A Map of All of the Best Restaurants in DC: Tom, Tim, Todd and the Zagats’ Picks

Click on the image to go to our Google Map that locates all of the critics' picks for best restaurants in DC.

Back in January, we had the crazy idea of taking the list of all of the bars and restaurants that were keeping extended hours for the President’s Inaugural weekend and putting them up on a Google Map.  Visitors and locals alike could find the nearest place to grab nachos and a beer at 4 in the morning.  It was a big hit, garnering mentions by the Washington Post, NBC4 and several other news outlets.

With the announcement of Tom Sietsema’s annual Fall Dining Guide in the Washington Post last month, we found ourselves comparing it to similar lists like Tim Carman’s 50 Best Restaurants list in the Washington City Paper and Washingtonian magazine’s annual 100 Best Restaurants list.  We were eager to see which restaurants were universally celebrated and which ones were personal favorites for each critic.  As we were looking at the lists side by side, inspiration struck.

Wouldn’t it be helpful if all of these lists were available in one place?  We could check out everything that Tom, Tim and Todd (Kliman at Washingtonian) had to say about an establishment all at once.

And then we went to that nerdy map-loving place we frequently do.  Wouldn’t it be interesting to put all of their favorites into one map, so people could find the critics’ favorites in their neighborhood?

So we put in some quality time and put together our “Best Restaurants in Washington” map.  It features all of the restaurants covered in each of the three lists mentioned above, as well as the places that received the top 40 Food category scores in Zagat’s 2009/2010 DC guide.

If an establishment shows up on more than one list, it’s represented by a fork-and-knife symbol.  If it’s unique to Carman’s list, it’ll have a blue tag.  Washingtonian-only places get a red tag.  Sietsema’s singular favorites are tagged in green.  And Zagat outliers get a purple tag.  Click on a restaurant’s tag to find all of the lists they appear on – complete with links to the specific reviews from each.

We thought about including the highest-rated restaurants on UrbanSpoon, but we rejected the idea when we saw that the list seemed a bit…skewed.

Take a look at the map – use it to find a favorite nearby or to see how the critics’ picks are distributed throughout the region.

And if you’ve got suggestions on other lists whose picks we might add to the map, please let us know.  We intend to update the map when the lists are updated (ie, when Washingtonian’s Top 100 Restaurants of 2010 is released).

Enjoy!

<<UPDATE 11/9/09 4:59 PM – A reader pointed out the absence of Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top 50 from this map.  We will definitely be adding them, but we’re waiting until their list goes up on their website (it’s currently only available in the newest print edition).  Rather than putting up their 2008 list, we figured we’d wait and compare apples to apples.>>

 

Capital Spice Weekend Odds & Ends

Top Chef winner Stephanie Izzard creates a moveable feast… complete with bacon.  Dear Chef Izzard, we will come to Chicago for the next one if you invite us. For realsies. 
 
What are the best fast food chains DC is missing?  
 
Did you know Dairy Queens have a happy hour?  
 
Which apples are best for baking?  
 
USA TODAY advises Stephen Colbert to time his visit to the offices to coincide with a popular salad in the cafeteria. (Although in fairness I have had that salad and it is pretty tasty.) 
 
Veritas is hosting a wine tasting feature the red wines of Italy.  
 
Jeremy Piven claims soy milk gave him man-boobs.  
 
What are the predicted dining trends of 2010? 
 
Restaurants and vendors are already preparing homemade sauerkraut, a Baltimore table staple, for Thanksgiving.

Justin Guthrie is rolling out warming winter cocktails at POV and Metrocurean has a first look.

The Internet Food Association talked with Top Chef’s casting director as the show came looking for talent in our area this past week.

The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show is back in town again this weekend – you can still get there to check out Paula Deen, Tyler Florence, and DC’s own Capital Cooking Show tomorrow.

Restaurant 3 is holding a Southern Thanksgiving – complete with Turducken!

 

Taqueria Distrito Federal: Si, What We’ve Been Missing

We had it all planned out.  After Wednesday night’s Food Blogger Happy Hour at the Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan, we’d head up to Columbia Road.  Our intention: to check out a Mexican joint that Coffee Shop Girl recommended as having the best horchata in all of Washington.  She told us about it over dinner at her place, and we’ve been dying for an excuse to check it out ever since.

The only problem?  We couldn’t remember the name of the place, and there are just enough options in that area to make us unsure of which was our target.  We tried to reach her via email, but it wasn’t to be.

Photo by Sergio J. via Yelp

Thankfully, Elizabeth had a great idea for a fallback…another Mexican establishment that came highly recommended.  So we kept driving until we hit 14th Street in Columbia Heights, and then we paid our first visit to Taqueria Distrito Federal. 

