Best and Worst for DC Restaurant Week - Master LIst
Forgive me for posting again on a topic which has discussed many times over, but rather than focusing on a particular restaurant or two, I wanted to try to get one post out there which consolidates the majority opinions on best/worst for RW in DC. This is for Restaurant Week only, not for the restaurant in general...many good restaurants either don't succeed in shining or choose not to during restaurant week (extremely limited menus, upcharges, etc). Those who really come through seem to use RW as an opportunity to proudly showcase their establishments.
Recent and prior year posts suggest the following:
Very Good:
Ceiba
DC Coast
TenPenh
Corduroy
Ristorante Tosca
Acadiana
Zola
Charlie Palmer's
Filomena
Oceanaire
Rasika
Willow
Colvin Run
Zengo (lunch)
Good but Limited Menu or Limited Value:
Smith & Wollensky
Teatro
Georgia Brown's
Vidalia (upcharges)
Avoid:
Mie N Yu
Indebleu
Taberna del Alabardero
Cafe 15
i Ricchi
Rosa Mexicano
Butterfield 9 (service)
Galileo (service)
Occidental (service)
Bobby Van's
Looking forward to your additions/modifications/experiences/debates.
Lowbar
Jul 23, 2006 02:30PM
I agree that Zola is very good for RW offerring their full menu.
I'd also add to the very good list, Filomena in Georgetown.
For the avoid list, I'd add Rosa Mexicano and their very limited menu (heck, they don't even include guacomole as an app option on their RW menu). I too have heard very poor reviews for Butterfield 9 during RW. I've had friends say they were treated as second class citizens just because they were there for RW.
This year, we're trying Corduroy (due largely to all the great reviews on these boards) and Red Sage (planning to at least, but waiting to see what their menu will be. Anyone know what they've done in the past?)
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Thanks for the tips. I will add things to the list periodically as people suggest them.
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Red Sage--for the past three RWs--has offered their entire (and unchanged) menu. I don't think there were any upcharges. The atmosphere, service, and food were great. I've been there for two RWs but won't go back again until the menu changes!
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I hate to break it to you, but Red Sage (as far as I know) has closed. Their website doesn't have anything about it, but the 14th street location is all closed up.
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Red Sage is long gone
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whats wrong with la taberna del alabardero?
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The combination of a very limited menu and totally condescending attitude!!
We adore Taberna, so it was a rude shock to have had such an unpleasant experience during summer RW. When we were seated, we were given the regular menu only. Had the RW menu been tucked inside, I wouldn't have thought to criticize the restaurant's action. Nope. We had to ask for the RW menu, and, when we did, the waiter gave us a most disdainful look. He softened somewhat when we all (party of five) proceeded to order pre-dinner sherries, but even a decent bottle of wine with our dinner order didn't make him reach Taberna's usual level of graciousness.
The food was competently prepared and entirely forgettable.
For a lesson in how restaurants should handle the menus, here's what happened at our visit to Seasons that same RW: The maitre d' handed each person the menu in the open position so the RW insert was clearly visible. When everyone had received his/her menu, the maitre d' announced that he had given us the regular menu so that we might look it over, and, if we liked our RW experience, we might be inclined to return. Now, that's gracious behavior!
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Tosca is generally considered to be one of the best. I've tried it several times during RW and always been happy. Oceanaire is also good, but I think they usually only do dinner.
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My own personal additions:
Bad-
Occidental- service was terrible, food not worth it
Galileo- snotty service- but then again, isn't that the norm?
On the good list- offering either full menu,or a good representation thereof, along with good service:
Rasika
Willow
colvin run
Zengo (lunch)
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Oh i have to tell you I agree with you on Occidental. I tried their new food recently....UGH! There was this beet juice creame fraiche on a crab cake which looked like PEPTO!
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I can vouch for Zola, Ceiba, Colvin Run, and Corduroy....all wonderful experiences. I had a business dinner at Red Sage a few months ago and probably would make a different choice. I wasn't impressed, but I also wasn't footing the bill.
Add 701 to the avoid list. Not only was the food unimpressive but the service was SO bad that we only tipped 10% based on the special pricing and gave the extra(during RW, we tip based on what the meal would have cost)to the piano player. At least he was doing his job.
