Eat like the Obamas

More than any other First Family in recent memory, Barack and Michelle Obama have embraced the local restaurant scene. We’ve compiled a list of destinations where at least one of them has dined (though what they actually ate is often a state secret), along with commentary from Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema. Click the bold text of each caption to see each restaurant’s full review.

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On June 15, President Obama took winners of an Obama for America fundraising contest to Lincoln, a downtown restaurant where the menu and decor honor another president from Illinois. The seasonal small plates are an excellent introduction to the kitchen. This is also a destination where herbivores can dine well. Lincoln, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW. 202-386-9200.

Lincoln / Brendan Smialowski AFP/GETTY IMAGES

President Obama celebrated Father’s Day early at Kenny’s BBQ Smokehouse on Capitol Hill on June 13. He brought two members of the Army — both winners of the Military Fatherhood Award — and two local barbers who are part of an initiative called “Fatherhood Buzz.” Kenny’s is known for its Carolina-style ‘cue, such as this plate of hickory-smoked pork ribs with potato salad, greens and corn bread. Kenny's BBQ Smokehouse, 732 Maryland Ave. NE. 202-547-4553.

Kenny’s BBQ Smokehouse / Mary Lou Foy For The Washington Post

Eatonville

One of my favorite brunch strategies starts with a zippy Bloody Mary served in a mason jar and continues with crisp golden catfsh propped up on tangy collards and alongside cheesy grits. Some of the cooking at owner Andy Shallal's tribute to folklorist Zora Neale Hurston leans too sweet for my taste; the chopped beef barbecue, for instance, is a ringer for dessert. But there's no denying the place is fun. Floating tin ceilings, glittery chandeliers, rocking chairs and jazzy music help fuel the nightly party. Michelle Obama dined here on May 17. Eatonville, 212 14th St. NW. 202-332-9672. eatonvillerestaurant.com.

Susan Biddle for The Washington Post

Taylor Gourmet

The president dropped by Taylor Gourmet's 14th Street NW store on May 16. Among the top-of-the-ticket sandwiches on Taylor's menu is the one named for Philadelphia's Pattison Avenue, featuring roast pork, broccoli rabe and sharp provolone cheese on a classic Italian sesame seed sub roll.

Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post

Ray's Hell Burger

Ray's Hell Burger is a cult favorite among burger enthusiasts. Ten ounces of freshly ground, hand-trimmed meat and gratis toppings help explain the popularity of the joint Obama has visited twice, once with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, left, in 2010. Ray's Hell Burger, 1725 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. 703-841-0001. rayshellburger.com.

Mikhail Klimentyev / Associated Press

Boundary Road

The president and first lady hosted a fundraiser at H Street's Boundary Road on March 8, highlighting the Northeast corridor's dining options for the second time (first lady Michelle Obama has previously dined at Sticky Rice). The airy neighborhood tavern, run by former Cashion's, Proof and Central chef Brad Walker serves a creative cocktail list and homey dishes, including pierogies and minestrone soup.

Dayna Smith for The Washington Post

BLT Steak

I used to think that the best part of eating at BLT Steak was the free stuff -- Bunyanesque popovers, chicken liver pate -- but that was before I sunk my teeth into the politically themed hamburgers at lunch. For the 1 percent, there’s a kobe burger gilded with foie gras and gold leaf.

Justin Rude

Scion

As part of his "Lunch With Barack" fundraising program, the president broke bread (well, he ordered from an Asian-accented menu) with grass-roots supporters at Scion in Dupont Circle last month. I sure hope POTUS ate better here than I did! Scion, 2100 P St. NW. 202-833-8899. www.scionrestaurant.com.

James M. Thresher for The Washington Post

Equinox

The jury is still out while executive chef Karen Nicolas settles into the long-running downtown restaurant owned by Todd and Ellen Gray. We’re hopeful; previously, she was a sous chef at the esteemed Gramercy Tavern in New York. Equinox, 818 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-331-8118. www.equinoxrestaurant.com.

Xiaomei Chen

Restaurant Eve

Cathal Armstrong is one of the mid-Atlantic’s best chefs, evinced by a tasting menu that can stretch to nine courses -- and one polished performance after another. The first lady has to love knowing that some of her meal was plucked from Eve’s own garden. Restaurant Eve, 110 S. Pitt St., Alexandria. 703-706-0450. www.restauranteve.com.

Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post

Del Ray Pizzeria

The beer list is great and the pizzas are good, if not exceptional, but the real secret to Del Ray Pizzeria is its classic American comfort food. The reason is in the kitchen, where former Del Merei Grill chef Eric Reid runs the show. Del Ray Pizzeria, 2218 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. 703-549-2999. delraypizzeria.com.

Mark Gail / The Washington Post

The Hamilton

Part of the novelty of this latest restaurant from Clyde's Restaurant Group is its size: 850 seats spread across three levels, including a concert floor. The other allure is the behemoth's schedule: The Hamilton is open around the clock, seven days a week. The menu reaches out to a wide audience, featuring everything from sushi to pancakes to chicken and biscuits. The Hamilton, 600 14th St. NW. 202-787-1000. www.thehamiltondc.com.

Tracy A. Woodward/The Washington Post

Oyamel

The guacamole is as hot as you request, and the ceviche sparkles with fresh seafood at Jose Andres’s festive salute to Mexico. The most daring dish on the menu: fried grasshoppers. Of course there are tortillas, too. Oyamel, 401 Seventh St. NW. 202-628-1005. www.oyamel.com.

Michael Temchine for The Washington Post

Co. Co. Sala

This dressy dessert boutique puts an emphasis on chocolate, even in some of its savory dishes. The niches in the walls show off some of the co-owner's delicate blown-sugar sculptures. Go early to avoid the roar of the crowd on weekends. Co. Co. Sala, 929 F St. NW. 202-347-4265. www.cocosala.com.

Scott Suchman for The Washington Post

BlackSalt

Black Salt has great drinks, fab fish and a retail counter arranged with some of the freshest seafood in the city. Wonder if Michelle tipped off personal chef Sam Kass to the ice show of striped bass, king mackerel and baby octopus? BlackSalt, 4883 MacArthur Blvd. 202-342-9101. www.blacksaltrestaurant.com.

Michael Temchine for The Washington Post

Blue Duck Tavern

Since the Obamas dined at this West End retreat, the Park Hyatt Washington has hired a Texas-born, French-speaking former Los Angeles chef to tend the wood-fired oven. Eventually, Sebastien Archambault says he wants to serve his father’s recipe for duck confit. He also says he is looking forward to feeding an audience that will eat richer food. (Take that, Los Angeles!) Blue Duck Tavern, 1201 24th St. NW (in the Park Hyatt). 202-419-6755. www.blueducktavern.com.

Blue Duck Tavern

1789

The most genteel restaurant in the city has a new chef: Anthony Lombardo, formerly of Casa Nonna downtown. Each dining room has a distinct personality, but all enjoy flickering table lamps, nooks for intimate gatherings, classical music that doesn't interfere with conversation and solicitous service. Gentlemen, you're no longer required to wear a jacket, but management appreciates it when you do. 1789, 1226 36th St. NW. 202-965-1789. www.1789restaurant.com.

Katherine Frey / The Washington Post

Thomas Sweet

No one would ever mistake the busy corner of Wisconsin Avenue and P Street NW for a sleepy small-town intersection, but the D.C. location of this mid-Atlantic chain manages to pull off the vibe of a small-town ice cream shop. It’s the perfect place for busy working parents to take a pair of precocious tweenage daughters. Thomas Sweet, 3214 P St. NW. 202-337-0616. www.thomassweet.com.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Shake Shack

As tired as some of us are of the burger craze, you should make room for this agreeable New York import. In addition to the expected beef burgers: a mushroom version, a hot dog, shakes in a rainbow of colors and “concretes” made with frozen custard (and fun to watch being concocted). Shake Shack, 1216 18th St. NW. 202-683-9922. www.shakeshack.com.

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

Good Stuff Eatery

When Obama took his economic team here, just before his big 5-0 in August, he declined the fancy burger named after him in favor of a plain cheeseburger, fries and a salad (of course). Good Stuff Eatery, 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-543-8222. www.goodstuffeatery.com.

Jason Reed / Reuters

Ted's Bulletin

James Beard and June Cleaver could have been consultants on this menu, which runs from egg salad and tuna sandwiches to roast chicken and satisfying spaghetti topped with jawbreaker-size meatballs, a kicky tomato sauce and rafts of Texas toast. Neat touch: Old movies are beamed onto the wall of the booth-lined dining room by a faux-antique projector suspended from the ceiling. Ted's Bulletin, 505 Eighth St. SE. 202-544-8337. tedsbulletin.com.

Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images

Komi

Chef Johnny Monis’s brilliant take on modern Greek cooking is less than a mile from the White House. Here’s betting POTUS and FLOTUS saved the restaurant’s house-made lollipops for Sasha and Malia. Komi, 1509 17th St. NW. 202-332-9200. komirestaurant.com.

Mark Finkenstaedt / For The Washington Post

Georgia Brown's

The shrimp and grits aren’t anything they’d recognize in Dixie, and the best part of the barbecue platter is the moist nap for cleaning up. What this vaguely Southern restaurant has going for it: four-star people-watching. Georgia Brown's, 950 15th St. NW. 202-393-4499. www.gbrowns.com.

Jonathan Ernst / For The Washington Post

Michel Richard Citronelle

Nevermind the dated underground dining room in Georgetown. I can’t think of a more playful chef than French native Michel Richard, the creator of escargots dressed up as “porcupines” with spiky pastry and pizzas spread with scallop mousse and sparkling caviar. Michel Richard Citronelle, 3000 M St. NW. 202-625-2150. www.citronelledc.com.

Allison Dinner for The Washington Post

The Source

Scott Drewno's sleek pan-Asian restaurant is good any day of the week, but I particularly like it for Saturday brunch, when the chef serves some of the best dim sum in the area. Picture soft bao buns cradling crackling duck slices, cool cucumber and intense hoisin sauce, and golden spring rolls that snap open to show off pearly centers of mousselike shrimp and lobster. The Source, 575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 202-637-6100. wolfgangpuck.com.

Scott Suchman for The Washington Post

The Majestic

Anticipate great American cooking (think crab cakes, liver and onions, and coconut cake) in a booth-lined, mellow-yellow dining room in Old Town. The drinks, created by master mixologist Todd Thrasher, are top-shelf. The Majestic, 911 King St., Alexandria. 703-837-9117. www.majesticcafe.com.

Dayna Smith for The Washington Post

Rasika

No other Indian restaurant of my acquaintance surpasses the range and richness offered by Vikram Sunderam. Spurring the top toque to acclaim: baby spinach tossed with sweet yogurt and date chutney, and silken black cod marinated in honey and dill. Rasika, 633 D St. NW. 202-637-1222. www.rasikarestaurant.com.

Michael Temchine for The Washington Post

Proof

There's a little something for everyone -- rabbit sausage, vegetable tempura, spaghetti and meatballs -- on chef Haidar Karoum's eclectic menu. The name is a play on both the restaurant's spirit-centric beverage program and the photographs housed in its neighbor across the street, the National Portrait Gallery. Proof, 775 G St. NW. 202-737-7663. www.proofdc.com.

Darko Zagar

Acadiana

Acadiana can be a tease, promising one thing -- a true taste of the Big Easy -- but sometimes falling short on the delivery. Among the dishes that succeed are the fried tomatoes topped with shrimp and blackened tuna with custardy spoonbread. Acadiana, 901 New York Ave., NW. 202-408-8848.

Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post

When South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak visited Washington, President Obama whisked him here for a welcome dinner. My big question: Why? <a data-xslt='_http' href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/woo-lae-oak,1119662.html'>Woo Lae Oak</a>, 8240 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-827-7300. www.woolaeoak.com.

Woo Lae Oak

When South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak visited Washington, President Obama whisked him here for a welcome dinner. My big question: Why? Woo Lae Oak, 8240 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-827-7300. www.woolaeoak.com.

Tracy A. Woodward / The Washington Post

We, the Pizza

Blame the clamor on the loud music, the pressed-tin ceiling, the buzz of the crowd, the tug of celebrity: Spike Mendelsohn, a "Top Chef" star from Season 4, is behind the joint, which sits next to his popular Capitol Hill burger place, Good Stuff Eatery. The best of the pies are the sturdy, nicely browned crusts decked out with three kinds of melting bell peppers and thin-sliced sausage; a dark forest of mushrooms tweaked with thyme; spinach and artichoke hearts; and snowy ricotta with pungent garlic. We, the Pizza, 303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. 202-544-4008. www.wethepizza.com.

