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Restaurants to Be Reckoned With
Chefs to Watch
** 1/2 CAFE ATLANTICO
NO LOCAL PURVEYOR DOES A BETTER JOB OF DISHING UP THE FLAVORS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA than this colorful, three-story fun house watched over by chef Katsuya Fukushima. Think all caipirinhas taste alike? The traditional cocktail of Brazilian rum and lime mixes crushed pineapple into the blend, while a cocktail of passion fruit juice and rum is turbo-charged with fresh ginger and jalapeño. And the quesadillas are sensational; the changing selection might include a grill-striped tortilla hiding duck confit, goat cheese and tangy slivers of grapefruit. A fan of buttery avocado hides a little pink mound of tuna, ringed with mango oil and crunchy with toasted couscous, for a deliciously different seviche. A bowl of gazpacho is white with pureed almonds, sweet with champagne grapes and breezy with basil oil. Salmon paved with bland papaya and circled with a cloying vanilla oil needs a makeover, but I wouldn't change a thing about the feijoada: grilled chicken (at lunch) or pork belly (at dinner) escorted with ribbons of kale, inky black beans, white rice and juicy orange, a salute to Brazil and its national dish. Service is swift, the music suggests a vacation, and you'll be tempted to order a liquid for dessert -- the cocktails are that snappy and that stimulating.
· 405 Eighth St. NW (near D Street). 202-393-0812. www.cafeatlantico.com. Open: for lunch Monday through Friday, for dinner daily; for brunch Saturday and Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $10 to $16, dinner $17 to $26.
*** KOMI
KOMI IS FULL OF SURPRISES. In a neighborhood where restaurants are many but quality skews poor, this spare, candlelit dining room proves a delicious exception. Months after I sampled them, the lovely vitello tonnato, the extraordinary wood-roasted pigeon and the pappardelle tossed with a sweet ragu of baby goat lingered in my food fantasies. (While full of flavor, the roast suckling pig was a tad dry.) Good help is hard to find, but Komi counts a stable of smart young things who can answer any question; indeed, the servers often seem to anticipate your needs before you do. No sooner are you seated than something fine is set before you (picture hot dates filled with cool mascarpone and yogurt), and even the bill becomes a treat when it includes a house-made lollipop in such exotic flavors as sour orange and salted lemon. Yet the biggest surprise might be the soulful young chef behind your meal: Johnny Monis was born only 27 years ago.
· 1509 17th St. NW (near P Street). 202-332-9200. www.komirestaurant.com. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: $27 to $32.
** 1/2 THE OVAL ROOM
A RECENT IMPORT FROM MANHATTAN, where he cooked at the esteemed Jean Georges, Tony Conte entertains patrons of this restaurant near the White House with fashion-forward notions, beginning with the first sip of a treat from the kitchen (most recently, a single shot of warm potato soup enriched with shimmering cubes of yuzu-and-dashi gelee). Seared diver scallops are ubiquitous in high-end dining rooms. Conte differentiates his sweet beauties with a delicate, matchstick-thin slaw of green apple and summer truffles, at once sweet and earthy. Foie gras is a frequent sight in fine restaurants, too, but I'm always compelled to try this chef's treatment, which might find toasted almonds and plump, thyme-flecked nectarines enhancing the pleasure. Chicken might be cooked too long, but I can't resist the bacon-laced cabbage and pureed potatoes, with an elegant well of sauce, that support the entree. Best of all: seared, scored, skin-on, wild sea bass glammed up with garlicky bites of eggplant and a gossamer tomato sauce, pooled around the dish just as it's served. Stick around for dessert, and make it hot, bite-size, sugar-dusted doughnuts paired with a bracing granité of espresso and whipped cream. What a way to say so long!
· 800 Connecticut Ave. NW (near H Street). 202-463-8700. www.ovalroom.com. Open: for lunch Monday through Friday; dinner Monday through Saturday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $14 to $21, dinner $21 to $31.
The Ethnic Standard-Bearers
** 1/2 BAMIAN
AFGHAN RESTAURANTS AREN'T KNOWN FOR THEIR SUMPTUOUSNESS, but this one, set in a former steakhouse, is a fetching exception. A crystal chandelier illuminates the spacious room. The booths are dressed up with etched-glass panels. And the food fits right in. Beef-filled dumplings (mantu) draped in tangy house-made yogurt and mint are surprisingly light, broiled lamb ribs are deliciously crusty on their pillow of brown rice, and you don't need to be a carnivore to enjoy some of the kitchen's best work. For proof, just take a bite of Bamian's sauteed pumpkin, stir-fried eggplant or warm-from-the-oven bread. The last is both delicious and practical, the perfect mopper-upper for any remaining sauces on your plate.
· 5634 Leesburg Pike (near Carlin Springs Road), Falls Church. 703-820-7880. www.bamianrestaurant.com. Open: for lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $9.95 to $14.95, dinner $9.95 to $17.95.
*** BANGKOK 54
CARVED WOODEN FISH AND MINIATURE SILVER BUDDHAS LINE THE SHELVES OF THE DINING ROOM, which also has pillows decorating the banquettes and bright red chopsticks on the tables. The area's prettiest Thai restaurant is also its most mouth-watering. Flaky pastries hide fillings of lightly curried potatoes, their sweetness set off with a clear and stinging dip of onion and green chilies. Tender pork meets up with Chinese broccoli in a fine stew accented with cinnamon, anise and soy sauce. Like it hot? Try soft-shell crabs fired up with garlic and chilies or the aptly titled "spicy roasted duck." Tamer are pearly shrimp, woodsy mushrooms and bok choy in a tangle of glassy and gingery noodles. The staff looks after your needs with sisterly sweetness, and the cheery open kitchen displays smiling cooks chopping and stir-frying their way to your stomach's delight. Around here, Bangkok 54 is as good as Thai gets.