We have reservations at Acadiana. I have to admit I am partial to the restaurants that allow you to choose from the whole menu.
Thinking about Willow for lunch as I work nearby. I went when it first opened and thought that while the food was good, it was a little overpriced. Not sure if that has changed.
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I just went to Willow this week for their RW menu and enjoyed it very much. I've been several times before and adore the flatbread! The service has always been very good.
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Would like comments for Dino: very good? avoid?
Also, why is Taberna del Alabarderoin the avoid column?
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Refer to this thread from last year re: Taberna del Alabardero
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/172947
There was only one opinion I found on Dino but it was positive:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
sure is nice having a search feature now
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Went to Dino for their anniversary last week (they're offering a tasting menu that my friend got) and the food was great. Service was average. I would put it in the recommend category.
Butterfield 9 during RW is defintelty one of my worst dining experiences at a restaruant, service-wise. The only worse place I can think of was an incident at Denny's when I was a kid and it took an hour to get our food. The food was just ok. Don't waste your time there. I had MUCH better service at Galileo with a group of 8 twenty-something females for a lunch during RW. I plan to go there with another group for dinner this year and also to try out Acadiana.
I liked Georgia Brown's and have been there twice for RW. It's not my top choice, but I'm comfortable recommending it; the food was good and I haven't had a problem with the service. DC Coast, Oceanaire, and Ardeo have great RWs. Ardeo normally extends theirs, so you can save it for the week after.
I only remember there being one or two dishes at Vidalia with an upcharge and we had great service. Indebleu had more upcharges, but the food was great and so was the service, in my experience. I liked the Caucus Room, but I remember being a little underwhelmed by the food - good, not great. There was some sort of snafu with our meal and they sent us lots of wine, so I forget what it was exactly. Free wine does wonders to your memory. :)
My experience at TenPenh was not the best - the food and service were just good enough where I can see why people like it, but I can't imagine spending the regular price for it based on my experience, if that's how they normally run. Also, there were quite a few upcharges for certain items.
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Can anyone explain why I Ricchi was bad during RW. I had planned to go there, but if it isn't worth it...why bother?
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Service issues. In general, consensus opinion seems to be they've lost a step or two since Francesco Ricchi's departure.
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More than a step or two, and not only on service issues. It's a pity as in its prime I Ricchi was one of the greatest.
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I had an interesting RW experience there a year or 2 ago. The waitstaff was totally snooty. There was 3 of us--all in our 20s and she acted like we were not worth her time of day. We were planning on tipping well and drinking wine but that didn't help matters.
On top of the bad service the food was good--nothing spectacular. AND there was some bizare thing going on with the brick ovens that are in the kitchen but open up to the main dinning room where smoke was filling the entire restaurant...a backdraft or something. They had a few fans out but it wasn't helping matters. Over all it was only memorable for the bad points and I plan to not return during regular service. Not worth the money! There are FAR better Italian restaurants in town.
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Agreed. Though our particular waiter was pleasant you could tell we were on the baaaaack burner and the food wasnt even that good. For italian go to Tosca. I adore them!
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I had the worst meal of my life at i Ricchi a few years ago. It was great 20 years ago. Now it should be closed. I guess the location and a supply of uninformed tourists keep it open. But its just a matter of time. AVOID at all costs.
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Add Bobby Van's Steakhouse to the Avoid list. Attitude from them was really bad and the food wasn't great.
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May I ask what the term "upcharge" means in context with Restaurant Week? I have always understood the prices were $20.06 for lunch and $30.06 for dinner.
B
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Additional charge for ordering some items. DC Coast did this last year, for example, if you ordered the hong kong style lobster...which is understandable as this dish is significantly more expensive than their others. But some restaurants apply the upcharges fairly liberally which kind of takes the fun (and bargain) out of it.
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No kidding, Lowbar!
B
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Has anyone been to Nora for RW? Is the full menu available usually? Thanks!
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This is the first time that Nora and Asia Nora are participating. I have a reservation for RW and asked about the menu -- sounds like they haven't decided yet.
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Majestic Cafe offered their entire menu last RW. I don't remember if there were any upcharges, but we had a great experience and thought dinner was a good deal.
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I've got late-night reservations at Rasika. I've been wanting to try Rasika for a while, but was wondering if their more adventurous items were on their RW menu? I'm not interested in run-of-the-mill Indian as that kind of defeats the purpose of going to Rasika...