James M. Thresher for The Washington Post

Tosca

Chef Massimo Fabbri’s luscious contributions to this premiere power restaurant include simply grilled fish and some of the best pastas around. Hope for tagliatelle stained black with squid ink and scattered with sweet morsels of crab. Tosca, 1112 F St. NW. 202-367-1990. www.toscadc.com.

Bill O'Leary / The Washington Post

Sticky Rice

H Street sushi joint Sticky Rice rocks some cool interior design, hipper-than-thou servers, a menu with items named "Sticky Balls" and "Drawn-N-Buttered" and the occasional crowd of ladies celebrating birthdays and bachelorette parties. Sticky Rice, 1224 H St. NE. 202-397-7655. stickyricedc.com.

James M. Thresher for The Washington Post

Sei

Asian small plates dominate the menu of this vision in white in Penn Quarter. Scallion-sprinkled wonton chips spill out of a paper cone alongside a bowl of guacamole ignited with wasabi oil and creamy with tofu. Chicken wings are draped in a liquid black curtain (that would be soy sauce reduced with molasses, honey and lemon grass) that tickles the tongue and requires additional napkins for cleaning up. The most amusing (seafood) roll is billed as Fish and Chips: flounder accented with red onion and malt vinegar, plus a garnish of Barbie-size fried potatoes. Sei, 444 Seventh St. NW. 202-783-7007. www.seirestaurant.com.

Dominic Bracco II for The Washington Post

Redwood

A sibling of Sonoma in the District, this light-filled Bethesda eatery suggests an urban forest thanks to all the wood surfaces and shades of nature. The basics -- burgers, roast chicken, pork loin -- are all done right. Redwood, 7121 Bethesda Lane, Bethesda. 301-656-5515. redwoodbethesda.com.

Scott Suchman for The Washington Post

Okra's

This vibrant and lively Cajun restaurant has been anchoring its corner of Old Town Manassas for 13 years, offering the usual selection of Big Easy classics: po-boys, dirty rice, jambalaya, etouffee and strong cocktails. Okra's, 9110 Center St., Manassas. 703-330-2729. okras.com.

Len Spoden for The Washington Post

Restaurant Nora

I like the spirit behind Washington's best-known organic restaurant more than the execution. On any given night, there might be Italian, Japanese and Indian combinations on the menu and more misses than hits, unfortunately. Restaurant Nora, 2132 Florida Ave. NW. 202-462-5143. www.noras.com.

James M. Thresher for The Washington Post

Dreary Peking duck, vapid kung pao shrimp: more reminders of the sad state of Chinese food in the nation's capital. <a data-xslt='_http' href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/meiwah,1025679.html'>Meiwah</a>, 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202-833-2888. www.meiwahrestaurant.com.

Meiwah

Dreary Peking duck, vapid kung pao shrimp: more reminders of the sad state of Chinese food in the nation's capital. Meiwah, 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW. 202-833-2888. www.meiwahrestaurant.com.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Art and Soul

Named in part for cookbook author Art Smith, best known for feeding Oprah, this hotel dining room serves up a Southern theme with hoe cakes, fried chicken and shrimp and grits. The three-course "power lunch" is a Hill deal for $25; snug white booths against the wall afford movers and shakers the most privacy. Art and Soul, 415 New Jersey Ave. NW. 202-393-7777. www.artandsouldc.com.

Michael Temchine for The Washington Post

Vermilion

For Valentine's Day 2012, POTUS and FLOTUS dined at Vermilion, where they were but one of a number of diners at the always-delicious Old Town restaurant. Follow their lead -- not only will you dine memorably, you'll leave with much of your budget intact. Vermilion, 1120 King St., Alexandria. 703-684-9669. www.vermilionrestaurant.com.

Sean McCormick for The Washington Post

For more restaurant content from the Going Out Guide, check out our galleries of the area's <a data-xslt='_http' href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/40-dishes-every-washingtonian-must-try/2011/12/23/gIQA9KRbOP_gallery.html'>40 Essential Eats</a> and <a data-xslt='_http' href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/tom-sietsemas-cheap-eats/2012/01/10/gIQAO9QroP_gallery.html'>Tom Sietsema's Cheap Eats</a> as well as more on <a data-xslt='_http' href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/dc-restaurants.html'>our restaurants page</a>.

For more restaurant content from the Going Out Guide, check out our galleries of the area's 40 Essential Eats and Tom Sietsema's Cheap Eats as well as more on our restaurants page.

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Eat like the Obamas

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