· 2919 Columbia Pike (near South Walter Reed Drive), Arlington. 703-521-4070; www.bangkok54restaurant.com. Open: for lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $5.95 to $12.95; dinner $7.95 to $16.95.
** CUBA DE AYER
THE PAINTINGS ON THE WALL DEPICT A DREAMY CUBA, and so does the food on the table: a fresh-pressed sandwich layered with roast pork, ham, cheese and pickles; thin-crusted empanadas filled with a juicy crumble of ground meat, raisins and onions; shredded beef made succulent by a tomato sauce spiked with cumin, red wine and sweet peppers; and lusty moros y cristianos, white rice stained with inky black beans. A curtain separates the trim dining room from an even smaller kitchen, which is where Mayra Lopez recreates the flavors of her homeland in a storefront tended to by her son and daughter-in-law, William and Jessica Rodriguez. For the sake of comparison one night, I invite a buddy who has been to Cuba. Taking a bite of garlicky shrimp and washing it back with a swig of island beer, he leans back and sighs, "I'm impressed." That makes two of us.
· 15466 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville (near Spencerville Road); 301-476-9622. www.cubadeayerrestaurant.com. Open: for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $8 to $11, dinner $12 to $15.
** EL CHALAN
CAN'T GET TO LIMA? YOUR BEST ALTERNATIVE IS A MEAL AT THE CRAMPED, NOISY, ENGAGING EL CHALAN. The underground restaurant with the low ceilings and religious art has been pouring pisco sours and peeling potatoes -- which go into seemingly every other dish -- for a quarter-century, a small miracle in the here-today-gone-tomorrow restaurant business. An address near the World Bank helps explain all the Spanish in the air, while the kitchen, rather than the matter-of-fact service, is responsible for the many occupied tables. An appetizer of seviche -- tender shrimp and squid made colorful with sweet potatoes and corn -- is big enough to qualify as a whole meal; among entrees, sauteed beef in a jumble of potatoes, onions and tomatoes (lomo saltado) and shredded chicken in a faintly sweet peanut sauce compete for a diner's attention.
· 1924 I St. NW (near 19th Street NW); 202-293-2765.www.elchalanrestaurant.com Open: for lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $10.50 to $24, dinner $13.05 to $26.
** 1/2 HUONG QUE / FOUR SISTERS
ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF A GOOD RESTAURANT IS CONSISTENCY, and one of the things I like best about this Vietnamese charmer in the sprawling Eden Center is the fact that no matter when I drop by -- day or night, winter or summer -- I know I can sit down to piping hot, pork-filled spring rolls and pearly jumbo shrimp sparked with scallions and ginger. There's a lot more in the treasure chest: The menu weighs in with more than 200 dishes. But what sounds as if it's an uphill climb is an easy trek if you enlist the help of one of the English-speaking siblings who give Huong Que its subtitle ("Four Sisters," even though one left to open a salon). Among the appealing destinations might be tender, caramelized short ribs; bright green Chinese broccoli emboldened with bronzed garlic; mild catfish in a soup redolent of tamarind; and squid punched up with sour cabbage. The room is as conducive to a date as to a family reunion, and service runs fast and friendly. When a plate of charred chicken and a tiny saucer of black and white seasonings with citrus are set down, one of the pretty waitresses coaches us to "Be sure to mix the salt and pepper with lots of lime" -- a sister acting like a mother.
· 6769 Wilson Blvd. (near Roosevelt Boulevard), Falls Church. 703-538-6717. Open: for lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch and dinner $5.95 to $25.95.
** LAYALINA
RIMA KODSI ISN'T SHY ABOUT LETTING YOU KNOW HOW GOOD HER RESTAURANT IS. The foyer of the cozy Middle Eastern restaurant is plastered with photos of notables who have dropped by for her cooking, and she nods approvingly when she hears you order one of her signature dishes. "That's mine," the Syrian native says proudly when we request kafta bil jawz, beef mixed with walnuts, red pepper, bulgur and mint and rolled into zippy cigars. Her boasting is mostly justified. Baba ghanouj weaves together smoke, velvet and garlic. Something as simple as a plate of fried potato cubes tossed with cilantro and garlic is quick to become an addiction. Yogurt is made from scratch and served as a tart, snow-white well for chopped tomato and crushed mint. Tempting as it is to order just appetizers from the dozens available, do yourself a favor and delve deeper into the menu; it would be a shame to miss out on fried lamb shank on creamy orzo. Even if you don't order dessert, Kodsi might insist you try something, gratis, along with a cup of clear "coffee." ("It's good for digestion," she says of the fragrant drink, which is actually rose water.) The wimpy pita bread and pedestrian wine list need work, but if Layalina is good enough for the crown prince of Bahrain, it's good enough for me.
· 5216 Wilson Blvd. (near North Florida Street), Arlington. 703-525-1170. www.layalinarestaurant.com. Open: for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $12 to $19, dinner $12 to $19.
