Cocktails, desserts, and a lengthy wine list full of hard-to-find Eastern Mediterranean labels all rise to the occasion. The Maryland native’s Middle Eastern menu tweaks dishes to incorporate peak produce - see the coal-fired mushroom hummus for spring - but the snack-sized lamb kefta kebabs speared on cinnamon sticks should never go out of style. The team doubled down on Capitol Crossing last spring with the opening of multi-part Japanese stunner Love, Makoto.Īlbi chef Michael Rafidi manipulates smoke with a master’s touch, sending out dishes from the wood-burning hearth at his high-end Levantine restaurant that have a way of commanding a diner’s full attention. Reserve a seat in the dining room or order takeout and delivery. Starting at 5 p.m., fight for a spot at its scene-y bar to order a spot-on Negroni and decadent espresso martini. Other highlights include generous orbs of saffron-accented arancini, grilled cabbage adorned with creamy beurre blanc and glistening trout roe, mini shots of duck ravioli served in claw-footed vessels, and polished cocktails from D.C. The flashy showstopper, framed with shimmering Missoni drapes and abstract art, has amassed a fast following for pizzas crisped to perfection in a gold-plated oven, a 40-layer lasagna that begs to be photographed, and Florentine steaks fired up on an imported grill from Spain’s Costa Brava region. Read MoreĬhef David Deshaies ( Unconventional Diner, Central) and business partner Eric Eden unveiled their soaring, “glam Italian” restaurant in the shiny new Capitol Crossing development in fall 2022. The following restaurants, while definitely still worth a trip, are leaving the 38: Hank’s Oyster Bar, Huncho House, and Doro Soul Food Flora Flora recently stopped dinner service.

James, for modern Caribbean cuisine along 14th Street NW, Melina, for polished Greek dishes in a modern Maryland complex, Cinco Soles, for glistening ceviche in Columbia Heights, and Hedzole, for portable stewed oxtail and soups in Sixteenth Street Heights. For the most exciting new restaurants in town, check out the heatmap.įor the winter 2024 refresh, new additions to the 38 include: St. Restaurants on this map must be open for at least six months.

Some of D.C.’s most cherished restaurants that weathered the pandemic through takeout are finally able to show off their best sit-down spreads and prix fixe menus in person. The Eater 38 offers a selection of defining culinary destinations that showcase the diversity of D.C. restaurant industry bouncing back from a lengthy pandemic, going out to eat now comes with a semblance of normality.

Nifty file lists