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2015년 DC의 가장 주목할 요리 40선. 워싱턴 DC 맛집 40가지 음식

by 낯선.공간 2015. 3. 23.

목차

    워싱턴 포스트 3월 12일자에 발표된, 미국 워싱턴 2015년 DC에서 가장 중요한 요리(D.C.'s most essential dishes of 2015)예요.

    매년 총 40곳의 음식을 소개하는 기사인데요.

    2015년에 워싱턴 DC의 주목받고 있는 40가지의 요리를 소개하고 있어요.

    목록의 40개의 음식은 특별한 순서는 없이 나열된 요리라고 해요.

       

    고기야의 갈비. (Galbi at Kogiya)

    한국음식 식당인데요. 상호가 고기야네요.

    원래 목록상에는 2번째에 있던 것을 첫번째로 올려놨어요. (왜? 내가 한국 사람이니까...)

    역시 한국음식은 한국식 바비큐로 알려지는 갈비가 외국인들 입맛에 딱 맞나 봅니다. 

    비빔밥, 양지머리 , 튀김떡볶이, 만두, 김치전, 해물파전, 냉면, 칼국수, 곱창전골, 소고기 버섯 전골, 된장찌개, 고추장국등등의 메뉴도 만날 수 있는 한국식당이네요.

    2015년 주목받을 음식의 목록 40가지 중에 온전히 한국음식은 이게 거의 유일하네요.

    The long-held belief that the best ethnic cuisine can be found in questionable-looking establishments — gas stations, deserted motels — doesn't hold true when it comes to this Korean barbecue joint that is both coolly designed and lauded for its food. Here, banchan flows liberally, but it's the meat that brings spice-lovers from across the region. Ruby Roy noted Kogiya's "modern clean rock-and-roll atmosphere" in her nomination of the beef short rib dish known as galbi. Owner Sylvia Cho credits the impeccable butchering skills of her chef, who she says delivers a galbi so soft, "it melts in your mouth." Cooking it over an open flame adds just the right hint of smoke.

    4220-A Annandale Rd., Annandale. www.kogiya.com. $30.

       

    DCity 스모크하우스의 양지머리 챔프(The Brisket Champ at DCity Smokehouse)

    양지머리를 훈제로 구은 다음에 텍사스식 토스트에 넗고 바삭하게 버터밀크로 튀긴 양파를 넣어서 만든 샌드위치인데요.

    파는 곳은 DCity라고 하네요. 

    이 음식의 가격은 9.25$.

    프렌차이즈 같은 식당인듯 해요.

    At the tiny-but-mighty Florida Avenue smokery DCity, the Brisket Champ sandwich starts with what The Post's Tim Carman has called "master's level brisket" — beef, smoked for hours with cherrywood and hickory, good enough to stand on its own. But when it comes to essential eats, Washingtonians love overkill, so this meaty masterpiece is stacked onto buttery, fat Texas toast and topped with vinegar-loaded house-made pickles and crispy buttermilk-battered onions. "The sandwich," wrote Matthew Adinolfi of the District, "is just a great flavor combination of smoke from the meat, crunchy and salty from the fried onions and tart from the pickles."

    8 Florida Ave. NW. www.dcitysmokehouse.com. $9.25

       

    레드 헨의 펜넬소시지 라구와 메쩨 리다토니(Mezze rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu at Red Hen)

    리가토니라는 요리는 파스타의 일종인데요.

    레드헨의 라가토니는 로컬 푸드 돼지고기로 만든 소시지와 회향씨, 고추, 회향(펜넬)의 꽃가루 등으로 만든 매력적인 파스타라는군요.

    In New York and New Jersey, where chef Mike Friedman was raised, "rigatoni is the major staple pasta in every red-sauce joint in town." At Red Hen, the house-made dry pasta is the vehicle for a slow-roasted tomato sauce, which Friedman spikes with garlic, butter and sausage that he makes with local pork, toasted fennel seed, pepper and floral fennel pollen. The appeal of this popular dish, which also can be ordered without sausage, is that it's both familiar and unfussy, Friedman said. "There's, like, this great simple, harmonious thing going on."

    1822 First St. NW. www.theredhendc.com. $17

       

    Good Stuff 간이식당의 구운 마시멜로를 얹은 밀크쉐이크 (Toasted marshmallow milkshake at Good Stuff Eatery)

    마시멜로를 구워 먹는 것은 미국 만화에 종종 보이는 장면이 캠프파이어에 마시멜로를 구워 먹는 장면인데요.