** 1/2 LE MANNEQUIN PIS
FANS WHO HELD THEIR BREATH WHEN THIS COZY EXEMPLAR OF BELGIAN CUISINE CHANGED HANDS LAST YEAR CAN EXHALE.
Le Mannequin Pis is much as its former owner and chef, Bernard Dehaene, left it. The room, with its yellow walls and candle-light glow, is as snug as ever. A patron can still find dozens of great beers. (I'm partial to the complex, root-beer-colored Trappistes Rochefort 10.) And the menu continues to celebrate the flavors of a tiny country that is all but ignored by other area restaurants. A thick river of hot cheese gushes from a plate of golden croquettes, fresh spinach is stacked atop little support beams of asparagus and hearts of palm in a fetching salad, and tender chunks of beef appear in a robust stew with sweet onions. Steamed mussels, trailed by a serving of crisp fries, can be sampled 15 ways; most recently, the lid of my double-decker pot was lifted to reveal a great puff of steam and a mound of bivalves, wickedly seasoned with onions, garlic, horseradish and beer -- the aptly titled "Red Devil." Another Belgian tradition brings up the rear: Anything made with chocolate is where you should head for dessert.
· 18064 Georgia Ave. (near Route 108), Olney. 301-570-4800. www.mannequinpis.com Open: for dinner daily. All major credit cards. Dinner entree prices: $17 to $23.
** YECHON
WITHIN MINUTES OF ORDERING, MY TABLE IS CROWDED WITH A DOZEN LITTLE PLATES: fiery kimchi, cool radishes, dark green seaweed, mellow potato salad, coppery and crinkly dried fish. These are complimentary panchan that traditionally round out a Korean meal, and they are among the reasons I seek out Yechon more often than its competitors. The panchan here seem more varied, and they're constantly replenished. But that's not the only draw. Yechon is also open round-the-clock, and the service is tops. "We have our own cook!" a friend exclaims as he watches a waitress turn pieces of spicy pork and sweet beef on a small barbecue in the center of our table. The crisp-edged meat is added to crisp leaves of lettuce, along with rice and chile paste, then rolled into a cool-hot bundle of pleasure. A bubbling casserole of soft tofu, seafood and chili-ignited broth follows; it looks like a volcano and explodes on the tongue. Low ceilings, pretty wood accents and flowery carpet create a handsome place to indulge in the feast, which includes a dish of small white rolls that blend in with the panchan and look good enough to eat, but turn out to be another nice gesture: cool washcloths.
· 4121 Hummer Rd. (near Little River Turnpike), Annandale. 703-914-4646. www.yechonrestaurant.com. Open: for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: breakfast and lunch $6.95 to $9.99, dinner $8.95 to $45
Old Reliables
** 1/2 KINKEAD'S
GIVEN THAT HIS BUSTLING, TWO-STORY SEAFOOD EMPORIUM ROUTINELY FEEDS MORE THAN 400 DINERS EVERY DAY, Bob Kinkead could easily phone in his wishes and count the money. But there he is, every time I drop by, watching over the kitchen in his chef's whites and making sure the product deserves to bear his name. The simple stuff is terrific. Here's the place to knock back some oysters on the half shell, spoon into a packed-with-clams chowder or slice into whole fish (dorade, if you're lucky and not picking up the tab). But the fancier dishes can be every bit as compelling: grilled mahi-mahi presented with a cool dice of mango, black beans, green chile sauce and a sweet potato tamale is a mouth-watering trip to Santa Fe. And surf isn't the only way to order, judging from a recent lunch of very good if slightly salty duck confit on a nest of garlicky spinach. Thanks to sommelier Michael Flynn, you can drink as well as you eat, and do so without taking out a loan. Does the setting look a tad dated? It does, despite a little makeover a few years back.
Service can rise and fall, sometimes during the same meal. But I love the live music wafting up from the lounge below and the chance to observe power at play (Hillary Clinton is a regular). Both the tunes and the clientele make nice accompaniments to the best fried clams in the city.
· 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (near 20th Street). 202-296-7700. www.kinkead.com. Open: for lunch Monday through Friday; dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $17 to $26, dinner $25 to $34.
*** OBELISK
A GAL PAL TAKES TIME OUT FROM HER PAPPARDELLE TOSSED WITH FLESHY CHANTERELLES, juicy tomatoes and crisp bits of pancetta, and looks around the gently lighted dining room. She takes a sip of wine and smiles. "This is like an old friend," she says, summing up the way a lot of us feel about owner Peter Pastan's 19-year-old Italian gem. The narrow space is also spare and intimate, dressed with not much more than a few prints and a handsome buffet in the center. That just means you can focus more on your fixed-price dinner, which begins with what resembles an Italian picnic -- antipasti running from lemony octopus salad to house-made mortadella -- and continues for four more small courses. The cooking takes advantage of what's good in the market and relies on a minimum of enhancers. Dry-aged squab is dense and flavorful, partnered with nothing more than melting fennel and soft heirloom beans. Lamb chops are even better, the meat nicely balanced with sweet onions and garlicky rapini. It's easy to fill up on the house-baked bread ("The butter is made here, too," a server tells us), but try to restrain yourself; there's a lovely cheese course, served with a jam of fig and eggplant, and simple, special desserts at the end of the trail. As friends go, Obelisk is a keeper.
· 2029 P St. NW (near 21st Street). 202-872-1180. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. V, MC. Fixed-price menu $65 per person.
