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Not To Miss

I often get asked what is my favorite restaurant. I don’t have one, I have many, depending on the food type. A favorite is one that I often go back to, talk about with others, want friends to try with me, and make an effort to revisit.

Favorites have elements, on and off the menu, that stand out, should not be overlooked, are consistently sustained, and are missed when establishments close or their folk move on.

The food always matters, but so does a proprietor’s creativity and hospitality, a chef’s fidelity to his or her inspirations and craft, a restaurant’s location, a dining room’s design, a meal’s value, and the joy of serving and being served. Sometimes it just comes together.

But let’s be candid, much of what we experience when eating out springs from what we ourselves bring to the table – our appetites, expectations, curiosity, humor, charm, and lust for living. We share some of the load.

Well, because you asked, here are some of my favorites. Not necessarily the best, the cheapest, the fanciest, the strangest, or the closest. Simply, ones not to miss – NTM.

NTM On A Walkabout

Sandwich Shop
The Perfect Pita
951 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.683.8805
www.theperfectpita.com
NTM – $, steak & cheese stuffed pita, navy bean soup, hummus

Lebanese
The Pita House
407 Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.684.9194
www.thepitahouse.com
NTM -- $$, hommos with chicken shwarma, kibbeh, kafta kabob, Lebanese house wines

Neighborhood Tavern
Jackson 20 at Hotel Monaco
Dennis Marron, Executive Chef
Brian Turowski, Chef de Cuisine
480 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.842.2790
www.jackson20.com
NTM – $$$, bucket of fried chicken, monthly pig roasts 2nd Wednesday of the month, 20 $20 wines

Alfresco Dining
Chart House Restaurant
One Cameron Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.684.5080
www.chart-house.com
NTM – $$$, crab avocado mango stack, coconut crunchy shrimp, salad bar, (don’t laugh) prime rib, breezes off the Potomac

Fine Dining
Restaurant Eve
Cathal Armstrong, Executive Chef
110 South Pitt Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.706.0450
www.restauranteve.com
NTM – $$$$, chef’s tasting room, anything mixologist Todd Thrasher pours over ice, herbs from the garden

Wine Tastings & Nibbles
Au Domaine
802 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.836.9463
www.audomaine.com
NTM – free wine tastings Thursdays-Saturdays, any special event hosted by Rick Raunswinder

Beer & Pizza
Rustico Restaurant
Steve Mannino, Executive Chef
827 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.224.5051
www.rusticorestaurant.com
NTM – $$, finest selection of craft beer after The Brickskeller at Dupont Circle

NTM Close to Home

Salvadorean
Los Tios (Del Ray)
2615 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22301
703.299.9290
www.lostiosgrill.com
NTM – $$, carne asada salvadoreña, platanos fritos, margaritas on the rocks with salt

Kabob Hole-In-The-Wall
Kabob Palace (Crystal City)
2314 South Eads Street (23rd Street at U.S. Route 1)
Arlington, Virginia 22202
703.979.2200
NTM – $, combo #12 (kubideh + bone-in chicken), specials the day after Ramadan, the yogurt sauce

Jewish Deli
Loeb’s New York Deli (White House District)
1712 Eye Street, N.W.
NTM – $, Walter’s Favorite, onion rings, Dr. Brown’s sodas, blunt NY service

Brazilian Steakhouse
Fogo de Chao Churrascaria (Penn Quarter)
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (at 11th Street)
Washington, D.C. 20004
202.347.4668
www.fogodechao.com
NTM – $$$, picanha (top sirloin), beef ancho (rib eye), potato salad, pão de queijo (warm cheese bread), papaya cream splashed with crème de cassis

French Bistro
Bistro d’Oc (Penn Quarter)
Bernard Grenier, Executive Chef
518 10th Street, N.W. (between E and F Streets)
Washington, D.C. 20004
202.393.5444
www.bistrodoc.com
NTM – $$, baguette rounds served with fatty French butter, duck liver paté with fig compote, crispy moulard duck confit, real French waiters

Southern BBQ
Bubba’s BAR-B-Q (Merrifield)
7810-F Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29 at Fairview Park Drive)
Falls Church, Virginia 22042
703.560.8570
NTM - $, Carolina minced pork, smoked beef brisket, baked beans, onion rings, best hush puppies, sweet tea, upscaling the name by pronouncing it “boo-baas”

Korean BBQ
Ye Chon (Korea Town)
4121 Hummer Road (Little River Turnpike at the Beltway)
Annandale, Virginia 22003
703.914.4646
www.yechonrestaurant.com
NTM – $$, open 24/7, ever-changing banchan (side dishes), kal bi (marinated beef short ribs), samgyeopsal gui (grilled uncured pork belly slices with dipping “sauce” of salt-infused sesame oil), cold soju in shot glasses

Cantonese
X.O. Taste Seafood Restaurant (Seven Corners)
6124 Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50 at Patrick Henry Drive)
Falls Church, Virginia 22044
703.536.1630
NTM – $$, Hong Kong style roast duck, crispy spicy pork chop, stir fried snow pea leaves, wide-noodle chow foon

Vietnamese
Viet House
6226 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, Virginia 22303
703.660.6731
NTM – $, pho (beef brisket, tripe and rice noodle soup), grilled lemon chicken, fried spring rolls, Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk

Indian
Rasika (Penn Quarter)
Vikran Sunderam, Executive Chef
633 D Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
202.637.1222
www.rasikarestaurant.com
NTM - $$$, GNT cocktail, fried spinach

Indique (Cleveland Park)
K.N. Vinod, Executive Chef
3512 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202.244.6600
www.indique.com
NTM – $$$, pre-theater menu, garlic naan, mango chutney, incredible service

TexMex
Guapo's (Shirlington)
4038 Campbell Avenue
Arlington, Virginia 22209
703.671.1701
www.guaposrestaurant.com
NTM – $$, it's an area chain restaurant, but very good; try a Parrilla Combination Plate

City Tavern
Blue Duck Tavern (West End)
1201 24th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
202.419.6755
www.blueducktavern.com
NTM – $$$, tea after dinner

Dim Sum
Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant
Ala Moana Hotel
410 Atkinson Drive
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
808.942.7788
NTM – $$$, dan tat (egg custard tart in flaky pastry shells), wu gok (fried taro dumpling with pork and shrimp)

Washington Area Restaurants That I Miss (And Why)

Asia Nora, West End (chef’s insane gorging menu)
Au Pied de Cochon, Georgetown (mad eats at 4:00 a.m.)
Ecco Café, Old Town (legendary straw and grass)
Krystos, Old Town (uncomplicated prime rib)
Pre-Fire L’Auberge Chez François, Great Falls (François Haeringer at the helm)
Le Gaulois, Old Town (original Washington Circle location next to 21st Amendment)
Maestro, Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner (elegant champagne brunch)
Orleans House, Rosslyn (bone-in prime rib, huge salad bar, red banquettes, big-hair waitresses)

I hope that some of my favorites become some of yours.