Hi all,

Husband and I are going to visit family near DC this weekend.
Grandma has been kind enough to offer to watch ALL the kids for Saturday night (just so happens to be Halloween night).

So..... my question is about restaurants. We are 3 young couples without our kids who are looking for a great dinner out in the city. I would say ethnic food is out (as we have a few "meat and potatoes" guys), and we are looking for somewhere with a central location (where we could possibly go out for drinks after dinner), a young atmosphere with great food. We also want somewhere that we'll be able to talk -- haven't seen eachother in a while and don't want to go somewhere too loud.

Thanks in advance!!

That hardest part of your request is finding a place that isn't 2 loud for normal conversation. Penn Quarter is a great area -- dinner and drinks would be good at PS 7 @ 777 I St NW -- good food, nice bar and it's not terribly noisy. Right near there is Proof, a bit louder, but again good food and drink. There are lots of places in that area and u could easily find a place -- even an ethnic one--where u could go for drinks after dinner.

West End Bistro, 1190 22nd St NW is very good. It's on the opposite side of town from Penn Quarter and not as much going on in the general area.

Dupont Circle is a fun area at night--Komi's, 1509 17 St NW is very good and very expensive. U St area has lots of restaurants and bars, but they all tend to be very loud. I esp like Marvin's on 2007 14th St NW.

What price range are u thinking of? U can check out reviews in the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/dc-restaurants.html
or the Washingtonian Magazine reviews at http://www.washingtonian.com/section...nts/index.html.

Komi's but you better get your reservations quickly. Corduroy on Ninth Street.

I was just going to say exactly what GeorgeW mentioned.

Agree that Corduroy is very good and I always had good meals. Although I haven't been to their new location and have heard mixed reviews on it...nicer space, but food not as good.

I liked the food when I was at the new location of Corduroy a couple of weeks ago and the space was nice looking but the atmosphere was almost depressing. No music and stiff, unfriendly service. I was very disappointed. It had been one of my favorites in DC. You'd definitely be able to carry on a conversation there.

Birdie

It was as quiet as the grave even in the old location - but the food was stupendous. I can't remember the name of the manager before - is she still there? She was very nice and came to chat with us. She also brought out some freshly cut serrano ham because one of the chefs had recently taken a course on how to slice it (gratis - and v. good).

That's really too bad about the service -- I always thought they had superb waitstaff at the old location. Always freindly but not overly so and very knowledgeable. Glad to hear a first hand report that the food was good.

When I ate at the old location, the place was hopping. Every seat was filled and the servers would chat with you. I know it makes a difference whether a place has tables filled or not but why not have a nice soundtrack playing if you're empty. The silence at the new place made it seem morgue-like. We tried James in Philadelphia a couple of days later. Their background music was so much fun, I would have bought it on the spot if they were selling the cd.
I didn't see a female manager. The male front manager sat us and then even serviced us for most of our meal. You couldn't drag conversation out of him to save your life.

Well, Birdie, at least u could have a conversation without shouting at one another. That truly drives me crazy about so many restaurants. Hard to talk with your companions.

Thanks for the advice all.
I should have said we are looking in the price range of what I would say moderate. Maybe $18-$25 for an entree kind of prices.

It doesnt have to be a steakhouse - but it would be a big plus if there was steak on the menu.

You may be hard pressed to find a downtown DC restaurant with entrees at $18-25. I will let others correct me but $25 for an entree may be close to a minimum at many places.

Although I have never eaten there, a faux-English pub named Elephant & Castle has opened at 19th and I that might be ideal for three couples not wanting to blow a hole in their wallets.

I should have mentioned this earlier - Brasserie Beck. That is a lot of fun and the food and drink are mostly Belgian (i.e. fabulous). There was a write-up in the WAPO yesterday about the owner getting an award in Belgium recently: "Knighthood of the Brewers' Mash Staff".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...102700528.html

ps. 25 is probably about right for just a main course - and can go up from there.

Keep in mind though that a 25 dollar main course could well translate into almost 100 pp by the end of the evening though especially if you are out with friends. Appetizers, dessert, drinks.. and the tax/tip will set you back 25-30% because 20% tip is becoming standard and DC has a high tax for restaurants (I don't remember what it is but it's not far from 10%).

I think most restaurants will have steak of some sort on the menu--for $25 I'm not so sure though. I agree with george and flygirl re the cost for a meal in DC. Moderate for us has come to easily b e well over $100 for a couple. We were at a moderate restaurant last week--there were 3 of us and the bill with tax and tip was.just over $200. That included 2 bottles of wine, apps, main courses and desserts..

I suggest looking at some of the restaurants websites to get a feel for costs and what type of steak is offered. Also check out the reviews which will give price ranges.
Have fun!

20% tip is standard anywhere, certainly not just DC. I would think the OP has eaten at a restaurant before and understands how things work.

The Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods are where I'd go for a night out with friends.

yestravel - that's right, 100 per couple would be moderate in DC and skimpy on the apps/dessert. Main meal and a drink or two and not spendy ones at that.

>>You may be hard pressed to find a downtown DC restaurant with entrees at $18-25. I will let others correct me but $25 for an entree may be close to a minimum at many places.

I would avoid Elephant and Castle...it's a mediocre chain restaurant.

Brasserie Beck is a great suggestion. Great atmosphere, excellent food, and a killer beer list!!

Six people suggest (to me) Jaleo at 7th & E NW. You could each get 3-4 tapas and have 18 to 24 plates to try. Overall bill would be within budget (get pitchers of sangria in liew of wine to save some $$). It's right in the Penn Quater area so you could incorporate it into a "crawl".

It's been around forever, the menu is always fresh (though the classics are still availible) and it keeps getting better (though if any place COULD rest on ut laurels it would be Jaleo). 3 stars in the latest Post dining guide. Definately the top Andres spot in the DC area.

http://www.jaleo.com/