*** 1789
THE SETTING AND THE SERVICE ARE THROWBACKS TO A KINDER AND GENTLER ERA, when flowers and fireplaces spelled romance, and both you and your waiter knew that the proper way to dress involved a coat and tie (yes, 1789 has such a policy). Chef Nathan Beauchamp's American cooking follows suit; it's fresh, but never flashy. Oh, branzino ringed with sweet clams and silky peppers tells you it's 2006, but rack of lamb with creamed spinach proves timeless (and luscious). Chesapeake crab soup brims with crisp sweet corn, tangy tomatoes and the obvious seafood. It's a simple charmer. Snails gathered on delicate pastry get treated to a bright parsley sauce. It's fabulous. While the vegetarian offering is a collection of side dishes (boo! hiss!), this is a kitchen that cares about the accompaniments. Desserts, too: A tart of fromage blanc and crushed hazelnuts is very much in keeping with the venerable restaurant's modus operandi. Ask to sup on the ground floor, home to three of 1789's six dining rooms, each with its own story and each more attractive than anything you'll find a flight of stairs away.
· 1226 36th St. NW (near Prospect Street). 202-965-1789. www.1789restaurant.com. Open: for dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: dinner $23 to $38.
*** SUSHI-KO
ORDER OFF THE MENU IN ONE OF TWO SPARE DINING ROOMS, and you'll eat very well in Washington's most senior Japanese restaurant. Dishes such as miso soup with smoked mussels and crisp eggplant, and grilled baby octopus with bright mango sauce, underscore Sushi-Ko's commitment to quality and creativity. Grab one of 16 stools at the sushi bar, order from whomever is in charge -- most likely the head chef, 31-year-old Koji Terano -- ask what's especially good that day, and the yield can be even greater: sea-sweet scallops that were alive just moments before they were served to you as dill-, radish- and caviar-crowned coins, perhaps, or shaved seared toro (fatty tuna) whose rich marbling, beefy texture and smoky accent suggest a prime steak. This is a restaurant that sweats the small stuff, offering a fine wine list, with an emphasis on French burgundies and fine sakes, and desserts that sparkle -- literally, in the case of the snowy sake sorbet.
· 2309 Wisconsin Ave. NW (near Calvert Street). 202-333-4187. www.sushiko.us. Open: for lunch Tuesday through Friday, for dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $9 to $15, dinner $10 to $25.
** 1/2 TABARD INN
ONE OF MY FAVORITE WAYS TO GAUGE A MEAL IS TO REVEAL THE COST OF THE TAB TO MY DINING COMPANIONS and ask them if they would return on their own dime. "Yes!" a chorus went up after my last dinner at the Tabard Inn, more than 30 years old but tasting very much of the here and now. The enthusiastic nods followed a lovely butternut squash soup jolted with lemongrass, slices of house-made pork terrine nudged to greatness by ginger-plum jam, buttery scallops and a turf-and-turf marriage of braised veal and pork cheeks presented with fresh pasta and lashings of Parmesan. Good ingredients, nice flavors. It helped that we drank interesting wine at fair prices and finished with desserts that are notches ahead of what too many other restaurants put out (thank you, pastry chef Huw Griffiths). Don't be disappointed if you're led from the host stand to an upstairs table, away from the convivial bar and the cozy, clattery main dining room. "Room 52" on the second floor has become my new favorite roost, thanks to its relative quiet and windows that overlook the inn's brick-walled garden.
· 1739 N St. NW (near 18th Street). 202-833-2668. www.tabardinn.com. Open: for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $10 to $17, dinner $19 to $28.
*** VIDALIA
A DINER CAN STILL FIND FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, SHRIMP AND GRITS, AND SALLIE'S CHURCH TEA ON THE MENU, though the Southern accent of the early Vidalia isn't quite as evident these days. This is less a concern than it sounds, however, when the alternatives include a creamy mushroom soup swirled with an emulsion of red wine and truffles, a choucroute of succulent pork slices atop a lush nest of sauerkraut and a wine program that allows you to enjoy a great Austrian export by the 3-ounce taste as well as a full glass or bottle. Vidalia is a serious restaurant that lets the good times roll: I laughed when my "pig in a blanket" turned out to be fried shredded pork, perched on a lovely biscuit and pooled with good brown gravy. (I ate every morsel.) Chef R.J. Cooper might be the best thing to happen to this 13-year-old restaurant since its top-to-bottom makeover in 2003. No region does vegetables and desserts better than the South, the evidence here being every bite of a vegetarian entree -- four sublime meatless dishes presented on a plate with four grids -- and every crumb of pecan pie. An interior of pale greens and soft yellows suggest you're dining al fresco in Charleston, and it isn't until you have to climb the stairs that you remember Vidalia is an underground restaurant.
· 1990 M St. NW (near 20th Street). 202-659-1990. www.vidaliadc.com. Open: for lunch Monday through Friday, for dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $16 to $22, dinner $26 to $36.
Delicious Deals
** A&J
THE NOISE AND WAIT AT THESE SIBLING CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN ANNANDALE AND ROCKVILLE are offset by a long menu of small plates that runs the gamut from mild to wild. On the subtle side are sweetly spiced steamed spareribs served atop sweet potatoes, and cool julienned seaweed tossed with crunchy bean sprouts and sesame oil; slightly more sassy is a bowl of pleasantly chewy noodles dressed with hot sauce and scallions. In between are respectable beef dumplings, foot-long fried breadsticks and the simple but pleasing combination of boiled peanuts, fresh cilantro and velvety matchsticks of dried bean curd. My preference is a seat in the Annandale location, the walls of which are dressed up with wood carvings and a handsome mural above the tiny open kitchen, but the satisfying food and gentle prices are the same in Rockville.
