2009 Fall Dining Guide

By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

I'm always tempted to bring earplugs to this sleek, blue-and-white ode to the flavors of Greece, Turkey and beyond. Zaytinya remains one of the loudest restaurants in the city. But my last meal there was worth the aural assault: Jose Andres and his crack team of cooks put out a spread like few others, anywhere. The dips and salads, seafood and meats are reliably luscious, and if you like steak tartare, the raw kibbe ("freshly ground," a waiter trumpets) garnished with radishes and fresh mint is a must. But pay close attention to the specials, such as long-roasted lamb, carved and sauced at the table by the chef on duty. (Hey, it's Mike Isabella, from TV's "Top Chef"!) "This lamb did not die in vain," a gourmet at my table declares, swooning over a tender hunk of shoulder, flavorful from its marinade of garlic and oregano. We enjoy the feast with warm-from-the-oven pita bread and fresh chickpeas roasted in their pods. Soggy fried mussels with walnut sauce miss perfection. But pressed dried caviar in a yellow band of beeswax, a saline snack that Andres calls "the essence of this restaurant," shows how close this kitchen comes to that mark.