Several Downtown restaurants fared admirably on two separate Washington Post dining lists recently. Food critic Tom Sietsema’s “Fall Dining Guide” includes 40 of his favorite restaurants in the D.C. area, rated based on a two- to four-star rating system. Seven of the 40 restaurants are located in the DowntownDC BID area. They are:
- Rasika (633 D Street) – Indian cuisine, 4 stars
- Jaleo (480 7th Street) – Spanish, 3-1/2 stars
- Central Michel Richard (1001 Pennsylvania Avenue) – French, 3 stars
- Fiola (678 Indiana Avenue) – Italian, 3 stars
- The Source (575 Pennsylvania Avenue) – Asian, 3 stars
- Zaytinya (701 9th Street) – Mediterranean, 3 stars
- Mio (1110 Vermont Avenue) – Latin American, 2-1/2 stars
Sietsema spent four months winnowing his list from more than 100 favorites. What a tough and, we suspect, calorie-infused job! The Express, the Washington Post’s free daily newspaper, also released its “Best of 2012: Dining” roster, and six Downtown restaurants and one chef made that list. The restaurants, and how the Express describes them, follow:
- Rasika – Ashok Bajaj’s restaurant remains the reigning champ (four years and counting) in the Best Indian category.
- Hill Country (410 7th Street) – This barbecue joint takes it culinary cues from central Texas.
- Oyamel (401 7th Street) – This South/Central American restaurant is where you’ll find lesser-known Mexican ingredients such as grasshoppers, beef tongue, cactus and huitlacoche, or corn truffle.
- Zaytinya – The Greek/Turkish/Lebanese small-plates restaurant changes its menu seasonally, although year-round standouts include hunkar begendi (Turkish braised lamb shank) and kibbeh (Lebanese beef and bulghur wheat fritters).
- Five Guys (808 H Street, 1400 I Street, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue) – D.C.’s obsession with this burger joint is the result of a simple equation: a fully customizable menu multiplied by several area locations.
- FroZen Yo (1006 F Street) – The frozen treat shop gives customers their own bucket-size cup (you pay by weight) and lets them go wild.
- Jose Andres – This celebrity chef brings us so many gastronomic wonders at his Think Food Group restaurants.
Congratulations to all recognized for their culinary wonders, specials and talents!