· 1319-C Rockville Pike (near Templeton Place), Rockville. 301-251-7878. Other location: 4316-B Markham St. (near Little River Turnpike), Annandale. 703-813-8181. Open: for lunch and dinner daily. No credit cards accepted. Small plate prices: $1.75 to $5.95.
** 1/2 ARTIE'S
MY MOUTHIEST DINING COMPANION MADE A FACE WHEN I TOLD HIM WHERE WE WERE HAVING DINNER. "Artie's? I've never heard of it." A city boy, he appeared doubtful that dinner in a family-friendly chain restaurant in Fairfax ("Fairfax!") was going to yield anything more than less gas in his tank. "Trust me, you're going to like this," I told him. "They have really good food and great service." The dining room is big and welcoming, resembling a Clyde's but produced by another local company, Great American Restaurants. My pal warms to the lobster bisque, one of Artie's daily soups. "It tastes fresh," he says, nodding approvingly as he samples bites of seafood in the rich mix. The firecracker shrimp poised on a bright slaw make a good impression, too. "No one makes good crab cakes," he complained when I ordered them. Yet the crumb-coated entree's creamy, jumbo lump crab centers elicit a smile. And my inches-thick prime rib is sensational -- as crusty, juicy and beefy as one could hope. Desserts are too big and too sweet, but you have to admire a kitchen that insists on topping them with freshly whipped cream.
· 3260 Old Lee Hwy. (near Lee Highway at Fairfax Circle), Fairfax. 703-273-7600. Open: for lunch Monday through Friday, for dinner daily, for brunch Saturday and Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $8 to $19, dinner $12 to $24.
** 1/2 CORDUROY
THE BEST THAT CAN BE SAID OF THE HOTEL-ISSUE INTERIOR IS THAT IT'S A QUIET ALTERNATIVE TO MUCH OF THE COMPETITION DOWNTOWN. All the excitement at Corduroy streams from the kitchen, where chef Tom Power, a protege of Michel Richard, routinely serves food that impresses diners with its simplicity and grace. If you think all Caesar salads hail from the same recipe, you haven't tried Power's prettily stacked romaine drizzled with an assertive dressing and panes of Parmesan. His soups sound ordinary but aren't. Who knew that cauliflower soup could be sexy? Rockfish swims to the table with a skin so thin and crisp it shatters on contact with your teeth; the succulent entree includes a lovely garden of vegetables and a sherry-kissed butter sauce. And one of the best chicken breasts I've ever encountered was here. Bursting with juices, crisp of skin and set in golden chicken broth, the fowl was further elevated by its stamp-size, goat-cheese-filled ravioli. With luck, chocolate sabayon will be on the dessert menu. Imagine a not-too-sweet cross between a brownie and a souffle -- and imagine you're eating it in more glamorous digs. Power's art deserves a better backdrop.
· 1201 K St. NW (near 12th Street). 202-589-0699. www.corduroydc.com. Open: for lunch Monday through Friday, for dinner Monday through Saturday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $10 to $17, dinner $18 to $29.
*** JALEO
TAPAS ARE NOW SO UBIQUITOUS THAT I'VE SEEN EVEN CHINESE RESTAURANTS LABELING SMALL PLATES OF APPETIZERS THAT WAY. For the real deal, though, I head to one of the three area Spanish restaurants whose name refers to merrymaking. The more I eat tapas everywhere else, the more I appreciate the concept developed and nurtured by chef José Andrés. Tiny sweet clams drizzled with a bright parsley sauce bathe in a golden broth that begs to be mopped up with bread. Earthy beets, tangy cheese, juicy citrus and crunchy walnuts add up to a salad that's as vivid on the tongue as it is pretty to look at. Meaty eel gets a sweet wash of shallot sauce. Even the ham and cheese sandwich is inspired (meat and manchego from Spain help). With more than 70 snacks to choose from, the menu acknowledges a crowd of tastes and encourages frequent exploration. The service runs friendly, the food comes out fast and the happy buzz in the room turns even a weekday lunch into something festive. Jaleo, indeed!
· 480 Seventh St. NW (near E Street). 202-628-7949. www.jaleo.com. Other locations: 7271 Woodmont Ave. (near Elm Street) Bethesda. 301-913-0003. 2250-A Crystal Drive (near 23rd Street South), Arlington. 703-413-8181. Open: for lunch and dinner daily. All major credit cards. Small plate prices: $4.95 to $9.95.
** KOTOBUKI
"CHEAP" AND "SUSHI" ARE WORDS BEST AVOIDED TOGETHER; HIGH-QUALITY FISH TENDS TO BE EXPENSIVE, AFTER ALL.
One exception to my rule of thumb is this second-story Japanese shoebox, where chef Hisao Abe offers nearly 20 kinds of sushi for a buck apiece. Among the finds are buttery toro, rich glazed eel, mellow yellowtail and creamy lobster (salad) -- each slipped on a finger of rice and each tasting fresh. Exceptions, such as tired sea urchin, are rare. Over the seasons, I've come to appreciate the ritual sameness of each visit. Ding! goes a bell whenever anyone passes through the ground-floor entrance. A soundtrack of the Beatles plays nonstop. Invariably, the waitresses are gracious, and the sake is poured into square lacquered boxes. Invariably, I wish Kotobuki were closer to my home.
