LeeK

I'm in DC for 2 days next week--open to a wide variety of dining experiences. Is there a particular restaurant I shouldn't miss? I'm particularly interested in any of the "local" spots that don't usually hit the typical tourist's radar screen.

jaydreb5

Try the Oval Room or Bombay Palace.

Flyboy

Washington is such a great place for dining out that it can be difficult to narrow things down, but here's one for your short list:

Georgia Brown's
915 - 15th Street NW

Telephone: 202-393-4499

This nicely furnished restaurant features southern cuisine, including chicken, catfish fingers, rock shrimp and fabulous seafood dishes. The menu may remind you of New Orleans. It's a nice ambiance with an upscale atmosphere and if you are lucky, you can get a window table overlooking McPherson Square, which is wonderfully active and just a couple of blocks northeast of the White House. That also means Georgia Brown's is convenient to the Washington metro (that's the name of your metro station: McPherson Square). There is outdoor dining in season as well as smoking/non-smoking areas. The servers know what they are doing and the food is well-presented and prepared by people who obviously know what they are doing.
(In my own case, I chose an elegant 10 oz. crab cake which was absolutely the best I've ever had.) A nice bottle of white wine from an adequate list of possibilities made it a very relaxing and tasteful lunch. The portions in this place won't send you away hungry, by the way -- they are large. There is a bar and the place can become crowded at popular times and evenings, so a reservation is a good idea.

Georgia Brown's is open Sunday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Dinner until 10:30 Sunday through Thursday, until 11:30 Friday and Saturday. Sunday brunch 11:30 to 2:30. Bon Appetit!

LN

These are some of my favorites and with the exception of Johnny's Half Shell have been here quite awhile:

Johnny's Half Shell
i Ricchi
Galileo
Old Ebbitt Grille (eat in the bar if possible)

rosco

If you're in the white house neighborhood and looking for lunch or breakfast, try the Bread Line on Penn. Ave between 17th & 18th, NW. It's not formal (no table service) and the food is the best. A typical lunch including entree, a glass of wine, creme brulee or other dessert and espresso is well under $15. The crowd is mostly World Bank & white house employees. Wine by the glass or bottle is almost "at cost". Also extensive selection of fruit juices and mineral waters. No soda pop. If it's a warm day and you prefer to eat outside, get there by noon (or after 1:00) to ensure a coveted outdoor table. Don't let the long line scare you - it moves VERY quick. Iv'e never waited more than a minute. At breakfast try the beignets (better than in New Orleans).

bookhall

Check chowhound.com . Lotta DC foodies hangout there.

angeleno

Two Dupont Circle area places I like are the Iron Gate and Tabard Inn. They're both on N Street between Conn and 17th. Lots of business lunch types.

jor

Check out the cafeteria in the lower level of the capital. They serve wonderful Freedom Fries. Its part of the tour called "Our tax dollars at work".

Budman

Check out all the seafood restaurants on Maine Avenue.

Ann41

Budman was kidding, I hope. The restaurants on Maine avenue serve bad, overpriced food.

Dinner: Bombay Palace is a good suggestion. I also like DC Coast and Jaleo.

Breakfast: Teaism at Dupont Circle.

Brunch: Martin's or Cafe LaRouche in Georgetown.

Takeout: Bon Apetit, known as The Bone to GW students, at 21st and I streets in Foggy Bottom.

Good burger, cheap beer, rude waitresses: The Tune Inn (also known as the Butt Bar) on Capitol Hill.

Great beer, good bar food: Brickskellar's in Dupont Circle.

Surprisingly good food: the Channel Inn in Chinatown/Penn Quarter (near the MCI Center. It's in the Red Roof Inn).

E

Lots of good choices here, but please, do avoid Maine Avenue--no offense intended, Budman, but they're all overpriced chains without a morsel of fresh food in sight.

Budman

It used to be nice in the summer, but I must admit it's been several years. Don't they still have the fresh seafood markets down there -- we used to get our crabs, etc there, of course that was in the mid-80's. Didn't realize it had gone to pot.

I stand corrected, and I'll be sure to avoid the place during my next trip to DC.

jaydreb5

Yes, the seafood markets are still there on Maine Ave. You can buy live or steamed crabs there which are pretty good.

LN

Yes Budman the outdoor fishstands are still selling down off Maine Avenue!! And most of us have had crabsfrom those places for years. It used to be great to bring the boat up the Potomac, stop and get some cooked crabs and shrimp and them go up under the 14th St bridge and drop Anchor near the Jefferson memorial.

I would bet that anyone wanting to have a picnic could still get some of those jumbo shrimp steamed with lots of spices in beer and have a great picnic.

rhtt

White House security had expanded to the Old Ebbitt Grill street when my brother's wife went to DC on business this week. Can you still get there to eat, anybody know, because that would be a shame to miss the best food place in the downtown area.

E

Budman, I'm so sorry! I misunderstood you: the fish mongers down there are still great! I thought you meant El Torito and whatever the "seafood" one is called, those huge restaurants. Rock on!

Topper

I would agree with the Old Ebbit Grill....not spectacular, but very good.

For Tx/Mex, that is daring and interesting,,,try Red Sage