Dinner Deals: Cheap-eats restaurants for date night, game night and everything in between
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Friday, February 19, 2010
Your sister e-mails to say she's coming to town with her two toddlers. A friend wants to grab a bite before a night on the town. You're sick and tired of going to the same old neighborhood standbys.
Where to go?
We're here to help. Week after week, diners write in to the Going Out Guide's Thursday discussion seeking restaurants that fill a specific dining need. In the mini reviews that follow, we highlight some of our favorite solutions. At all of these spots, it's possible to refuel for less than $15 a person -- and that's something everyone can appreciate.
With the kids
Brunch
Date night
To watch the game
Hanging with the girls
Something different
Surfside
2444 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-337-0004. http:/
With its laid-back, beachy atmosphere, this airy storefront is one of the most relaxed places to catch a bite in town. Reggae drifts from the speakers, and fresh fish tacos fly off the grill. Chef David Scribner and his partners are parents, so they made sure to offer a kids menu: tacos or quesadillas with a selection of fillings so you can pick the ones your kids will eat. They are served with yellow rice and a side item. (On Tuesday nights, kids get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entree.)
For adults, the options are richer. I'm always drawn to the Cabo San Lucas platter. Juicy steak and a dollop of fresh guac are tucked between warm corn tortillas. A squeeze of lime enlivens the well-seasoned rice and beans alongside. The guacamole is simple and divine, making the most of just a few ingredients . One drawback: You have to fill out a sheet to order, which causes some confusion at the checkout line. For dessert, go for one of the cupcakes from sister shop Something Sweet.
Samantha's Restaurant
631 University Blvd E., Silver Spring. 301-445-7300.
Samantha's looks a little nicer than your average kid-friendly restaurant, at least once you get past the neon in the window. Deep red walls and white tablecloths add a touch of romance to the 65-seat Silver Spring eatery. But parents have learned that children are welcome here. A half-dozen kiddos traipsed in within an hour on a recent Sunday night. A pair of sisters even brought their own markers to doodle on the white paper that overlays the tablecloths. (The restaurant supplies crayons if you ask for them.)
The children's menu is pretty standard -- cheeseburgers, chicken tenders and mini quesadillas -- but many families opt for the restaurant's wide variety of pupusas. Parents can sup on Mexican, Salvadoran and South American dishes such as carne asado, pollo saltado and yucca con chicharron. Go early to get one of the few spots in the parking lot alongside the restaurant.
Matchbox
Saturday and Sunday.
713 H St. NW. 202-289-4441.
521 Eighth St. SE. 202-548-0369. http:/
Juicy sliders and thin-crust pizzas have been driving the hordes to Matchbox for years, but for my money, brunch is the meal worth ordering. Cast-iron skillets loaded up with eggs, potatoes and proteins including smoked salmon or steak make for hearty options -- in addition to bringing a down-home touch to the table. I always go for the stromboli-like roll of goat cheese, chorizo, asparagus and scrambled eggs; a zippy chipotle sour cream brightens the dish.
For dessert, tuck into cinnamon-dusted "doughnuts," deep-fried puffs served with an espresso-Kahlua dipping sauce. It's indulgent for midday, but a fun dish to share with friends. The bloody marys are not to be missed, especially for those who like a morning beverage tinged with heat. Skip the "bloody beer"; only a die-hard Pabst Blue Ribbon aficionado could drink the stuff when swirled with the house-made bloody mary mix. (For the record, co-owner Drew Kim says the drink "does very well for us.") Capitol Hill-dwellers take note: The Eighth Street location has live jazz during Sunday brunch.
Louisiana Kitchen & Bayou Bar
Saturday and Sunday.
4907 Cordell Ave., Bethesda. 301-652-6945. http:/
It's easy to fall in love with Louisiana Kitchen. The service is great. The food is simple and satisfying. And the biscuits will make you forget any low-carb resolution you've made. Bethesdans -- high-school athletes to senior citizens -- take up the tables here, much the way they did at the restaurant's much-loved forefather, Louisiana Express. There's a family-friendly feel as soon as you walk in the door.
