it.)
You might try Old Europe or Cafe Berlin or Leopold's Kafe. All three are in DC. I'm not a meat eater so can't comment on how these restaurants prepare this dish, but all three have it on the menu and all three restaurants are German or Austrian.
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Leopold's Kafe
3318 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Cafe Berlin On Capital Hill
322 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC
Old Europe
2434 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
Mexican/Salvadorian place that is somewhere between a hole in the wall and Oyamel?
It's not Salvadoran, but Casa Oaxaca on 18th St. in Adams Morgan might be one to think about. It's authentic Mexican food--not the mom-and-pop taqueria type of authentic (which is delicious too, but not what you asked for.)
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Casa Oaxaca
2106 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009
Restaurant Eve (Epic Fail)
Did you take ANY of this up with the *manager* at the time? Not the waiter, not the sommelier, but the MANAGER?
It sounds like you had a really bad experience, and I'm sorry about that, but there isn't anything folks on Chowhound can do about it. The only person who could have handled this is the manager, whom I would have asked to speak to right away after that appetizer course if this had happened to me (I'm vegetarian, too).
I've never heard of a restaurant "running out" of vegetables. Something about this is hinky.
It's a shame this happened, but if you are having a lousy dining experience, especially at a high-end place like Restaurant Eve, the management needs to know about it tout suite.
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Restaurant Eve
110 South Pitt Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Persian dive in Rockville - Sadaf Halal
Reviving an old thread.
My husband and I LOVE this place. I'm vegetarian and get the hummous and one of the salads; my husband always gets a kebab.
What's really great is that if you ask, they will give you the crusty rice from the bottom of the pot!!! Just delicious!! Oh, and when we ask, they always give us extra little cups of chopped up hot peppers, which we mix with our salad (me) and rice (husband).
We keep meaning to try Yekta and will sometime soon, but we like Sadaf so much that it is hard to think about going someplace else.
Bistro Bis -
Re the crowd ... it's a mix. Since it's in a hotel, you get tourists; you also get professionals from the Hill (young and old). I don't know that I would say that it's a 'scene'; it's a well-run, nice restaurant.
Bistro Bis -
I've been there twice (once this past summer and once just a few weeks ago) and greatly enjoyed everything--food and service, and I think it is an attractive restaurant as well. I'm vegetarian and their veggie options have been excellent.
Good food around Union Station or not far from Metro?
Taqueria Nationale is right by Johnny's Half Shell. The problem is, no indoor seating, but the tacos are absolutely fantastic and it is a real Chow experience.
Ditto the recs for Bistro Bis and Bistro Cacao.
Also ditto the rec to go elsewhere--Gallery Place/Chinatown is a couple of stops from Union Station and has fabulous eating places.
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Bistro Bis
15 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Johnny's Half Shell
400 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Bistro Cacao
320 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Chicago hotdogs, Coney dogs, and Jersey deepfried bacon wrapped rippers headed to 8th Street SE
The center of the hot dog universe according to my husband is Buffalo. Ted's dogs are famous, and rightly so--absolutely fantastic. They are charcoal grilled right in front of you, and you can get this great hot sauce (their own recipe) and choice of fixings. The onion rings are terrific too. We went to Buffalo in September and stopped in at Ted's on the way into town from the airport!
http://www.tedsonline.com/
Georgia Avenue Between Shepherd Park
Just the raw/living food--raw 'pizza', raw 'lasagne', a terrific marinated kale salad. You need to call and ask what he has available, as I think he makes what he feels like making on any given day. I've also bought fresh coconut water from him as well--he whacks open the coconuts and sells the water by the pint/quart, IIRC.
Georgia Avenue Between Shepherd Park
My husband and I live in Brightwood, just below Shepherd Park. Here are some to think about:
Chez Auntie Libe is 'Senegambian' food--West African. It's at 6115 Georgia Avenue (between Quackenbos and Rittenhouse); phone number is (202) 531-2561. When my husband and I went there, the lady behind the cash register was doing everything--waiting tables, cooking--it's very 'homey' and pleasant, but just don't be in hurry for your food. Folks who have spent time in Africa (former Peace Corps, etc.) seem to love this place.