Also on Taberna: BAD, BAD, BAD. My husband and I went for lunch last year. They had only 2 choices for each course, their gazpacho was tasteless, my husband's roasted chicken was dry and nearly offensive, and the fruit desert looked and tasted like a packaged fruitcup. Thank goodness I ordered off the menu for my entree and purchased a lovely fish!
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I had a great meal at Rasika during RW in January; they offer the vast majority of their menu, including the palak chaat (crispy spinach) and the heavenly black cod. The service and wine assistance was great, even on a busy week.
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Personally, I'd say Dino is great, but I'd save it for a non-RW trip. Get on the mailing list and go for one of the specials. Last year, heard quite a few grumblings about the so-so food at Zengo for dinner. I had a great dinner at Indeblue, but SO and I looked at the menu beforehand and knew we wanted to try what was on the limited selection. Ceiba was great last year, good food and *almost* the whole menu available.
No matter what, I always try and find out the menu. If you know you'll enjoy what's being offered, it may be worth going even if there are only 3 choices. But if you show up unaware and don't enjoy the selections, you'll have a terrible experience.
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I would add David Greggory to the very good list. As I remember from last summer, the entire menu is available - including their imaginative desserts - with very few upcharges.
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Hello everyone!
I'm an LA chowhound, lucky enough to be in DC during restaurant week. So far, I have reservations at Kinkead's and The Grill at the Ritz Carlton. Any comments on either place -- like definitely don't go there?
I've heard pretty good reviews about Kinkead's, but havent been able to find much about The Grill. Overall, I'd expect a restaurant in the Ritz to be pretty good service, and good food, but any particulars? The menu is limited: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/was...
Thanks in advance and good luck with your restaurant experiences!
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When do you think you will update this list for RW?
B
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Hmm, maybe I'll give Ceiba another try. But it was so disappointing, the most disappointing RW and overall dining experience I've had in years. I highly recommend Hank's Oyster Bar for RW.
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I have never been impressed with Ceiba. And I've given it several 'tries'. I think I had a decent special (pork tacos?) there once, and everything else has been nothing but disappointing.
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I'm a bit surprised to see Colvin Run on the list, since it's a NoVa restaurant. Is it because it's a sister to Kinkead's that they're following the DC RW dates?
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There are typically 20 or so NoVA restaurants, as well as a few MD ones, that participate in DC Restaurant Week.
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My girlfriend and I both enjoyed the Tabard Inn and Restaurant Nora (organically certified, no less...) though both places had limited menus for RW. We are trying Acadiana this time and are excited especially after reading the good reviews here!
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Went to Charlie Palmer's last RW and it was excellent. Service was friendly and got a very tasty amuse bouche..
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Add Circle Bistro to the very good list.
The portions are generous, food is wonderful, and they have an extensive selection of choices.
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Personally, I would scoot Butterfield 9 off the avoid list - I had a wonderful meal there the other night, and the service was first rate. It's not the full menu, but there were plenty of choices, and the portions were not reduced.
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I went to Zola yesterday. While I was impressed that they offered the full menu, it was a TON of food! My friend got the most bizarre dessert I have ever seen - a tasting sampler of butterscotch puddings with three different kinds of scotch mixed in them. I would give high marks to the soup special which was a sweet potato bisque. My entree, however, was lacking (an ahi tuna "gyro") and the others at our table weren't anything special. Still, we thought the service was pretty good - they even offered us a black napkin instead of white since we were all wearing dark colors!
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Café MoZU
Mandarin Oriental Hotel ... portions and selection disappointing last night ... Nice atmosphere ... good service ... food tasted great ... but didn't make me want to go back anytime soon.
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Just wanted to add since I didn't update my post *after* going during RW last year and can't edit it now...there are a few upcharges at Vidalia but really its not like I was expecting after some of the RW upcharge complaints. I highly recommend Vidalia at any time and even though the place was packed I didn't feel treated like the "RW crowd."
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I actually had a really good lunch experience at Butterfield 9 during RW week this past winter. So good I've returned at least twice to eat during regular service.
1789 I had a wonderful experience at. And have also enjoyed TenPehn.
Also a great lunch/brunch at Bistro Bis for RW. We have returned a number of times now and it is my go to brunch spot. (They always have a 30-course brunch special similar to RW in value but a great full menu).