    사진의 밀크쉐이크위에 올린 마시멜로는 굽다 못해 거의 태웠네요.

    직방으로 암에 걸릴 것 같은 비주얼이 느껴지네요.

    2008년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2008.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 1,000 (among the company's five domestic restaurants).

    Using s'mores as inspiration, former "Top Chef" contender Spike Mendelsohn torched marshmallows and blended them with milk to create this smoky-sweet treat. Fresh vanilla custard gives the shake a lovely, smooth texture that's far superior to that of lesser milkshakes, but look closer: Those black flecks aren't vanilla bean, but the charred marshmallows, flavoring every sip. That's the idea, said Mendelsohn, who calls it "a campfire in your mouth."

    Various locations in the District and Virginia. www.goodstuffeatery.com. $5.95.

       

    돈부리에서 우나기돈 (Unagidon at Donburi)

    일본 가정식 덮밥 돈부리집이네요. 

    우나기 장어를 뜻하죠. 

    사진은 장어스러워보이지 않을 정도로 살짝 태운 느낌.

    미국사람들은 태운 음식을 좋아하나봐요.

    아무튼 장어덮밥이라면~ 앗흥~

    Most diners who come through this sliver of a restaurant in Adams Morgan are bellying up to their first bowl of eel, a Japanese staple that doesn't have quite the same following stateside. But it takes very little coaxing for this rice bowl to become a newcomer's go-to dish. The unagidon bowl, nominated by Martin Rundle of the District, features fatty barbecued eel cooked and then fired with a blowtorch to give it a faint char; it's piled onto a half-cooked egg, which spills even more richness onto the savory rice. Crunch and color come last, as the bowl is decked out with ginger, daikon and cucumbers.

    2438 18th St. NW. www.facebook.com/donburidc. $18.

       

    Khachapuri at Compass Rose

    Walk through Compass Rose, and it's impossible not to notice this dish on nearly every table, a cheese-and-egg-filled canoe that looks so good it practically beckons you to order it, too. That's the Georgian delicacy khachapuri. The dough is filled with ricotta, feta and mozzarella, baked, then presented at your table piping hot, with a heart-stopping pat of butter and runny egg. "I'm almost embarrassed by how many times I've had it," wrote Lacy Smith of the District. "It's so rich and warm and delicious."

    1346 T St. NW. www.compassrosedc.com. $14.

       

    Stuffed bone marrow at Ripple

    Like pork belly and offal, bone marrow's moment has come and gone. But Ripple executive chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley can't take her version off the menu without customers clamoring for it. The substance she describes as "like a gelatinous butter" is ideal for soaking up flavors, so Meek-Bradley mixes the marrow with bacon for saltiness and tops it with chimichurri for an acidic, herb-packed punch. Finally, a streak of apple butter adds a hint of sugar. "Sit at the bar, smear some on grilled bread, and enjoy with a nice glass of wine," wrote Martin Rundle of the District. "My friend, who had never had bone marrow before, quite literally moaned out loud."

    3417 Connecticut Ave. NW. www.rippledc.com. $12.

       

    Falafel at Amsterdam Falafelshop

    2004년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2004.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 1,200 at the original Adams Morgan location.

    A vacation to Amsterdam introduced Scott and Arianne Bennett to the Dutch fusion falafel that inspired their Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adams Morgan. The model they adopted was simple: Fry crunchy falafel to order — all chickpea, if you're wondering — then hand it off to customers to fill their own pitas with baba ghanoush, pickled turnips, verdant jalapeno sauce or any of nearly 20 other spicy, garlicky toppings. They also stayed open past last call and quickly wooed the bar-going set away from jumbo slice with the promise of garlic cream. "The flavors were just so intense," Arianne Bennett joked, "they cut right through the alcohol." Amsterdam has been a D.C. dining destination ever since.

    Various locations in the District, Maryland and Virginia. www.falafelshop.com. $5.55-$6.55

       

    Cotechino burger at Red Apron

    It's not Nathan Anda's best-seller. It's the sandwich he keeps on the menus of his growing empire of Red Apron Butchery shops because this complex little burger — topped with broccoli rabe — is one of his favorites. The cotechino burger (known at the D Street location as the Dino) starts with cotechino, a classic Italian sausage that's 50 percent pork rind and 50 percent ground pork, lending the burger what Anda describes as an addictive, "unctuous" quality. Then comes that green broccoli rabe; Anda tempers its bitterness with the sweetness of roasted garlic and bite of Calabrian chilies, then tops it all with a slice of fontina.