Fusion (4815 Georgia Avenue; (202) 726-2210) is *absolutely first-rate* Indian food. The chef-owner is a doll--lovely guy--and my husband and I love the food. I believe the chef-owner worked at Rasika before opening his own place--he lives right around the corner from his restaurant so he is really committed to the neighborhood. We go frequently, because the food is great and we want to support him; there is simply nothing else in its class in the immediate area, in our opinion. It's at the corner of Ga. Ave. and Delafield Place.
Right next door to Fusion is Moroni & Brothers (4811 Georgia Avenue (202) 829-2090)--it's a good pizza joint.
Nile Market and Restaurant (7815 Georgia Ave., right across from Morris Miller liquor store) is Ethiopian and according to some friends, quite authentic. It got some nice reviews on Yelp.
Teddy's Roti Shop (7304 Georgia Ave.)--a couple of blocks from Walter Reed--just up from the intersection of Geranium and Ga. Ave. I'm vegetarian and really liked the vegetarian roti that I ordered, plus they serve this really great ginger drink.
While not on Ga. Ave., one area cafe I like is Senbeb (6224 3rd St., N.W.). It's close to Coolidge High School and an easy walk from the Takoma Metro. The chef, Khepra Anu, is a raw foodist and makes really creative raw food meals as well as cooked vegan meals. This place is a cafe, not a sit-down restaurant, and no booze, but I love the food and think Khepra is a real asset to the community.
While not a small ethnic restaurant, if you haven't tried the Brightwood Bistro (corner of Ga. Ave. and Missouri), you might want to give it a visit. The chef made me a fantastic vegetarian meal that was easily the equal of what I used to get at Vegetate, and my husband liked his pork chops.
Domku is charming too; we go there frequently.
Hope this helps.
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Rasika Restaurant
633 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004
Domku Bar & Cafe
821 Upshur St NW, Washington, DC 20011
Senbeb Cafe
6224 3rd St NW, Washington, DC 20011
Teddy's Roti Shop
7304 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20012
Brightwood Bistro
5832 Georgia Ave. NW, washington, DC 20011
All Time Greatest Cheap Eats Washington
Ditto!! Max's felafel is amazing ... and the guys behind the counter are really kind to newbies who have never been there before. A huge felafel sandwich with zillions of toppings is a whopping $5.95. My husband raves about the shawarma--a whole one is $7.95. Wonderful place!
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Max's Kosher Cafe
2319 University Blvd West, Wheaton, MD 20902
Febuary is the month of the Vegetarian Experiment
One place we like is Fusion, on 4815 Georgia Avenue. It's an Indian place--directly next door to Moroni Brothers Pizza--and is a classy joint in a neighborhood where you wouldn't expect to find such. The chef/owner is a great guy--and he makes the crispy spinach appetizer (I believe he may have worked at Rasika). We have liked every single thing on the menu (can't speak for the desserts because we are usually too full from appetizers, bread, and entrees). You have got to try the asparagus and goat cheese uttapam and the crispy spinach appetizer, natch. Their vegetarian entrees are really good too--I'm vegetarian and even my non-veg husband orders veg entrees sometimes--and the agave margarita is terrific. I have to say that as a rule, the service isn't up to the standards of the terrific food, but my husband and I are regulars because we *really* want to see the chef make a go of this place ... and we really like the food. There is simply nothing else like it up our way (the Ga. Ave. wasteland between Petworth and Silver Spring).
Austin Grill? Newly Opened in C'Ville
The downhill slide of the AG is truly sad. My husband and I started going to the one in Old Town in 1990. We used to live in Austin in the mid-80s and the AG really was like the TexMex joints we frequented there. We loved it and were regulars and the waitstaff was wonderful. Now ... blech. Haven't been to the Old Town location in years but have been to the Penn Quarter location and the Silver Spring location.
Hard to believe now that Ann Cashion was a chef at AG back in the day. The food used to be really really good--I especially remember an excellent chile verde soup and a nopales salad, both of which were taken off the menu years ago.
Needless to say, we won't be going back there any more.
Orange Bitters- where to purchase locally?
You might try Schneider's liquor store on Capitol Hill. I was there quite recently and they have lots of different bitters and might have orange.
Schneider's of Capitol Hill
300 Mass. Ave. (a couple of blocks from Union Station)
202-543-9300
Best Croissants in DC?
I thought the croissants at Patisserie Poupon in Georgetown were wonderful. I haven't been in a few years, but I hope they are still as good as they used to be.
