Dining around Marriots Wardman Park
 

Taking family to Washington DC in late September. 6 adults and 2 children. We all love to eat! I got a good deal on priceline at the Marriot Wardman Park three rooms from the 23rd to 28th. Are there any "can't miss" places to eat in area? Love simple hamburgers to fancy eats. Years ago fordites told me about the Pizzeria Paradiso around Dupont- hopefully there are some gems around our hotel

thanks

The best restaurant in the area is New Heights on Calvert St. west of Connecticut. Lebanese Teverna and the Italian place just up Connecticut from it (the name of which escapes me at the moment) are also good.

New Heights is the best of the bunch in that area. It can be very good -- depends upon the chef situation which seems to change rather regularly. Nice atmosphere and generally good service. A nice French place is Petit Plats. I have heard Tono sushi is very good, but never been there. U can walk over the Calvert St bridge into Adams Morgan (maybe a 15 minute walk) and Cashions Eat Place is good. Or u can take the Red line 1 stop (towards Shady Grove or Grovesnors) to the Cleveland Park stop and eat at Palena's -- good food esp good deals at the cafe in the front where everything is $10 or $11 --fantastic burgers. Of the lot I think the only "can't miss" is the burgers at Palena cafe.
I love Pizza Paridiso btw.

enjoy DC

For breakfast or lunch, try Open City right by the Wardman Park and the Shoreham

yestravel- the words fantastic burgers have got my attention. I am from Houston area and have always liked fantastic burgers.My son in law was wanting to try 5 guys because the President ate at one--Palena's sounds so much better .

Open City sounds real close so I can take my granddaughter on our zoo day
thanks everyone

Open City must be good as it always has lines in the morning on the weekends.

I'm not a huge fan of 5 Guys -- it has ok burgers, but I think their french fries r better. It's always been a popular chain in this area and of course, got even more so after OB visited. There is a 5 Guys on Conn. Ave at Dupont Circle which is not too far from the Wardman. One metro stop towards DC or maybe a 20 minute walk.
Palena is a very nice restaurant, well known chef and they have a Cafe in the front portion. It's a nice sit down place with a small outisde also. It has more "upscale" burgers. While it is very casual it defintely has a different feel than 5 Guys. Homemade, delcious rolls, bigger, fatter burger etc. They also have these lemon rings that are like onion rings, but made from lemons and really good. One of the owners is a pastry chef and makes wonderful deserts. Couldn't u try both places and do a comparison?

your last line said it all-try both
thanks
how about seafood in the area

You may want to cab it (or metro) for seafood restaurants. Although, Palena, Cashion's and New Heights, as upscale fine restaurants, all should have great seafood choices on their menus.

Short cab rides to a couple favorite seafood restaurants:

Hank's Oyster House. Casual. Off of 17th Street in east Dupont Circle. Small place, doesn't take reservations.

Kinkead's. Upscale. In Foggy Bottom.

Enjoy!

Dino is also very good in Cleveland Park.

For presidential burgers, Obama also ate at Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, which is fancier and more expensive, but with many more options. The burgers at 5 Guys very greatly by location.

second for Lebanese Teverna, which you could walk to...

Dino is great and has a kids menu to boot.

http://www.dino-dc.com/

If you can only do one, I'd give the edge to Open City for a more interesting menu, its liquor license, and a slightly better ambiance. 5 Guys is like the cadillac of fast food. Also, I second the vote for Ray's Hell Burger.

thanks a million. our first day is going to be around Washingtom monument, Holocaust mus. any good lunch places around there.

Tough area foodwise.

There are no good lunch places near either the Holocaust Memorial Museum or the Washiongton Monument.

There is a cafe at the Holocaust Memorial Museum with dreadful pizza, chicken tenders, fries and mediocre matzo ball soup. There are also various horrid hot dog carts that don't sell anything I would put in my mouth.

You best bet nearby is the head to the cafeteria at the Museum of American History (about 2 blocks east of the Washington Monument). It's perfectly acceptable.

If your want something better you'll have to head north a little. The closest "nice" place is Ici at 15th & H NW http://www.iciurbanbistro.com/

Otherwise, any place north of Penn. Ave will have tons of choices.

Another good idea is to hit a market and/or deli next to your hotel and pack a <b>picnic</b> before heading down to the Mall area. There is a Manhatten Market on Conn. Ave. right by your hotel.

With our group, the picnic idea sounds fantastic. This will give a little time for the 2 kids to run. Would have never thought of that, thanks

"With our group, the picnic idea sounds fantastic. This will give a little time for the 2 kids to run. Would have never thought of that, thanks"

Where are you going to put the picnic supplies while in the museums? In addition to the kids, do you want to add even more stuff to lug around? Besides a CVS, there really isn't anywhere in the area to get picnic food.

It sounds like a great idea until you get down to the practicalities of it all.