i_am_kane

Our three night visit starts on Friday, September 30th. We have already booked one night for dinner at the Old Ebbitt Grill. I've been doing a lot of restaurant research for the other two nights. After moving around all day, we'd like to relax and settle down in a good restaurant with ambiance, good food, and mostly adult customers.

The Capitol Grille is at the top of our list, and Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is being considered. However, the online photos of Joe's show only one large room with dining tables that share a bar area and a very high ceiling. Is there a separate dining room? (I have a hearing problem and don't want to say "what?" all night long if there is too much noise.)

The other consideration would be a highly-rated Italian restaurant - again looking for the Penn Quarter.

I'd appreciate any help I can get.

kja

One of the best Italian restaurants in the city that would allow you to hear easily is, IMO, Tosca:
http://www.toscadc.com
It's not in Penn Quarter, but it is close and easily reached by metro from Penn Quarter.

kja

Oh, and another place you might consider is 701, which serves contemporary American in a setting that allows people to hear each other.
http://701restaurant.com
This one is in Penn Quarter.

i_am_kane

Thank you, rja. I will check both of them out.

jmb67

If you want a great burger for lunch, b Penn Quarter is the place. They have excellent service and a lot of business people frequent this place. It's not the quietest but it's certainly not the noisiest place I have been in.

amelia0607

Not exactly an answer to your question but if you make it to Annapolis during the day, swing by Giolotti's Deli for lunch or a snack. Food is fantastic and people are wonderful!! Eat a fruit tart or some tiramisu for me please!

i_am_kane

I've only been gone (to Florida) from Connecticut for four years where lived between (Milford and Fairfield)...how is it that I never heard of it! Will definitely check it out in DC and when I visit CT in May 2017. I have to ask my friends and relatives if they are aware of these six locations in Connecticut. Thank you so much, jmb67.

amelia0607 thanks for the recommendation, but highly doubt we will wander that far from the downtown area.

Sorry about your initials, kja. Tosca looks like a good choice for Italian food.

kja

No worries, i_am_kane -- I figured out who you meant! ;-) Tosca is excellent.

LoriNY1

Zaytinya is one of DH and mine favorite restaurants in DC and right in Penn Quarter. all small plates, Meditterean bent.
Ambar - take the metro to Eastern Market and about a 2 block walk down 8th street. again all small plates, but very good and one of the best deals in the city. $49 each, unlimited plates and wine. make reservations
Central Michel Richard is on Pennsylvania Avenue and is also good, but gets loud and crowded.
Jaleo is also small plates, owned by the same people who own Zaytinya, Spanish bent.

i_am_kane

We've got quite a mix of food types here. I'll sort through them all. In the meantime, I am having dinner guests tonight...

Be back tomorrow.

kja

I love Zaytinya (Greek / Turkish) and Jaleo (Spanish), but note that at busy times, they can, IME, become loud enough to make hearing a bit difficult. Ambar (Balkan) is on my list, and gets great reviews, but again, I believe it can be a bit boisterous.

Proof (modern eclectic) is another very good Penn Quarter restaurant that is a bit more quiet than most. It has an extraordinary wine list, but also one that is, IMO, unfortunately short on wines in a reasonably affordable range. JMO.
http://www.proofdc.com

Christina

I presume you know Old Ebbitt Grill isn't in Penn Qtr. Almost all of the other suggestions are not in Penn Qtr and/or not quiet.

I really like Jaleo but it is not quiet, nor is Zaytinya. Not remotely, Zaytinya is one of the loudest restaurants in the city. There are a few tables in Jaleo that are kind of set off in an alcove are by the windows on E St, but I don't know any way to guarantee you'd get one, and even then, this isn't a quiet restaurant. The whole small plates thing is kind of overdone IMO, you have to be in the mood for that.

701 is the best suggestion as that does fit the bill. I haven't had dinner at Proof, just drinks, don't like the ambience. It's rather expensive and the bar gets packed. But it has some unusual menu items but is kind of a trendy, glitzy place, not homey. It's not super-quiet, but a little bit better than places like Jaleo/Zaytinya etc.

Capital Grille is fairly quiet, it doesn't get the greatest reviews for food, though.

Penn Qtr just isn't the place to find quiet restaurants. Overall, I think a lot of restaurants are noisy, but there just aren't many quiet ones around there.

i_am_kane

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I made a decision: It'll be Ebbitts Grille, Tosca and 701 and b Penn Quarter for lunch one day. I feel good about all of them. Thank you to everyone.

kja

Sound like good choices! Let us know what you think.

i_am_kane

Four days before we leave for Washington, DC and I want to say "Yes, kja, I will be back on this thread and tell you about my dinner experiences at the three restaurants I have chosen."