We're planning on staying at the Hampton Inn convention center in DC at the end of May. How is the location? Any hip restaurant suggestions?

Your hotel's Chinatown location at 6th & I St. NW is pretty good. The Gallery Place Metro station is two blocks away (at 7th & H).

There are a LOT of restaurants nearby. In particular, look at all 7th St. between D st. & I st. Also H st. between 5th & 8th.

If you want to try Chinese restaurants look at Eat First and Full Kee (both on H st. between 7th & 5th). The specials on the wall are your best bets here.

For great pizza, mini-burgers, etc., try and get a table at Matchbox (on H between 7th & 8th.
http://www.matchboxdc.com/



For a hip place with GREAT food go to Zaytinya.
http://www.zaytinya.com/

I leave Wednesday for DC and would love to find some really awesome cheap eats.
I have had some excellent Vietnamese food in the past and certainly plan to have some Pho while visiting but we would also like something more along the lines of PF Chang's... healthier chinese food, not so greasy or mysterious.
We are staying at the Chevy Chase Pavillion but will be in all the typical touristy spots on Weds and Fri.
Thanks so much

Any GREAT Thai restaurants?????

For great Thai, go to RICE.

http://www.simplyhomedc.com/Welcome.html

Unfortunately, its 14 & Q St. NW location is not right next to Metro. It's a seven block walk from either Dupont or McPhearson sq. Metro.

It is, however, worth going out of your way to. If you don't want to walk 7 blocks from a Metro station, just take a quick taxi from downtown either before or after sightseeing.

Hey, also... reading other threads, the fish market sounds great.
But most of the info seems to be a little old.
Can you tell me if it would be a good place to visit for lunch on Weds or Fri, this week?
Thanks!!!!

Consider hitting the grill at Galileo this Wednesday or Friday for lunch. You'll be served personally by Roberto Donna who just beat Morimoto on the Iron Chef. The grill is very casually run with an honor system for paying and prices are gentle.

www.galileodc.com

Sandwiches* - Chicken, Pork Shoulder, or Pork Sausage - $5
Meatball Sandwich with Provolone - $6
Add to your sandwich: Provolone - $1 and/or Broccoli Rabe - $2

Homemade Hot Dogs - $4
Broccoli Rabe Pizza - $3.50/slice
Vegetable Soup - $3
Onion, Pancetta and Cheese "Quiche" - $3
Grilled Romaine Caeser Salad - $5
Sweet Ricotta Cannoli - $2.50
Italian Bread - $3/loaf
Sodas & Bottled Water - $1

The Fish Market is completely stand and eat. It's pretty gritty and challenging to get to, IMHO.

I have been called BOTH gritty and challenging, MikeT
So the question is... Is the food at the fish market worth the hassle?

Is Zaytinya good with a group? The web site looks great! All the other suggestions sound wonderful for too.
But, for the first night I want something fun for a largish group of adults. Anyone been to Ceiba(?)

Also, what would be a good cheap ethnic/or not place that has an evening buffet?

Saving...

What does saving mean?

Zaytinya and Ceiba are both EXCELLENT and both are good for a largish group depending on the size (how many? 8?, 12?, 50?).

Ceiba takes reservations, which may make a difference to you. On weekends, the wait for a table at Zaytinya can be very long (but it's worth the wait).

BTW, "saving" is smalti's way of adding his/her name to this thread so that it can easily found later by clicking on his/her name.

I am assuming you are talking about a recent thread about the floating fish market at Maine Avenue?

As a frequent visitor, I would say a tourist would go more for the experience than great food, unless you have a kitchen in your rental and want to cook. This is a GREAT place to buy seafood to cook. The selection and presentation of fish and shellfish is amazing, in a gritty, "real" atmosphere. (The guys who sell the fish are fun, and they are all from out of town, mostly southern Maryland on the bay, and they come up to work their shifts each week then go home; they actually sleep in the backs of the barges.)

As far as the prepared food, it is pretty typical fried stuff (clams, french fries, etc), raw oysters, and steamed crabs, etc.

The fried stuff you could eat there sitting on the curb (it is dirty and crowded with cars, not idyllic.) The oysters on the half shell you can stand and suck down, but for the steamed crabs you would need to take them somewhere. No real tables available for picking crabs.

So..for a wonderful lunch, this is not necessarily the place. For cooks, this is a great spot. It is definitely a slice of "real" DC.

Hippest place in the neighborhood right now is Acadiana at 901 New York Avenue across from the Convention Center. Drinks, dinner, and a really cool scene.

If you are actually doing anything at the convention center, abandon the premises at lunchtime for a surprise downscale treat -- lunch buffet at Mayur Kebab on K Street near 11th.

Thanks.

Sounds great!

Zaytinya will take reservations for early dinner....at least they did back in February. It would normally have been too early for us, but we were going to MCI Center for a show so an early res was fine. Otherwise, the bar area is nice while waiting.

Have fun!