From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Restaurant Week is back! (Luis Gomez Photos)
It’s DC’s bi-annual Restaurant Week, which means that through August 19, more than 200 restaurants in the DC metro area will offer three-course meals at discounted prices.
Throughout the week, multi-course lunches are $20.12 and dinners are $35.12 at participating restaurants (not including beverages, tax and gratuity). Most places set fixed menus for the week, so make sure to check with the individual restaurant before reserving your table.
There is no need to chase these deals all over the city – Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to sample some of the neighborhood’s best spots. Most reservations can be made through Open Table and City Eats DC; visit the Restaurant Week website for a complete list of participating locations.
To help you out, we’ve made a list of participating restaurants in Borderstan:
Dupont Circle Area
- Agora, 1527 17th Street NW
- Beacon Bar and Grill, 1615 Rhode Island Avenue NW
- Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Darlington House, 1610 20th Street NW
- Ezme, 2016 P Street NW
- Firefly, 1310 New Hampshire Avenue NW
- Floriana, 1602 17th Street NW
- i Ricchi, 1220 19th Street NW
- La Tomate, 1701 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Nage Restaurant, 1600 Rhode Island Avenue NW
- Odeon Cafe Italian Cuisine, 1714 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 1801 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Sette Osteria, 1666 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Sushi Taro, 1503 17th Street NW
- Urbana Restaurant, 2121 P Street NW
Logan Circle Area
- Birch and Barley, 1337 14th Street NW
- Logan Tavern, 1423 P Street NW
- Masa 14, 1825 14th Street NW
U Street Area
- 1905, 1905 9th Street NW
- Lost Society, 2001 14th Street NW
- Policy, 1904 14th Street NW
- Tabaq Bistro, 1336 U Street NW
- Ulah Bistro, 1214 U Street NW
- Vinoteca, 1940 11th Street NW
DC Winter Restaurant Week runs January 9-15. Fixed prices are $20.12 for lunch and $35.12 for dinner. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The bi-annual DC Restaurant Week has arrived. It begins today, January 9, and runs through Sunday the 15th. You can get the complete list at the Restaurant Week website (yes, some are even in the suburbs).
Here’s how the pricing works: Lunch is $20.12 for a three-course fixed-price meal while dinner is $35.12 for a three-course fixed-price meal. Beverages, gratuity and tax are not included.
If you want to stay in the neighborhood, below are 35 restaurants in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area that are part of Restaurant Week.
Reservations can be made through OpenTable for many participating restaurants, but not all. Note that some of the restaurants in the Metro area are only offering lunch while others may offer only dinner as part of the special.
Navigating Restaurant Week: Read Alejandra’s Restaurant Week: Love It… or Hate It.
17th Street NW
- Agora, 1527 17th Street NW
- Floriana, 1602 17th Street NW (dinner only)
- Level One, 1639 17th Street NW (dinner only)
- Sushi Taro, 1503 17th Street NW
Dupont Circle Area
- 2100 Prime in the Fairfax Hotel, 2100 Massachusetts Avenue NW
- Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Casa Nonna, 1250 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Cafe Dupont, 1500 New Hampshire Avenue NW
- Darlington House, 1610 20th Street NW
- Dirty Martini, 1223 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Ezme, 2016 P Street NW
- Firefly, 1310 New Hampshire Avenue NW
- Grillfish, 1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW
- Ristorante i Ricchi, 1220 19th Street NW
- Odeon Cafe, 1714 Connecticut Avenue NW
- La Tomate, 1701 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Levante, 1320 19th Street NW
- Marrakesh, 2147 P Street NW
- Palm, 1225 19th Street NW
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 1801 Connecticut Avenue NW
- Urbana Restaurant, Hotel Palomar, 2121 P Street NW
- Vento Restaurant, 2120 P Street NW
Logan Circle / 14th Street NW
- El Centro D.F., 1819 14th Street NW
- Birch and Barley, 1337 14th Street NW (dinner only)
- Logan Tavern, 1423 P Street NW
- Masa 14, 1825 14th Street NW (dinner only)
- Policy, 1904 14th Street NW (dinner only)
Thomas Circle and Scott Circle
- Beacon Bar & Grill, Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters, 1615 Rhode Island Avenue NW
- Nage Bistro, 1600 Rhode Island Avenue NW
- Zentan, Donovan House Hotel, 1155 14th Street NW
U Street Corridor
A Circulator Bus on 14th Street NW: Greater Greater Washington is testing a new web-based application, Transit Near Me. (Luis Gomez on Borderstan Flickr pool)
From Mike Kohn. Got some news for Mike that he might have missed? Email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @mike_kohn.
