Good pizza to be had at Don Antonio mid-town.
We went Saturday night and it was so good we returned on Monday for lunch before we left town.

For a fun experience, there is also Stanton Social on the Lower East Side -- very hip crowd, small plates designed for sharing, and plenty of vegetarian / fish / poultry selections. Non-touristy. Cool cocktails for the grownups and a cool vibe for the teenagers.

Banjara in Ashburn is our favorite place, if you are looking out in that direction.

Corduroy is a winner in the District of Columbia. It's small, cozy, private, and comfortable. The meat dishes offer some real winners, from the char-grilled pork (among the best dishes I have had in years) to the antelope with chestnut puree (companions raved about this). No open fire, but otherwise it would fit the bill.

I have also recently enjoyed a meal at L'Auberge Chez Francois, which -- if the group is willing to venture a trek out to Great Falls -- provides a lovely drive up the Potomac, rewarded by some very good Alsatian cooking (for us, choucroute and amazing frites).

Yes, Proof is so dark you need a flashlight to read the menu (which, IIRC, they will provide ...). Great food, great wine, not too loud, a lovely place ...

We recently had an awesome meal at the newly-reopened Lebanese Taverna in Woodley Park. I ordered the trio of condiments (lebneh, harissa, tahini) to go with my roast lamb dish. Nobody who has sampled the harissa would accuse LebTav of being tame. The new space is beautiful and we particularly enjoyed the fried artichoke appetizer and roast lamb entree.

We liked Da Dong -- awesome duck and a very welcoming atmosphere. We also ate at Duck de Chine, which we liked less (and where we were charged $45 for two bottles of water and a pitcher od iced tea). Also highly recommend Chuan Ban for Sichuan food from heaven.

If price is really no object then Corduroy is a good bet.

> SundeVich is an awesome sandwich shop about six blocks from the Grand Hyatt, well worth the walk.

> Mayur Kabab is a very good Pakistani place with a nice lunch buffet (Friday is the best day IMO). Of course this may not be much of a diversion for Torontonians (sp?) such as yourselves.

> Franklin Square, near your hotel, is a mecca for food trucks during the week which can offer some of the best reasonably priced ethnic food around. The lines are pretty indicative of which ones are the best.

> Oyamel is a fun mexican small plates place by Jose Andres. Not cheap, but really fun!

For Chinese in that area, it is worth the drive to Chantilly to Sichuan Garden for carryout from their authentic Sichuan menu (not the nasty steam table fare they have out in the restaurant).

If you are a fan of creative cooking AND Thai food, you might enjoy Little Serow in Dupont Circle.

Ripple is a casual, comfortable farm-to-table restaurant in Cleveland Park, a nice neighborhood in Northwest DC. They feature an interesting selection of cheeses and house-made charcuterie (plus some local specials); a selection of appetizers, smaller plates, and larger plates focusing on local and seasonal ingredients. One feature that we particularly appreciate is the "Six-for-$6" wine list, with six wines priced at $6 per glass -- in our experience these have been nice wines, worth drinking!

Nostos (Boone Bvd). has had some decent reviews. We haven't been but plan to go.

My wife is partial to Cafe Deluxe, which is connected to a furniture store across the street from the Tysons mall. I like the food but it's too loud for me.

Woo Lae Oak is a nice Korean place on Rte 7 near Rte. 123. There are cheaper Korean places with food just as good, but not right at Tysons.

"Local treats off the beaten path" in DC proper: 1) Cleveland Park - cool neighborhood on the metro, near the zoo, nice for walking around. Lots of places to stop and eat (Lavandou, Ardeo/Bardeo) but my favorite is Ripple. Fresh and creative cooking, unusual charcuterie with plenty of house-made treats, very friendly staff, really nice specials on wine by the glass. 2) If you are in the Convention Center area or downtown, grab a sandwich at Taylor Gourmet. Lots to choose from. In my travels on the West Coast, I have not encountered sandwiches like these. Faves include chicken cutlet with provolone and broccoli rabe, and the Landfill (ham, turkey, salami, provolone, etc). 3) Or - if you really want to go off the beaten path - head to Fast Gourmet on 14th Street and treat yourself to the Chivito. It is a monster sandwich with beef tenderloin, ham, bacon, melted mozzarella, olive spread, and hard boiled egg. They've got other great sandwiches too, including the single best tuna salad that I ever ate. BTW, it's in a gas station.

We were there a couple of weeks back. The best we had was pretty good (charcuterie, agnolotti). The worst was downright awful ("Jersey Shore" pizza with soggy fried calamari). It'll be awhile before we go back.

We just ate at the Green Room last week (8/10) so if it is closed, it was recent!
The food was excellent and the vibe is what OP is looking for - advanced beyond brewpub stage. Standouts from our table of four included the caprese salad and the smoked duck.