· 4822 MacArthur Blvd. NW (near U Street). 202-625-9080. www.kotobukiusa.com. Open: for lunch Tuesday through Saturday; dinner Tuesday through Sunday. MC, V. Entree prices: lunch $8.50 to $12, dinner $12 to $16.
** 1/2 RAY'S THE STEAKS
THE AREA'S BEST STEAKHOUSE HAS NO ART ON THE WALLS AND NO LINENS ON THE TABLES. It's not even in the city limits, but across the river, in a modest neighborhood shopping strip in Arlington. So why is there always a throng of people waiting outside the storefront for a chance at one of only 45 seats? Because the meat is terrific. Owner Michael Landrum buys only the good stuff, mostly prime beef from conscientious ranchers, and he butchers and ages the product himself. Chateaubriand for one? No problem (served with charred onions and sauteed mushrooms, the fat chunks of succulent tenderloin are cooked just as you ask). Even better is the gutsy "cowboy cut" of bone-in rib-eye, almost 30 ounces of sheer guilt. "You're not going to eat all that!" the woman next to me gasps. "Of course I am," I tell her. "Tonight, tomorrow and probably the day after that." Yes, the room is loud. And the appetizers, while perfectly pleasant, don't live up to what follows them. I applaud everything else about the experience, though, from the spiced nuts that launch dinner to the farewell of fudge that accompanies a bill -- a tab that's surprising only because it's so much less than what you'd shell out in the city. The entrees come with miniature skillets of bright creamed spinach and homey mashed potatoes, and meals are best washed back with a carefully chosen (but affordably priced) bottle from Ray's wine list.
· 1725 Wilson Blvd. (near North Rhodes Street), Arlington. 703-841-7297. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: $14.95 to $31.95.
Neighborhood Treasures
*** CASHION'S EAT PLACE
A SIGN THAT THE NAMESAKE CHEF IS PROBABLY IN: A HANDWRITTEN MENU, IN ANN CASHION'S LOVELY CURSIVE SCRIPT. But even if the muse is away, the food at her sepia-toned Adams Morgan destination is as pure and poetic as if she were right there, plating your terrine of veal and pork, a surprisingly light appetizer flanked with toasted bread and a California-fresh salad. Or ladling a pale green soup of pureed broccoli and garlic into a bowl, then adding a few airy, Parmesan-laced croutons to its smooth surface. Come to think of it, it's hard to order wrong here. Cashion's tempura soft-shell crabs treated to ponzu sauce are bite after bite of light, golden crunch; duck confit is as rich and succulent as that French favorite gets, its fragrant nest of green cabbage and bacon ringed in a delicate strawberry reduction. Keep going: The desserts -- tart lime curd in a fine cookie shell, super-moist devil's food cake with coffee ice cream -- are just as elegant as anything that precedes them. Can't get a seat in the dining room? The raised bar with its tall tables overlooking the show is actually the best view in the house.
· 1819 Columbia Rd. NW (near 18th Street). 202-797-1819. www.cashionseatplace.com. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, for brunch Sunday. All major credit card. Entree prices: dinner $20 to $35.
** COLORADO KITCHEN
CHEF GILLIAN CLARK PUT BRIGHTWOOD ON THE FOOD MAP WHEN SHE OPENED A PLACE OF HER OWN IN 2001, luring diners with home-made doughnuts at brunch and fabulous burgers on Thursday and Sunday nights and Friday at lunch. While the place has matured over the years -- dinner is now preceded by an amuse-bouche, and wine and beer have been added to the roster of drink options -- its mission remains the same: good food cooked with lots of attention to detail. From her small, semi-open kitchen, Clark sends out "small food" and "big food" that alternately summon Norman Rockwell (meatloaf, cod fish cakes) and Auguste Escoffier (pot au feu that would be better with more seasoning). If chess pie is offered for dessert, jump at the chance to try the Southern classic.
Service proves hit or miss, but the setting couldn't be more endearing: red diner chairs, black and white tile floors -- and time-tested recipes papering the walls of the bathrooms. Bring a pen and paper if you want instructions for making biscuits.
· 515 Colorado Ave. NW (near 14th Street). 202-545-8280. Open: for lunch Friday, dinner Wednesday through Sunday, brunch Saturday and Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $7.50 to $13, dinner $14 to $25.
** 1/2 DAVID CRAIG
I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO RETURN TO A FAVORITE RESTAURANT AND FIND IT PERFORMING AS WELL AS I REMEMBER FROM SEASONS PAST. And that's the case at David Craig, named for the native Scotsman whose years of cooking at some of the area's most appealing neighborhood spots inform his work in this small, spare, two-room restaurant. He does light food well: An assembly of local arugula, juicy tomatoes, grilled summer squash, peaches and bacon is like eating a salad straight from the garden. But Craig can also do comfort food: The best shepherd's pie around may be his layering of succulent duck confit with gratineed mashed potatoes and Gorgonzola cheese. His pastas are delicate, and his pairing of a beautiful diver scallop with braised veal cheeks -- poised on tomato-enriched polenta and served with crisp haricot verts -- is surf and turf of distinction. Craig is not the kind of guy who parades through his dining room, chatting up guests. He's content to do his thing behind a big window that looks into the kitchen -- a cooking lesson with no sound.