    Various locations in the District and Virginia. www.redapronbutchery.com. $8

       

    Margherita D.O.C. at 2 Amys

    2001년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2001.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 500.

    Few pizzerias live up to the exacting standards of the Italian government, which dictates, to a slightly paranoid degree, the rules of Neapolitan pizza. Buffalo mozzarella, basil and a slightly charred crust are involved; do it right, and you have your D.O.C. designation. Do it wrong, and well ... you may as well be just another New World hack. Since 2001, 2 Amys has not veered from the guidelines. But there's a quality about this margherita pizza — with its warm, crunchy crust and milky, flavorful puddles of creamy mozzarella — that is somehow different and better than all the rest.

    3715 Macomb St. NW. www.development.ginatolentino.com/2amys. $12.95

       

    Kimchi ramen at Toki Underground

    일본과 한국 음식의 콜라보레이션? 일본식 라멘에 김치를 넣었네요.

    2011년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2011.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 150.

    Sure, the mouth-puckering funk of kimchi can upend the balance so cherished by ramen purists, but Toki chef Erik Bruner-Yang's kimchi ramen isn't about subtlety or tradition. Its goal is "flavor overload," Bruner-Yang said. To that end, his bowl of porky broth and chewy noodles features the spicy Korean pickled cabbage three ways: as a puree, a hot sauce and a garnish, each of which serve to make the soup, also swimming with biting greens, pork shoulder, and chili and black-garlic oils, as flavorful as it is fragrant.

    1234 H St. NE. www.tokiunderground.com. $12

       

    Sakhoo yat sai at Doi Moi

    On the streets of Thailand and Laos, the chewy, jiggly tapioca dumplings such as the ones served at 14th Street's Doi Moi probably would come stuffed with pork. But chef de cuisine Deth Khaiaphone, a Laos native, instead fills his trio of sticky little pearls with a sweet-savory mix of preserved radish, peanuts and fried garlic, and tops them with sweat-inducing shards of potent red chili. You're not missing anything: They're vegan, and, to quote "Seinfeld," they're spectacular.

    1800 14th St. NW. www.doimoidc.com. $7

       

    진토닉 Gintonic at Estadio

    2010년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2010.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 150.

    Gin and tonics seemed one-note — that note being juniper — before Adam Bernbach transformed the cocktail into a gussied-up herbal concoction at 14th Street small-plates shop Estadio. The secret to his citrusy, savory classic version (the one with Old Raj gin), is a house-made tonic, infused with the flavors of oranges, thyme and bitter bay leaf; it took so long to perfect, Bernbach recalled, that the drink didn't make the cut for the restaurant's earliest menu. These days, it's a staple. Mixed with Old Raj, which has a tinge of saffron, it recalls Spanish flavors, and nope, you won't detect even a hint of juniper.

    1520 14th St. NW. www.estadio-dc.com. $11

       

    Pork sausage, habanero and litchi salad at Rose's Luxury

    2012년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2012. (Chef Aaron Silverman first debuted the dish in pop-ups held at his home.)

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 175.

    Silverman's salad is a Portuguese-influenced cacophony of herbs and texture: There's mint and Thai basil; chewy, floral litchis; and smoky sausage (or, if you're vegetarian, a soy substitute that won't make you feel like you're missing out). There are crunchy garlic chips and a delicate puff of whipped coconut milk. Stir it up, your server will insist. You should listen. What you'll taste is greater than the sum of its parts.

    717 Eighth St. SE. www.rosesluxury.com. $13

       

    Charcoal-broiled chicken at El Pollo Rico

    1988년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 1988.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 800-1,000 whole chickens per shop.

    From early in the morning to long after dusk, the spits are turning at this family-owned Peruvian chicken chainlet that fans out from Wheaton to Woodbridge. Peruvian chicken, or pollo a la brasa, requires constant motion to ensure that the flames coming off the earthy charcoal lick each cumin-scented bird with the flavor of char. Balance it with a quick dip into the shops' popular green sauce, known as aji, made with a blend of chilies, cilantro and garlic.