For brunch, the restaurant ladles its thick creole sauce onto poached eggs and fried grits. Fried oysters also get the "Benedict" treatment with runny egg yolks and hollandaise moistening the seafood's crispy exterior. Andouille sausage and red beans give an everyday omelet a Southern accent. In keeping with N'awlins traditions, chickory coffee is available with or without milk. End on a sweet note with the airy beignets.
Fontaine Caffe & Creperie
119 S. Royal St., Alexandria. 703-535-8151. http:/
Few restaurants glow with the kind of warmth one finds at Fontaine. At night, mini-lamps hanging overhead cast a golden light over the cozy dining room (and your dinner partner). Conversation is easy over the clink of wine glasses. It's a pleasant space.
The temptation is to order dessert first. Simple, street cart-style crepes pair lemon cream with powdered sugar or Nutella with strawberries. The more indulgent ones include caramelized fruits, chocolate and/or ice cream. But don't write off a full dinner here just because it'll be wrapped in a pastry shell. Some of the savory crepes prove to be very filling, such as a hearty veggie-friendly number with eggplant, mozzarella and tomato sauce, which is an occasional special. My favorite dish is perhaps the most simple: a fold of ham, cheese and sauteed mushrooms.
Taj of India
2809 M St. NW. 202-965-4266. http:/
In the evening, votive lights on the tables lend a cozy glow to this Georgetown eatery, which has been operating on M Street since 2002. There are a few paintings on the walls and some plants here and there, but the real draw is the low-cost, high-spice Indian fare, with plenty of options for vegetarians.
Tomato soup is a far cry from the Campbell's sort. Cumin and lime add a surprising tingle to the appetizer. Chicken kebabs are perfectly juicy, tinted with the aroma of the clay oven. A subtly sweet cream sauce dresses the tender meat in the lamb chops masala dish. Once the meat is gone, we're tempted to take home the leftover dressing and an order of garlic nan. The servers seem too eager at times to push a second glass of wine, but ask for their advice and they'll lead you to dishes that suit your spice tolerance.
Thirsty Bernie
2163 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington. 703-248-9300. http:/
Hunter-green walls and 14 televisions signal that this strip-mall watering hole is a sports-lover's kind of place. So the menu comes as a shock. Sure, there are wings, burgers and other sports-bar fare, but mussels? Wiener schnitzel? Goulash?! The European accents have been among the restaurant's selling points since it launched in June 2008 under chef Jamie Stachowski. He's no longer in the kitchen, but chef Andy Cieslowski continues to smoke meats in-house and make his own gnocchi.
A hot pastrami sandwich benefits from the sour tang of pickled red onions and the house-made pumpernickel. Mussels warm us up on a cold night; we sop up garlicky broth with crusty bread. That goulash combines rich braised beef and veal with spatzle (tiny dumplings). Get something beyond a Miller Lite; the menu suggests pairings from the long list of European brews.
Penn Quarter Sports Tavern
639 Indiana Ave. NW. 202-347-6666. http:/
Nighttime, daytime, it doesn't matter. The light inside this brick-walled sports bar generally comes from the flicker of 17 huge televisions, pulsing with the play by play. Fans here tend to travel in packs. You'll find clusters of alumni gathered around the same screen, especially during college-football season.
The menu offers a pretty standard array of bar munchies, but they're executed well. The burger, for instance, is a full half-pound of meat that's cooked to order and perfectly juicy. Optional toppings including sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions take the typical offering up a notch. The Reuben is good in a gigantic sort of way: a huge stack of corned beef on marble rye complemented by a generous slather of thousand-island dressing and sauerkraut. Bite-size fried ravioli are a welcome change from omnipresent mozzarella sticks. Caps fans take note: Bring in your ticket stub before or after a home game and you'll score a free order of wings and a free beer with your purchase.