· 4924 St. Elmo Ave. (near Old George-town Road), Bethesda. 301-657-2484. www.dcbethesda.com.) Open: for dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: $20 to $30.
** DEL MEREI GRILLE
THE PERKY, BLOND MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES? THAT'S MARY ABRAHAM. The guy behind the fried pickles and spicy beef kabobs? That's Eric Reid, Abraham's childhood chum. Together they make sure you feel at home and dine quite nicely in their red-and-gold dining room, which packs in soccer moms, seniors and twentysomethings on dates. One of the most heart-stopping appetizers around -- "The Plate" -- brings together those crisp fried pickles, bacon-topped deviled eggs and beer-battered mozzarella. Fear not, for there are salads to balance the equation. Entrees consider a host of appetites, too, which means one of you can explore the Low Country with very good shrimp and cheesy grits, and the other can go the meat route with a lean buffalo hanger steak. The common denominator: generous portions (the grilled items come with a choice of two sides, including terrific potato salad and baked beans). At Del Merei, the drinks are strong, the desserts are decadent -- grilled doughnuts, anyone? -- and the vibe is "Howdy, neighbor." No wonder the revolving door gets such a workout.
· 3106 Mount Vernon Ave. (near East Glebe Road), Alexandria. 703-739-4335. www.delmereigrille.com Open: for lunch Monday through Friday; dinner daily. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $8 to $14, dinner $16 to $26.
** HANK'S OYSTER BAR
This small restaurant with a big heart models itself after like-minded seafood haunts in New York and San Francisco. So the chalkboard lists whatever oysters look good, the seating is snug and there's a genuine connection to the name in the title (Hank's is a tribute to chef Jamie Leeds's late father, a fisherman). All the seafood classics -- lobster rolls, oyster po' boys, fried Ipswich clams -- get their due here, though the daily-changing "meat & two" throws a bone to those who hanker for something that wasn't plucked from the water. Monday, for instance, finds tender short ribs framed with a choice of two accompaniments; crumb-topped "mac and cheesy" and buttermilk onion rings are among the many lures. Not all the flavors shine -- one night's seviche is all heat and no balance -- and Hank's still doesn't serve dessert (the kitchen's too small, the chef says), but that's hardly sufficient grounds for staying away.
· 1624 Q St. NW (near 17th Street). 202-462-4265. www.hanksdc.com. Open: for dinner daily, for brunch Saturday and Sunday. All major credit cards. Dinner entree prices: $12 to $21.
** HITCHING POST
THE FORMICA BAR AND ITS SKY-BLUE STOOLS WHISK YOU BACK TO ANOTHER ERA, and so does the hands-on approach of Alvin and Adrienne Carter, the husband and wife who bought the place back in '67 and continue to run it as a home away from home. On any given day, you might find Al deveining shrimp from the comfort of a big Naugahyde booth, and Adrienne mixing drinks or welcoming regulars. "How's the pork chop?" a stranger asks me as he settles down for an early dinner at the counter. In truth, it's just okay, but I'm digging the dark greens and the pickle-laced potato salad I've ordered to go with the entree. And I know from experience that the fried-to-order chicken is worth the time it takes to dip the pieces in egg batter, dredge them in peppered flour and cook them so they're crisp, yet moist. The chicken's equal is the deftly fried and nicely juicy shrimp, but I could make a whole meal of the sides, which run to fresh-tasting coleslaw and hand-cut fries. When Al Carter strolls over to drop change in the jukebox, a customer begs, "Al, don't put me to sleep!" Not a chance.
· 200 Upshur St. NW (near Rock Creek Church Road). 202-726-1511. Open: for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $8.75 to $27.75, dinner $8.75 to $27.75.
** 1/2 JACKIE'S
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO BREAK INTO A SMILE AT JACKIE'S. Everything from the miniature "Elvis" burgers to the groovy interior conspires to put you in a light mood. From the exhibition kitchen flow all sorts of interesting combinations: a rainbow of roasted peppers served with fat yucca fries and a rousing cilantro dip, fried mussels bound in shredded phyllo and "nostalgia" plates that change with the day. Count me a fan of Sunday's snowy catfish, flanked with cooked greens and hush puppies. But not even its chimichurri sauce can rescue the bland steak. There's more to praise than to pan in this former garage turned warmhearted dining room, including a Monday night happy hour that stars cold fried chicken, roast beef sandwiches and flights of wine in the bar. Save space for the carrot cake, served in a generous wedge with orange-flavored frosting. And save time to chat up co-owner and hostess Jackie Greenbaum, whose bubbly charm matches the bright pink sign outside.
· 8081 Georgia Ave. (near Sligo Avenue), Silver Spring. 301-565-9700.www.jackiesrestaurant.com. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, for brunch Sunday. All major credit cards. Dinner entree prices: $15 to $28.