    Various locations in Maryland and Virginia. www.welovethischicken.com. $5.80-$19.75

       

    Bub's Italian Hoagie at Bub and Pop's

    For Bailey, there is no better sandwich in the District than the Italian hoagie at Bub and Pop's. The bread makes the difference, he wrote: It holds its own in a sandwich stacked with prosciutto, capicola, pepperoni, salami and provolone. And there are cheffy touches, too: house-made mayo; a relish made with hot pepper, sweet pepper and onion; a top-secret vinaigrette; and a hearty but non-traditional shaving of Pecorino Romano. "The meat-cheese-fixins' ratio," Bailey wrote, "is always on point."

    1815 M St. NW. www.bubandpops.com. $8 for a half sandwich; $14 for a whole. 

       

    퍼75의 쌀국수 Pho at Pho 75

    1985년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 1985.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 300-400 per shop.

    Pho 75 doesn't do summer rolls or tofu or other frivolities. And, sorry, it also doesn't cater to vegetarians. What it does particularly well is soup, regularly drawing a queue of fans for the complex beef broth laced with onion, clove, ginger and cinnamon. The secret, said Dung Phan, the restaurants' general manager, is the way that soup is cooked, steeped with herbs and beef, for hours on end. Order one of the 17 varieties and get an overflowing bowl of broth over rice noodles and strips of steak, brisket or meatballs; it's up to diners to pile on bean sprouts, basil and jalapeno. In Vietnam, Phan explained, pho is the food you turn to when you need fortification and nourishment. Funny, that's true here, too.

    Locations in Maryland and Virginia. No Web site. $6.95 regular; $7.95 large. Cash only.

       

    씽의 호박 카레.Pumpkin curry at Thai X-ing

    2008년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2008.

    Orders sold in a typical weekend: 200.

    Taw Vigsittaboot first served his sweet and fiery pumpkin curry on Halloween in 2008, he recalled, as a fun one-off to mark the season. After that, he'd offer it as part of his prix-fixe, multicourse meal only when the mood took him. Slowly, however, word got out about the addictive, buttery-textured gourd, and diners began booking their reservations, waiting politely through all the other courses, solely to taste it. So now every meal includes the red curry, made with sweet kabocha squash, coconut milk and a kick of chilies, lime leaves and lemongrass. There also are now two Thai X-ing locations; both developments have made it far easier to get your fix.

    515 Florida Ave. NW; 2020 Ninth St. NW. www.thaix-ing.com. Fixed price, $30-$40 per person. 

       

    Frito pie at Meats & Foods

    Yes, drizzling chili over corn chips and smothering it all in cheddar is elementary-level cooking, a skill you pick up to endure the dorm cafeteria or to lessen the repercussions of drinking one too many beers. In the South and in Mexico, however, chili and chips are serious culinary business. (See: Mexico's obsession with Dorilocos.) At Meats & Foods, the lowly Frito pie is among the nostalgic junk-food basics given the gourmet treatment with chili that's made with love — and rich, fatty beef. The Florida Avenue shop unveiled its Frito pie for New Year's and people have been requesting it, off-the-menu, ever since.

    247 Florida Ave. NW. www.meatsandfoods.com. $5

       

    Half chicken with dirty rice at Water & Wall

    A mountain of fried chicken served on a bed of Cajun-seasoned, chicken-sausage-spiked dirty rice won a rave — and then a return visit — from Italian chef Brandwein. "The chicken is very tasty and moist, loaded with flavor," she said. "Although it is called fried chicken, it doesn't have a thick breading, but rather a delicious coating of interesting spices." That's because chef de cuisine Mike Johnson uses a sous-vide method to get the chicken tender, then fries it for just a few minutes, resulting in a bird that's tender inside with a memorably crunchy skin.

    3811 Fairfax Dr., No. 105, Arlington. www.waterandwall.com. $24. (Available at dinner only.)

       

    Faux rib-eye at Corduroy and Baby Wale

    A steak is a steak, right? Yet this piece of shoulder meat, playing dress-up as a hearty rib-eye, wowed food bloggers Brett and Rachel Gellman of Silver Spring, who deemed it not only a cut above the average steak, but also a bargain. Chef Tom Power of Corduroy and Baby Wale serves his 10-ounce steak two ways: At Corduroy, it's pan-seared, served with potato puree and vegetables; at Baby Wale, it's a little punk rock, grilled over charcoal and accompanied by fries. Power loved the curious cut enough to serve it at his 2008 wedding; the Gellmans are just as passionate about it, calling it "easily the most tender piece of meat we had in 2014."