This recommendation came from a trio of completely unrelated sources, each time in response to our complaints about the lack of really good Mexican food in the District.  We figured that was as good a sign as any that we might find what we’d been looking for in this hole-in-the-wall taco joint.

More signs of good things to come (and those good things themselves) after the jump.

 

Reminder: DC Food Bloggers Happy Hour Tonight at the Black Squirrel, 6-8 PM

In journalism, two is a coincidence and three’s a trend.

We mentioned it last week, but it definitely bears repeating: The third monthly DC Food Bloggers’ Happy Hour is taking place tonight.

You joined us at Poste and showed us just how many Washingtonians are writing about their cooking, dining and drinking experiences.

You followed that up with beer and Scotch eggs at CommonWealth last month, keeping the enthusiasm going.

The third time’s the charm.

Come out and spend a few hours with us at the Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan.  They boast impressive lists of beers, wine and absinthe, and they’ve got a couple of beer-based cocktails that are worth a try, as well.  The menu favors pub grub, with plenty of warm and comforting favorites to chase away the chill.

We’ll be holding our happy hour upstairs from 6 to 8 PM.  If you didn’t realize the Black Squirrel had an upstairs, don’t feel bad.  The space is a recent addition.

As always, your hosts for the evening include us, Mary from the Arugula Files, Jenna from Modern Domestic, Amelia from Gradually Greener, Cathy from We Love DC and Orr the Beerspotter.  Lauren from Capital Cooking joined the planning team this time around, and Lisa from Dining in DC has helped to spread the word.

We’ve already got more than 30 responses for this one, so you know it’s going to be a good time.  Check out a list of anticipated attendees after the jump, and let us know in the comments if you’re planning to attend.  We’re hoping to make this our biggest FoBloHaHo yet (that abbreviation could probably use some work…).

 

1789: A Very Good Year for Dining in Georgetown

As a Georgetown undergrad, one of the first things I learned during New Student Orientation was that there were precious few dining options within walking distance of the campus.  There was Wisemiller’s for sandwiches and the Tombs for bar food and beyond, and of course M Street and Wisconsin were only a few blocks away.  But there was one restaurant that stood out head and shoulders from the rest, in terms of quality, service…and price.

That restaurant was 1789, and for almost fifty years now it has represented the pinnacle of Hoya dining opportunities.  Just try to get a reservation during Parents’ Weekend, and you’ll see what I mean.  With its jackets-required policy and its classic decor, 1789 is a perfect way to remind a Georgetown parent of why they’re spending all that tuition money.

Last week, we were invited to dine as guests of 1789 and experience some of Chef Daniel Giusti’s seasonally-inspired fall menu.  It was a great way to reacquaint ourselves with a restaurant we’ve enjoyed on several previous visits.

Tastes of autumn – food and drink - in a tasteful setting after the jump.

 

Baked Mussels with Serrano Chiles and Fresh Mozzarella

With the temperatures dropping and damp air outpacing autumn’s crispness, we’ve been in the mood for a hearty seafood dish. While some entertaining hosts disagree, I think there is no better reason to try a new dish than friends coming over for dinner. Besides, Itty Bitty Betty and The Bacon Terrorist are always game. As friends with a mutual appreciation for food and cooking, they are a forgiving audience if things don’t go as planned.

Regardless my hand immediately reached for one of our foolproof cookbooks From the Earth to the Table. This wine country cuisine, whole-foods focused cookbook has been the source of some our favorite meals including our favorite spicy tri-color tomato soup and ricotta and herb tart.  The night’s beverage list was weighted heavily on beers, making baked mussels with serrano chiles and fresh mozzarella the perfect choice.

For avid shellfish fans, Mike and I rarely cook them at home instead preferring to leave the shucking and serving to the professionals. I was nervous about giving our friends food poisoning with my amateur shellfish ways. Still, mussels are reputed to be easy to prep and spotting a bad mussel is pretty straightforward  (anything with a closed shell after cooking time is complete). I soldiered on.

results and recipe after the jump!

 

Capital Spice Weekend Odds & Ends… Spooky Edition

Some vaguely Halloween-themed food news…
 
More evidence that the Checkers on Maryland Ave NE is the gateway to hell. 
 
Looks like Bravo will continue to haunt our DVRs. The network has renewed Top Chef Masters and ordered a Top Chef focused exclusively on desserts. 
 
So Good discovers Death by Bacon. 
 
Endless Simmer plays with blood sausage. Spooky! 
 
Is there a Twilight-themed restaurant in America’s future? 
 
Try Food For Real’s smothered rabbit. 
 
Want to trick or treat but with booze? Try the candy-themed drinks at Equinox. 
 
Now on to the regular updates…

 

Bloody Marys at the St. Regis: Celebrate 75 Years and Halloween at the Same Time

Sometimes an event comes to our attention that seems absolutely perfect for us.  Champagne and chocolates?  Yes, please.  Dining al fresco at an amazing farm in horse country?  You betcha.  Bourbon and barbecue?  Sign us up!