** 1/2 MONTMARTRE
THE MOST CONSISTENT RESTAURANT ON CAPITOL HILL, MONTMARTRE, IS ALSO ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S MOST ALLURING. Its menu brims with temptations that taste every bit as luscious as they read on paper. Beet tartare is a ruby round of diced vegetable, bound with mayonnaise, garnished with goat cheese and nuts, and presented on a triangular white plate. In another first course, sheer slices of dewy scallop pave the plate; the seafood shimmers with a drizzle of olive oil, lime and capers. Rich duck confit nestles with soft white beans in a black casserole, a hearty entree that suggests a French grandmother might have prepared it. On the other side of the spectrum, herb-tinted risotto is decorated with upended shrimp and ringed by a brilliant yellow oil -- an expense-account look that's affordably priced. From his visible kitchen in the rear of an airy yellow dining room, chef Stephane Lezla serves food that puts you in a Paris state of mind.
· 327 Seventh St. SE (near Pennsylvania Avenue). 202-544-1244. Open: for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $12.95 to $18.95, dinner $16.95 to $20.95.
Washington Originals
** 1/2 BREADLINE
FEEL FREE TO BE SKEPTICAL OF MY ENDORSEMENT OF THE CITY'S BEST SANDWICH MAKER; MARK FURSTENBERG, its former owner (now a consultant), is a longtime friend of mine. Yet Breadline's impact goes beyond the perimeters of the cafe-bakery itself, to the breadbaskets of some of the area's top dining rooms, and to the thinking that mayonnaise should be made by hand and you don't eat tomatoes when they're not in season. The payoff: baguettes that transport you to Paris and daily specials that find their fans marking their calendars as if they were holidays. Tuesdays yield ham sandwiches that are models of their kind, constructed from sweet butter, French ham and Swiss cheese; Fridays find crowds lining up for stellar fried fish sandwiches. Some of the best french fries around are (twice) cooked here, and if there's a better egg salad in town, I have yet to find it (the version here is spread on olive bread). At rush hour -- say, noon on any weekday -- the crowds and cacophony remind you of a Metro station, and seats in the industrial, self-service space are scarce. But that's a small price to pay for lunches packed with so much thought.
· 1751 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (near 18th Street). 202-822-8900. www.thebreadlinedc.blogspot.com. Open: for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: lunch $4.80 to $12.99.
*** 1/2 MINIBAR
THE BEST AMBASSADOR SPAIN EVER SENT TO WASHINGTON IS JOSÉ ANDRÉS, the indefatigable chef whose empire includes Jaleo, Cafe Atlantico, Zaytinya and the smallest and most daring "restaurant" in Washington: the six-seat Minibar, located on the second floor of Cafe Atlantico. There, in a show born from his experience with one of the world's most influential chefs, Ferran Adrià of El Bulli in Spain, the 37-year-old Andrés and his colleagues stage a dinner that is by turns amusing, thought-provoking, astonishing and often delectable. The thrills start right away, when the cooks behind the copper counter greet diners with a see-through "bubble" of olive oil, whose sheer, caramelized skin gives wayto a rush of golden liquid. "Vinaigrette without the salad," suggests one of the chefs. Then follow a "glassless" mojito, an airy "tumbleweed" of fried beet threads, saffron-flavored meringue hiding a cool yogurt center, pin-size fried fish tucked in a thumb-size paper cone, a world-class conch fritter, "linguine" somehow coaxed from feta water and agar-agar (a seaweed setting agent), a bite of lobster attached to a little vial of lobster juice (diners are instructed to squeeze the container as they eat the snack) -- and those are fewer than half of the bite-size marvels I consumed over the course of a 2 1/2-hour-long performance. What sounds like an advanced chemistry class is better thought of as dinner and a show; since it opened three years ago, the food at Minibar has retained all of its magic, with the hits far outnumbering the misses (which include a bland tasting of zucchini and an unfortunate pairing of smoked oysters and apple). Other chefs in other cities have attempted to duplicate Adrià's work; his former student in Washington does it best. Good news for those who have tried and failed to reserve a coveted seat at Minibar: Sometime next year, promises Andrés, the entire second floor of Atlantico will be devoted to his edible whimsies.
· In Cafe Atlantico, 405 Eighth St. NW (near D Street). 202-393-0812. www.cafeatlantico.com. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. All major credit cards. Fixed-price dinner: $95.
*** 1/2 PALENA
, the gracious home to former White House chef Frank Ruta. His seductive food, a marriage of Italy and France, is graced by simple elegance: aged balsamic vinegar and crushed hazelnuts to perk up cloudlike gnocchi, a subtle herb sauce to flatter pan-roasted lamb loin, a flaky bar of almond-dusted pastry to hover over choice bites of lobster and sweet oysters -- pristine surf in a buttery puddle of wine, ginger and grapefruit zest. The yellow dining room with its candelabra and opera music seems to grow more attractive, and the service gets smoother and smarter, with each passing season. Pastry chef Ann Amernick's finishing touches have never been more worth breaking any diet you might be on. Winter brings a fabulous cheesecake made with alternating layers of pumpkin and goat cheese; summer finds an exquisite blueberry "pie" assembled from buttery panes of pastry and plump fruit tossed with sour cream. Does it get any better? It does. The bar menu caters to those who appreciate great food but might be on a budget. Just try to find a hauter hamburger, perched on house-baked brioche, than Ruta's $10 epiphany.
· 3529 Connecticut Ave. NW (near Porter Steet). 202-537-9250. www.palenarestaurant.com. Open: for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. All major credit cards. Entree prices: dinner $12 to $75.
Last month, Tom Sietsema was honored by the Association of Food Journalists, which awarded him first place for restaurant criticism among large newspapers. He will be fielding questions and comments about the Dining Guide Monday at noon at washingtonpost.com/liveonline.