    Part of a prix-fixe meal at the bar at Corduroy, 1122 Ninth St. NW. www.corduroydc.com. $30.

    Baby Wale, 1124 Ninth St. NW. www.babywaledc.com. $24.

       

    Pork soup dumplings at Bob's Shanghai 66

    An herb-laden pork broth steeped with bones till it becomes almost gelatinous — hello, bone broth! — is the foundation of the Shanghai street-food staple xiao long bao (XLB). Bob's in Rockville freezes that broth, mixes it with pork and tucks the cold mixture into the folds of a delicate purse of a dumpling. Steaming returns the frozen broth to a rich, gingery soup, but the dumplings don't burst — until, that is, you take a bite. "They are just so delicate and flavorful and when they first come out, the soup is so warm and soothing," wrote Ed Wallach of Bethesda. "My only problem is that they are so good. I can eat all six."

    305 N. Washington St., Rockville. www.tasty66.com. $6.50 for an order of six.

       

    Healthy breakfast taco at District Taco

    An egg-white taco certainly seems well-intentioned. But at District Taco, there remains the task of loading it up. Ask for the potatoes, cheese and black beans, or if you're like the reader who nominated the taco via Twitter, upgrade to bacon. Oh, and just get the flour tortilla already. Can you still say you ate something healthful? Maybe not, but trust us, it's worth the calories: The dish, particularly when doused with the citrusy salsa verde, is the closest thing this town has to a Texas-worthy breakfast taco.

    Various locations in the District and Virginia. www.districttaco.com. $3. (Add bacon or guacamole for $1.50 each.) 

       

    Crispy squid with basil at Thai Square

    Thai Square's crispy squid, topped with a thatch of flash-fried Thai basil, is so beloved that owner Sunthorn Rojural is reticent to give away its secrets; he's worried that, even after 18 years of serving the dish, the competition might catch on. His secrets are safe here. Well, most of them. The restaurant manages to render soft what is so often rubbery by using young squid, which is cooked rapidly. "What makes it even better," wrote Liz Coffin of Arlington, "is the crispy basil leaves on it along with garlic and chili peppers. MMM! A bit spicy but so good!"

    3217 Columbia Pike, Arlington. www.thaisquarerestaurant.com. $16.95

       

    Som tum ka pi at Elephant Jumps

    There's a trend among ethnic restaurants to issue a kind of challenge to diners, in the form of the "authentic" menu. You are welcome to order from it, so long as you read through a few disclaimers about spice and substitutions. Still game? At Elephant Jumps, the "Serious Authentic Thai Cooking" menu lists a third papaya salad, a real-deal funky salad with shrimp paste that's rarely trotted out for American diners. Also unusual: a side of pork rinds. Mix it together and sop it up with the rice. It's unlike any papaya salad you've had before.

    8110 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. www.elephantjumps.com. $10

       

    초코칩 쿠키.Chocolate-chip cookie from Bread Furst

    It's a chocolate-chip cookie, but a refined one, that drew a nomination from Lila Hill of Washington. Paired with a cool glass of milk, the crisp and none-too-sweet baked treat at Bread Furst had Hill dreaming of treats from her days growing up in Appalachia. It's tradition that Jack Revelle, pastry chef at Mark Furstenberg's Van Ness bakery, works hard to maintain as he improves upon the after-school classic: His cookie is made with organic flour, cultured butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips from a French chocolatier. "We elevate it," Revelle said. But of the nostalgic factor, he added: "We don't want to take that away."

    4434 Connecticut Ave. NW. www.breadfurst.com. $1.75

       

    Maine lobster ravioli at Fiola Mare and Fiola

    Fabio Trabocchi has been making his luxe lobster ravioli for 15 years, since he was at the late Maestro in the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. The pasta has garnered such a following that the chef can't take it off the menu at Fiola Mare and Fiola without spurring a minor mutiny among his guests. Attribute its popularity to the rich, outsize pieces of lobster, which Trabocchi tucks into folds of delicate wonton to retain the crustacean's top billing. Laced with a delicate sauce of lobster stock, ginger and chives, it is, wrote Susan Koch of Bethesda, "absolutely delectable."

    Fiola Mare, 3100 K St. NW. www.fiolamaredc.com.