Even so, there are times when the sheer scope of an event causes us to lose sight of it until it’s almost too late.  This is another one of those times.

Throughout the month of October, St. Regis Hotels around the world have been celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Bloody Mary.  The classic brunch cocktail was “perfected” by bartender Fernand Petiot at the King Cole Bar in New York’s St. Regis Hotel in October of 1934.  It was soon renamed the “Red Snapper,” in an effort to class up the drink and to avoid offending any delicate sensibilities among their upscale guests.

And how do you celebrate the Bloody Mary?  Get a few of your city’s top chefs and mixologists to contribute creative takes on the drink and serve them up alongside the classic on a special bar menu.  Then shout the good news from the rooftops.

Here in Washington, the St. Regis has accomplished those first two steps admirably, gathering drinks from the likes of Art Smith, Spike Mendelsohn and Todd Gray, among others.  Even so, we’ve been surprised by the relative lack of shouting we’ve been hearing about this…and as a result, we almost forgot about it altogether.  Now we’ve only got this last weekend to take advantage of this bloody good time.

Details on the cocktails being offered - and a firsthand look at the original in its natural habitat – after the jump.

 

DC Food Bloggers, Unite! Blogger Bake Sale This Saturday and Monthly Blogger Happy Hour Next Wednesday

It’s a big week for DC food bloggers, with two worthwhile events coming up over the next few days.

If you’ve noticed there seem to be a whole lot of folks writing about the DC cooking, dining and drinking scene lately, you’re not alone.  Whether your taste runs to do-it-yourself recipes at home, recreating restaurant classics, or writing about restaurant experiences around town, there are plenty of new blogs out there for you to check out.

Sure, that means we end up spending a lot more time reading about food…but is that really such a bad thing?

For us, the exciting thing is the potential to give back that the growing ranks of bloggers represent.  Some local food bloggers have been working to help local causes for years, now: DC Foodies donates ad revenues from their site to local food-related charities.  Dining in DC is working as a team captain for Food & Friends’ Slice of Life.  And Foodie Tots and the Arugula Files took the lead on a “Blog for the Bay” campaign earlier this year.

Now Adventures in Shaw is organizing a “Food Bloggers’ Spooktacular Bake Sale” to take place this Saturday at the 14th & U farmers’ market, with the proceeds benefitting Martha’s Table.  We’re officially calling all local food bloggers to pitch in and help.  If you’re a local food blogger and you want to help, there are several ways you can get involved.  You can bake some treats to contribute to the sale.  You can show up on Saturday and help sell the goodies.  And you can help us spread the word on your blog, as well.  It’s a great way to get involved and to help a worthwhile program in the process.

Once you’ve done your part to help out, put on your party shoes and join us next Wednesday night for the third monthly DC Food Bloggers’ Happy Hour.  This month, we’ll be taking over the Black Squirrel’s newly opened second floor space to get together with all of our fellow food bloggers, new and old.  Looking for an opportunity to meet your fellow writers?  Eager to spend some time with folks who are just as passionate about eating and drinking as you are?  Or just needing an excuse to check out the Black Squirrel?  These are all good reasons to join us next Wednesday.

The Happy Hour runs from 6 to 8 PM, and it’s being organized by the Arugula Files, Gradually Greener, the Modern Domestic, us, the Beer Spotter, and Capital Cooking.  You can find the Black Squirrel at 2427 18th Street in Adams Morgan.

As always, drop us a quick note and let us know if you plan to stop by.  Hope to see you there!

 

Mourayo: Harboring a Taste for Greek in Dupont Circle

Image courtesy of www.mourayous.com

With all the new restaurants that are opening in town, we could easily write about two or three places a week without ever talking about restaurant that’s been open for more than a year.  It’s a great problem to have, from the perspective of innovation and a constantly expanding restaurant scene.  But it’s definitely a challenge if you’re trying to get a handle on everything that’s out there for DC diners.

Thankfully, we were enticed to check out Mourayo as a result of a recent Groupon offering.  Despite appearing on Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants list four years in a row, the Connecticut Avenue Greek restaurant never really jumped out at us as a must-try.  But sweeten the deal with that Groupon discount, and it leapt to the front of our list.

When you think of Greek cuisine, chances are you envision the staples of the Mediterranean diet: olive oil, lemons, fish, lamb.  If so, Mourayo is the place for you – they pride themselves on delivering a blend of contemporary and traditional experiences in a nautically-inspired setting.  While specials will necessarily vary from visit to visit, the main menu offers everything from mussels in an ouzo broth to a ground-duck mousaka.

More on our visit to this “fisherman’s safe harbor” after the jump.