mma

Hi!
We leave for DC next week and I have been reading some posts. We like to eat but are not "foodies" and I'm looking for a good meal but not "fine dining". My son's college roommate will be joining us for dinner one night. We like Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, American....entrees less than $20 possible? Any tried and true favorites, hidden gems? We have subway passes, so as long as we can get there, it's fine. (Am I being realistic pricewise?) Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

longhorn55

Ray's the Steaks in Arlington (Courthhouse Metro stop) gets rave reviews and the entrees are in the $12-$20 range. I have never eaten there (although I am a local) because of the waits.
You might want to check out the review by the Washington Post food critic: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...ile&id=1071592

You can also get some other people's reviews from Yelp.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rays-the-steaks-arlington

mma

Thanks for your reply. Will check it out. We almost stayed in that area!

beanweb24

Pizzeria Paradiso in Dupont might be a consideration, especially the night you have your son's roommate.

www.eatyourpizza.com

kmbp

There's something for every taste when you opt for tapas for dinner. The place we return to again and again in Washington is Jaleo. They have locations in Maryland and Virginia, too, but we've always gone to the original--

http://www.jaleo.com/

At 480 7th Street, NW, it's very convenient to both the Archives and the Gallery Place metro stations.

mma

Hi kmbp,
Since we have never eaten tapas before but the menu at Jaleo looks yummy, do you order a bunch of things and share? I don't want to look foolish so how does this work? Thanks!
Hi beanweb24,
I have checked Pizzaria Paradiso and I think we will try there with or without the roommate! Thanks!

beanweb24

Tapas are small plates...how you enjoy them is up to you. You can either order a couple for yourself and eat it that way, but it's more likely that you'll order several for the table and share family style. I've done it both ways...and neither way attracted any weird looks.

My other favorite "small plates" sort of place is Zaytinya. Love it. Cool area of town, too - Penn Quarter/Chinatown. The guys might also like that area since there are some good bars there for after dinner hanging out.

Have fun!

kmbp

I agree with beanweb24 on all counts! We share, we don't share--some items are more share-able than others. And sometimes you want just a little taste.

Well, I don't really know about the bars...but Zaytinya is great! I was visiting DC just two weeks ago and enjoyed a late lunch there. Beautiful space and always interesting, delicious meze (Eastern Mediterranean small plates).

ajcolorado

We liked "Teaism", which was a real value. You can see their website at http://www.teaism.com/

We ate at the Penn Quarter location.

321go

I've been to Jaleo and Zaytinya, and enjoyed both.

mma, it's a lot of fun to share those plates, so I'd encourage you to do that.

desertduds

We like Old Ebbit's Grill...American

yestravel

Matchbox has good pizza and some good dishes.
http://www.matchboxdc.com/
U can check out Chinatown for Chinese..Tony Cheng is usually good.
Enjoy DC and be prepared for hot steamy weather.

mma

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! It is supposed to be hot here next week too, so we might as well just go and have a great time!

writealiving

Please, I beg you to eat at Jaleo. I had no idea what it was or how to order, but a woman at the table next to me helped. The eggplant in rumesco was delicious. Please eat here so that I can live vicariously through you now that I'm home in NY and there is no Jaleo here.

mma

I checked out Jaleo's website when kmbp mentioned it, and it sounded wonderful to me. I love almost everything - and I love eggplant! I do have one "semi-picky" eater in the family, but from the menu it seems there is something for everyone. Do we need reservations during the week? Does it depend on the time of dining - whether we eat fairly early (5-6) or later? Thanks, writealiving!

kmbp

It wouldn't hurt to have reservations. It's a popular place.

From their site, you can link to OpenTable and make your reservation there.

kgh8m

I'm a picky eater, and even I really enjoy Jaleo. There are some less adventurous plates available.

yk

I have never eaten at Jaleo, but I can tell you that it'll be No.1 on my list when I go to DC next time. The chef, José Andrés, has a show on PBS called "Made in Spain". A really wonderful series showcasing various regional cuisines of Spain, plus actual filming in Spain with him trying out the local cuisine.

yestravel

Defintiely make a reservation at Jaleos -- they get pretty busy even early. Not sure which week you're coming here, but Aug 11-17 is Restaurant week which will make Jaleo's even more crowded.

BeenThere2

Ethiopian! - If you are feeling a bit adventurous, try one of the city's terrific ethiopian restaurants (there are several in Adams Morgan). It's delicious food, and -thanks to DC's large Ethiopian community, it's very authentic!