Patisserie Poupon
1645 Wisconsin Ave. NW
202-342-3248
Friend on a "raw cleansing regime"
One place you might think about trying is Vegetate. It's a vegetarian place by the new convention center. Perhaps the chef there might be open to making some of the dishes raw for your friend. This place is very hip-looking (not a crunchy granola cafe) and it has a liquor license.
http://www.vegetatedc.com/portal/home/
DC just is not in the same league as NYC and LA when it comes to high-end vegan/raw restaurants.
Friend on a "raw cleansing regime"
This person's friend is probably raw vegan, so Ceviche wouldn't work (unless they serve salads).
My own diet is about 80% raw, and as far as going out is concerned, there are simply are no high-end raw food restaurants here (that is, a restaurant that serves such good raw food that omnivores could happily eat there too). So when I go out with my husband or with friends, I eat cooked vegetarian food.
My suggestion would be to find a good restaurant for the omnivores that also serves excellent salads. This may not be easy (I just checked Nora's website, and all the salads include cooked ingredients). Perhaps some restaurant would be willing to put together a plate of nice crudites with some sort of dressing for your friend.
Bibimbap in a casual setting?
You can get bibimbap and a few other Korean dishes at Mark's Kitchen in Takoma Park:
http://www.markskitchen.com/
http://www.markskitchen.com/lunchDinnerMenuVegetarian.htm (has bibimbap. You can get it with meat or with an egg)
This place is owned and operated by Koreans and is walking distance from the Takoma metro.
I always order the bibimbap when I go there. It's quite casual, and you can order it for takeout.
Muesli and other healthy granola
You can find Familia muesli (made in Switzerland) with no added sugar or oil at lots of places in the area--Whole Foods, Rodman's, etc. This is the real thing. Granola often is made with lots of oil, which is why I stopped eating it decades ago and switched to authentic muesli. You can also make it yourself, which is what I do--it is way cheaper than buying it.
Pierogis in the District?
There are absolutely fantastic goat cheese pierogies sold at the Takoma Farmer's Market on Sunday morning:
http://www.takomaparkmarket.com/
The vendor selling the pierogies is Highfield Dairy--scroll down the page and you will see a map of the market; his stand is close to the clock. He also sells eggs and cheese and maybe meat as well. Those pierogies are wonderful ... as is the entire market.
Early Morning in the District
Pete's Diner on Capitol Hill (212 2nd St. SE), right across from the Madison Bldg. of the Library of Congress. It opens very early (or used to)--4:30 AM. You could call to find out (202-544-7335). Here is some info from the City Paper:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/food/restaurant.php?rID=2232
Migas?
I lived in Austin years ago--back in the early-to-mid-1980s. Kirby Lane cafe was a favorite place!
Austin Grill is a local chain, and has sadly gone downhill from its glory days when Ann Cashion worked there, but they do serve migas. In fact, the only thing I order now when I go there are egg dishes.
Locally Grown Food in DC- Restaurant Recs
Restaurant Nora
Jackie's
are two that I know of.
W Domku Bar & Cafe?
I completely agree with chris9b9.
My husband and I went several times; we live in the area and want to support them. I'm vegetarian and there were several things on the menu for me, but I learned to stick with the sandwich and appetizer options. I don't know if they still do this, but at least for awhile on a weekly basis they would offer themed menus--Mexican, Indian, Moroccan, etc. Once when the menu was Indian, I ordered the dessert--sticky rice and mango--and the texture was all wrong--like rice pudding on top of not-very-ripe mango slices. Truly bad.
My husband ordered entrees and had very mixed results. His experience with the kielbasa over kraut was that the kraut was SWIMMING in liquid--he had to tell the waitress to take it back and drain it. Other times he had salmon, or pork chops, and by his account they were okay; not great but acceptable.
My take on it is that the culinary ambitions outstrip the competence of the chef.
It is a good neighborhood bar, but we don't go there to eat anymore.
Lent: Pierogis/Fish Fry — Silver Spring/Wheaton/Etc.
This doesn't exist in SS.. However, if you go all the way out to Herndon, VA, you'll find Jimmy's Old Town Tavern, which is a place owned by a guy from Buffalo. They do the Friday night fish fry, have beef on weck, pierogies, etc. My husband is from Buffalo and he loved the place; very authentic, he said.
http://www.jimmystavern.com/
Fish 'n Chips in MD
I second the recommendation for the Royal Mile! Terrific fish & chips, and in this cold weather, sitting by the fire is just great.