Rice Restaurant
1608 14th St. NW. 202-234-2400. http:/
When the ultimate destination for a girls' night out is U Street, Logan Circle's Rice is a good place to know about. Low lighting lends a cool, loungey feel to the minimalist space. Exposed brick walls and cushy bench seats help reinforce the theme.
Common Thai offerings -- pad Thai, tom yum goong and penang curry -- are available here, but I gravitate toward the restaurant's more contemporary dishes. Squid ink lends a dramatic color and more intense flavor to one pad Thai dish. Green tea subtly scents some of the dumplings. A slow-burning heat lurks in a milky green curry. One-third of the menu caters to vegetarians, and the cocktail list will appeal to anyone with a flair for fruity. (Melon-cucumber mojito, anyone?) Rice doesn't take reservations; owner Sak Pollert recommends arriving between 5 and 8 p.m. to avoid a long wait for a table.
Church Street Cellars
111 Church St. NW, Suite 103, Vienna. 703-255-0550. http:/
Nothing says girl's night quite like a wine bar, and this suburban spot hits all the right notes. It has extensive listings of wines by the glass or bottle, some cheese for nibbling and more substantial small plates for sharing. The centerpiece of the shop is the Enomatic wine dispenser, a machine that houses 32 bottles of wine and squirts out tastings of wine by the ounce, 2 1/2 -ounce glass or five-ounce glass. The bar area could seat a small group comfortably, but for larger gatherings, grab a table beyond the brick archway.
Owner Mark Heider has had chefs come and go since he started serving food in 2007, so recently, he created a menu of some of his favorite dishes over the years. It's easy to see why the ravioli made the cut. They're plump with diced mushrooms and glisten with a nutty butter sauce. Steak Marsala is tenderly cooked and gently dressed with the sweet wine sauce. Split baked brie along with wine. It's smeared with a jalapeño jelly that contrasts nicely with a full-bodied red.
Sticky Rice
1224 H St. NE. 202-397-7655. http:/
Music videos blare from the televisions, and funky art dominates the walls. One look inside Sticky Rice and it's clear that this is not your typical sushi-and-noodle restaurant. This place has been attracting hipsters since its 2008 opening with an out-there atmosphere and a lineup of quirky activities including karaoke and bingo.
Sushi is the main attraction here, but don't expect delicate rolls of raw fish. The Godzirra roll is a massive log of crunchy shrimp, avocado, cream cheese and spicy/crunchy toppings. Wasabi peas add fire to a roll of yellowtail, cream cheese and scallions. Sticky Balls, deep-fried packets of tuna, crab and rice, are the restaurant's specialty. Vegetarians and vegans will find many options here, chief among them the Garden Balls, a variation on the Sticky Ball theme. Tater tots (yes, the fried-potato snacks) are among the most popular side dishes. They're sold by the bucket. Is Sticky Rice the kind of place the sushi gods intended? Probably not. But it's one of the most entertaining places to grab a bite on H Street NE.
Punk's Backyard Grill
2188 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis. 410-571-7744. http:/
It's not easy to create atmosphere in a huge, impersonal space attached to a mall. Punk's has done so by bringing the outside in. The concept of a backyard cookout drove the menu creation and much of the decor. Stand in line to order next to a faux picket fence. Sit down to eat at a picnic table underneath an umbrella. Plants scattered throughout the restaurant encourage a game of make-believe -- even in the heart of winter.
The food helps drive the fantasy home. A steak sandwich piles tender meat, sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions atop a buttery roll smeared with a peppery sauce. The zippy mayonnaise in the coleslaw enlivens thin ribbons of carrot and red and green cabbage. (It wouldn't be a barbecue without potato salad and corn on the cob, so those sides are available as well.) And the salads are better than typical backyard fare -- a jumble of baby spinach, cheddar and rings of pear is a brilliant mix of salty and sweet. Beer, wine and cocktails round out the spread.