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Green Room
86 Saint Paul St Ste 2, Burlington, VT 05401

Ripple has the following soup on its summer menu:

chilled corn soup, charred octopus, gaeta olives, cilantro 9

Sounds pretty yummy to me!

Bibiana is the closest analog to Babbo that we have found in DC. It's a little more 'chic' and it doesn't have music from Mario's IPod, but the staff are real friendly and the food is out of this world. It is just a block or two away from 14th and I.

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Bibiana
1100 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005

Obrycki's on Pratt Street in Baltimore - about 5 minutes from I-95.
This hallowed landmark of crab-dom is closing in November.
Get 'em while you can!

I am a huge fan of Cochon -- it's my favorite place in New Orleans and I go there whenever I visit. I've been about a dozen times and worked my way through just about the entire menu.

The one place that I have found in DC that comes close is Ripple, in Cleveland Park. They really know their way around a pig -- whether it is the down-home charcuterie, the bacon-scented pecans, or the use of cracklings in multiple dishes. They bring the country sensibility to the city. The same is true of their pickled vegetables, which evokes the cucumber salad at Cochon (a particular favorite of mine).

Ripple is in a charming space and the servers are enthusiastic and friendly. The beer and wine list impressive and favorably-priced. The pace is unhurried (some would say languid) you will not want to rush!

P

Went today at noon. No wait, plenty of tables. Split the Chivito and Cubano with a friend. The Chivito is a magnificent sandwich -- the combination of the egg, olive, beef, and other ingredients was just perfect. I didn't think it was too big for one person to finish, but maybe I am a glutton. My friend pronounced it the best sandwich in DC, and I think it is right up there with the Pattison Avenue at Taylor Gourmet. Not as much love for the Cubano. The fries were thin, crispy, nicely seasoned - a nice bonus.

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Taylor Gourmet
Washington, DC, Washington, DC

1) Highlight and put an asterisk next to Taylor Gourmet. It's right in the neighborhood and has some of the best sandwiches in town. Pattison Avenue (roast pork, broccoli rabe, sharp provolone) is a Board fave. I like the chicken cutlet subs and the Italian cold cut subs just as much.

2) I haven't seen mention of Ripple in Cleveland Park. Because they are fanatical about their sourcing, their repertoire varies from week to week or even day to day, but it centers around fresh, local, and interesting dishes.

3) Having moved to the DC area after living in California, I agree that our Chinese restaurants simply cannot compete with and do not compare to what is available there. For a Californian who loves Chinese food, anyplace in DC's Chinatown is bound to be a disappointment.

4) One more - Tabard Inn in Dupont Circle is a nice place to go for a cozy and romantic brunch, esp. on a cold weekend day.

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Tabard Inn
1739 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Taylor Gourmet
1116 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Try Ripple. Farm-to-table to the max, near Cleveland Park metro, stylish but not stuffy.

Having spent the better part of a month in NOLA over the past year, my two fine-dining dinner recommendations would be August and Commanders Palace. For lunches, try to include Herbsaint, and don't bother with Mothers.

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Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

Another place to enjoy beers and food in Arlington is Thirsty Bernie (Glebe Road). Excellent beer selection, food is still good IMO post-Stachowski.

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Thirsty Bernie
2163 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22207

Out-of-towners visiting with family group ISO good Indian or Szechwan on West Side from 40th Street (or so) north to 90th Street (or so). Need not be fancy, just tasty.

How 'bout Zengo, an Asian/Latin fusion place with cool cocktails and $5 happy hour specials at the downstairs bar, plus (I think) some private space upstairs. It is practically next door to Verizon Center. Went there with my daughter (16 y/o) before the Caps game last week after Zaytinya couldn't take us. We both really enjoyed it.

I had one today. It is GOOD. The juicy pork, the tangy cheese, the chewy roll (love the sesame seeds!), and the savory broccoli rabe are a wonderful combination.

Obrycki's is our family's favorite crab house. If you go, get the biggest crabs you can and wash 'em down with pitchers of the house brew.

That said, if the members of your party have not eaten hard shell crabs before, they need to be warned in advance that the crabs are messy and there are aspects that are not appealing to the untrained eye. And it is a lot of work to get a (relatively) little meat. I have seen enough out-of-towners get squeamish over their first experience with hard-shell crabs that I rarely recommend a visit to people who have not been.

Nobody has mentioned 1789 in Georgetown, where (IIRC) gentlemen are required to wear a jacket.

Lovely place on a cold night when the fireplace is roaring.

Last time I went (two years ago) the food was very good too.

if you are heading out the access road you won't have to wait for traffic as there is separate access directly to dulles.

but if you want to find a place nearby and not at the airport, there are plenty of options.

sweetwater tavern in sterling is about 4 miles and a fave for sit-down meal with fun atmpsphere and good beers.

in herndon, masala wok is a good newcomer