Transit Near Me
Ever feel exceptionally confused on how to get from place to place? Sometimes the bus is great, but if you don’t really know where you’re going, the system can be a little overwhelming. Enter the folks from Greater Greater Washington. They’re testing a new web-based application called Transit Near Me and are inviting you to try it out for free.
Piola On Its Way
We don’t have a date yet, but U Street Girl, who celebrated her third blogiversary (congrats!) recently, pointed out that some key physical features have been added to the planned location at 14th Street and Florida Avenue NW, including a window and a door. The pizza place should be a nice addition to the burgeoning 14th Street NW and U Street NW corridors.
Winter Restaurant Week Dates Announced
Regardless of how you feel about it, if you want to do anything at all to celebrate the next Restaurant Week, you might want to book early since many places are taken quickly. From January 9 to 15, you’ll be able to enjoy some $20.12 lunches and $35.12 dinners at some of the best restaurants around town. We’ve got some tips on how to make the most of past iterations of the event, in case you’re looking for some early inspiration.
DC Bars Movin’ On Up
It’s not just the restaurant scene that’s been making a bigger splash lately. Food & Wine magazine has named a couple of District area bars in the top 50 list. DCist has the scoop on The Passenger in Mount Vernon Square and PX in Alexandria. I’m sure there’s more to come.
Restaurant Week runs August 15-21. Fixed prices are $20.11 for lunch and $35.11 for dinner. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Ashley Lusk Check out Ashley’s blog Metropoetrylis and find her on Twitter at @arlusk.
The DC Summer Restaurant Week is next week, August 15-21. Considering how hot it’s been, it may just be worth the $20.11 price for lunch and $35.11 for a three-course fixed-price dinner to have some reliable air conditioning.
If you’re planning to stick around Borderstan, you’ll want to check out the list of participating restaurants below. Some restaurants are listed as lunch-only options (we’re talking to you, Georgetown), so be sure to visit Open Table to secure a reservation.
Finally, don’t forget that beverages, gratuity and tax are not included in the fixed-price menu; be kind to your waiter to ensure you are remembered well the next time you return when there isn’t a meal deal.
Six Tips
The real scoop on Restaurant Week? Read Alejandra’s Restaurant Week: Love It… or Hate It.
She has six tips and offers this perspective: “The complaints I hear most often about Restaurant Week are that service is slow, menus are limited and the plates are unimpressive. In turn, restaurant industry folks say that people have unrealistic expectations, that restaurants are slammed with numbers far beyond usual and that it’s not a true showing of what a restaurant can give you. I can appreciate both perspectives.”
(more…)
The Studio Theater, 1501 14th Street NW: “POP!” has been extended again. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Laura Herman of LauraLikesThis. Laura is also a contributor over at Brightest Young Things and you can find her on Twitter @Lmhhabs.
Words cannot describe now excited I am for le weekend. Two days to breathe, hang out, do whatever you want. Admittedly, my weekend is going to be as hermit-like and low-key as possible as I recover from a whirlwind week and prepare for DC Beer Week and DC Summer Restaurant Week next week, but there’s still tons going on.
This is what I plan on leaving the house for… Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday, August 12
New Borderstan hotspot, Blackbyrd (2005 U Street NW), a raw bar and drinks spot brought to you by the folks behind Marvin and American Ice Co. etc., is a great place to start your night. I went last week after the GiltCityDC Yeasayer at 9:30 Club show and am now a huge fan. Think: Marvin’s classy older sister with lots of booths, high-top tables and a good wine list. Great cozy spot for a nightcap after a night out on U Street OR catch their $1 oysters at happy hour through 7 pm as you’re just getting your night started.