The Prime Rib was wonderful for lunch during RW---and last time the expanded their dates for their lunch special.
Cafe 15 had an incredibly limited menu and we made the mistake of not finding out what was on the menu prior to making the reservation because out of the (ONLY!) 2 entrees that were offered I didn't eat either. I ended up ordering off of the main menu and luckily I had a boyfriend who wanted to treat me to a really nice experience...otherwise it would have been quite a bummer.
We also had a terrible...and I mean terrible...experience at Notti Bianche. I had heard such great things about the restaurant and heard it was good during RW so we made a reservation right away. The waiter was fine. But the food was horrendous. I had some fish dish (can't remember which) and it was terrible. I should have sent it back because it smelled and tasted far too fishy. I just couldn't believe a chef would ever put a dish out like that and be proud of it. Most of our dishes felt like they had just given up!
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I think Red Sage is closed. See the announcement on their website: http://www.redsage.com/
Does anyone know if Brasserie Beck is participating? I think it's my new favorite restaurant (1101 K St.).
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Brasserie Beck is not participating.
Here is the entire list:
http://www.washington.org/restaurantwk/
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Any opinions on KAZ Sushi for RW? Is it worth going and the value? (Not sure how much a single meal at Kaz usually would cost).
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KAZ is really good! Prices are good, but it's not so "traditional" japanese- but good nontheless. One of the best sushi joints in the city tho. Try either Arike in Herndon, or Hooked in Sterling. Both outstanding.
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Shocked that you didn't like Indeblue. One of my favorites. Have to add that new place Hook to the list. I give them 3 months. What a waste.
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I've gone to RW for the last 2 years and here's are my opinions on what is worth and what you can skip.
Worth it:
1789 - always have the entire menu available with upcharge of $10 for their steak and lamb entrees and their bread pudding was too die for. Unfortunately, it is no longer being offered this year, however, if you don't get a chance to make reservations for RW, check out their website and sign up for their Sizzling Summer coupon until end of August.
Acadiana -- good food with great portions and service was good
Indique - they offered the entire menu and their courses portions are more than I can eat. My bf and I went and were stuff till the end. Definitely worth it for $30 when we went there for dinner.
Ceiba - went there a few years ago and it was good food as well. We were planning to head there again this summer, but no reservations for large parties.
Farrah Olivia -- if you want a restaurant that will WOW you with presentation ~ this is the place to be. They do good choices for options and a few upcharges including for dessert, but the rest of the items on the menu was awesome. We had amuse bouche prior to the appetizer and each plate that comes on our table was just simply beautiful. I had the organic chicken dish and it just melted in my mouth. Service was great as well.
Not worth it
Mie N Yu - the food choices and taste was forgettable and service was pretty slow
Bobby Van's - our food came out looking like it was prepared from a banquet dinner with no presentation whatsoever. Our server was pretty good, but food just left us not wanting to go back at all.
Hope everyone enjoy's this summer's RW!
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How about EQUINOX? Apparently after some confusion on the reservation line, they are participating this year. Is it a nice place for a leisurely Saturday night dinner for two? I've never been...
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I haven't been to Equinox for RW before. But for a special occassion its my absolute favorite spot in DC (maybe tied with Palena). I don't know what their offering is like or is the service changes at all---but something tells me that you will have a great experience. It doesn't seem like the type of place that allows service or food to suffer just because a patron is paying $30/meal instead of $80.
It depends what you mean by leisurely. I think the restaurant is certainly upscale and you should dress accordingly when you go there. (A suit is not necassary but a nice shirt and slacks are fine for a man. And a pretty dress or classy shirt and skirt/black pants for a woman is good). The tables are far apart so you feel like you can have a real conservation and I personally find the place quite romantic.
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Thanks Elyssa! Based on your review, I think Equinox will be a hit. It's just me and an out-of-town girlfriend of mine, having a nice Sat. dinner. Sorry, what I meant by leisurely was not dress-casual; but a relaxed, quiet atmosphere, intimate to the point we can talk and hear each other, and a place we can sit and enjoy our meal for a few hours. Thank you again!
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This is perfect then! I actually went with my bf prior to him moving to another city an