Artfully Chocolate Salon, formerly ACKC, is now running a 50 percent discount on select chocolates to commemorate Lucille Ball’s birthday. Discounted chocolates not doing it? What about the chance to stretch your vocal cords? Artfully Chocolate will be hosting an open-mic night. Check out details below. (Luis Gomez Photos)
By Michelle Lancaster. You can follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster.
Lanier Responds to Columbia Heights Hate Crime
According to DCist, D.C. Police Chief recently responded to the allegations that some of D.C.’s finest disregarded two women’s reports of verbal and physical assault near the Columbia Heights Metro station last weekend. A group of five lesbians say the officers refused to take a report; no action was taken until these women went to the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit. Chief Lanier says the officers in question could be fired. This is not the first time that the force has come under fire for its handling of GLBT hate crimes — even though no more than a month ago the The Washington Blade ran a story in which Chief Lanier reinforced the force’s commitment to fighting hate crimes.
(more…)
Once you’ve gone goat, you’ll never go back: Alejandra’s Goat Cheese Cheesecake. (Alejandra Owens)
To close out the year, we thought we’d bring you a few more stories from Borderstan food writer Alejandra Owens.
Here are some of our favorites from the year, including her cookie-recipe swap… how to buy and give wine… that fabulous goat cheese cheesecake… and one of the year’s absolute-top-most-popular stories, DC Restaurant Week: Love It… or Hate It. Personal favorite: Jello: Classic Americana Plus a Recipe from Nigella.
With a few good tips, any novice can become a smart wine buyer. (Alejandra Owens)
And in case you missed it on Monday: Food & Drink 2010: Alejandra’s Restaurant Profiles.
Alejandra will be back next week with a new restaurant profile. And Happy New Year — remember to be safe tonight.
In Borderstan area, look for Restaurant Week participants on Connecticut, P, U, 9th, 14th and 17th Streets NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Alejandra Owens at One Bite At A Time
The bi-annual DC Restaurant Week is upon us again with the summer event opening today. Depending on who you talk to it’s either the perfect week to dine out like a mad (wo)man or it’s the perfect week to cook at home. Some have even gone so far as to call it amateur week for diners. I wouldn’t go that far–but the week certainly has its pluses and minuses.
The complaints I hear most often about Restaurant Week are that service is slow, menus limited and the plates unimpressive. In turn, restaurant industry folks say people have unrealistic expectations, that restaurants are slammed with numbers far beyond usual and that it’s not a true showing of what a restaurant can give you. I can appreciate both perspectives.
Tips and Favorites
No matter how you feel about Restaurant Week, there are certainly some tips to getting it right. Here are my six tips:
- Dining in DC blog. Check out Lisa Shapiro’s Dining In DC blog (she’s a local food writer) for her take on menus–and the places worth checking out. Doing your homework is the first step in making sure you’re getting the most out of the week.
- Places to avoid. Don’t go to restaurants that are already good deals (read: tapas places or ones that have a portion of the menu on happy hour at the bar)… or ones that you have been to before. Or if you do, manage your expectations.
- Menu offerings. Hit up restaurants that have the majority of their menu up for grabs. Nothing is worse than sitting down only to find out the already limited menu is minuscule.
- Lunch.Try lunch reservations in your work neighborhood. Some of my best Restaurant Week experiences have been during lunch, not dinner.
- Ask around. Talk to friends and coworkers: What restaurants do a bang up job no matter what?
- Watch Twitter and follow the foodies. Reservations will be dropping like flies and generous folks will be offering them up. If you’re on Twitter, watch closely! Follow some foodies and pick up a few extra options.
- Six favorites.I put together half a dozen Restaurant Week favorites with help from my foodie friends on Twitter (find me @frijolita): Cafe Atlantico, Rasika, Bibiana, TenPenh, 1789 and Dino top the list.
Participating Restaurants
If you live in the Borderstan area, there lots of familiar eateries participating in Summer Restaurant Week–I counted 13 (most are on 9th, 14th, 17th, Connecticut P and U NW) plus many more in adjacent neighborhoods . In total, more than 200 restaurants in the DC metro area are on the list for Restaurant Week, which runs through Sunday the 22nd.
So… what are your Restaurant Week tips?