    Fiola, 678 Indiana Ave. NW. www.fioladc.com. Market price; currently $48

       

    Atlas Brew Works Rowdy ale

    Selected by Miles Gray, owner of Smith Public Trust

    Though not technically dishes, cocktails and beer — or as we refer to them, liquid calories — are always welcome on our open-minded annual list. Given that our region has a booming craft-brewing scene, we're not surprised Atlas Brew Works's Rowdy rye ale drew a nod from Brookland bar owner Gray. Rye gives the Rowdy a peppery, spicy note, according to Will Durgin, Atlas's head brewer, while the finishing hops add hints of grapefruit and pine. The result, said Gray, is a "delicious beer. Hoppy and aggressive yet very approachable."

    Currently available on draft in the District at the brewery, open weekends at 2052 West Virginia Ave. (www.atlasbrewworks.com); Old Ebbitt Grill (www.ebbitt.com), Bar Pilar (www.barpilar.com), Showtime Lounge (www.facebook.com/showtimebardc) and elsewhere. Cans available in select stores. Price varies.

       

    Falafel burger at Zaytinya

       

    Only at lunch can you get Zaytinya's crunchy falafel in jumbo form. The Lebanese-style falafel is patted into the shape of a burger and served on a soft, glossy olive-oil brioche, stacked with lemon-dressed cucumbers and tomato and smeared with hummus and garlic yogurt. There's no iceberg on this meat-free dish nominated by Joy Harjani of Raleigh, N.C.: A layer of fresh mint kicks it all up.

    701 Ninth St. NW. www.zaytinya.com. $11. Available only from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily. 

       

    Naem khao at Bangkok Golden and Thip Khao

    The herbaceous fried-rice salad naem khao is a Lao staple. But as Washington digs its fork deeper into the breadth of Asian cuisines, this dish, long at Bangkok Golden in Falls Church (and now at its D.C. sibling, Thip Khao), suddenly has new, spice-loving fans. Jasmine rice is mixed with coconut, rolled into balls and fried, then crushed and tossed with cilantro, scallions and sausage; to call it a salad is to downplay its sweet, garlicky and crunchy perfection. "This salad combines all that is right in the world: fried carbs, sausage and spice," wrote Kimberly Van Santos of Arlington. "I love wrapping the crunchy mixture with a refreshing lettuce wrap and going to town."

    Bangkok Golden, 6395 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church. www.chefseng.com. $9.95.

    Thip Khao, 3462 14th St. NW. www.thipkhao.com. $10.

       

    Pasqualina tart at Del Campo

    On the hunt for a meat-free offering for his sumptuous South American menu at Del Campo, chef Victor Albisu began with the greens-packed torta pasqualina (Easter tart) that Italian immigrants brought to Argentina and Uruguay generations ago. He turned the humble pie into a showstopper, charring kale, chard and spinach for complexity, and then layering them in a flaky pastry crust with rich bechamel, caramelized onion and smoked maitake mushrooms. It's topped with a runny egg, then an avalanche of Parmesan. "Every time I get it, everyone around me oohs and aahs," wrote Beth Weinstein of the District. "I think it is the best vegetarian dish in D.C."

    777 I St. NW. www.delcampodc.com. $16 at lunch; $26 for dinner.

       

    Spicy beef noodle soup at A&J

    A murky, blackish beef broth, rich with meat and spiced with anise, chili bean sauce and Sichuan peppercorns, serves as the vessel for the thick ropes of hand-pulled noodles that are the house specialty at Taiwanese restaurant A&J. It only makes sense to douse the Sichuan soup with fiery, garlicky Sichuan chili oil and to order a half-dozen small plates of mustard greens and scallion pancakes for pairing and sharing. The soup, wrote a Going Out Guide reader, is "the definition of Asian comfort food."

    1319 Rockville Pike, Rockville; 4316 Markham St., Annandale.

    www.aj-restaurant.com. $7.65

       

    Chocolate Onyx at Co Co. Sala

    If you have a sweet tooth, Co Co. Sala's Chocolate Onyx is the sort of sugarbomb that would satisfy a week's worth of cravings: This gem-shaped pastry, rendered almost entirely in dark chocolate, is three blood-sugar-spiking desserts in one. Executive chef Santosh Tiptur begins with a brownie, tops it with crème brûlée and envelops the whole thing in chocolate mousse. Accompanying it are a side of dark chocolate sorbet and, for no reason at all, a bonbon. (Pro tip: The bonbon is ideal for stashing in your purse for later.) The Onyx, said food writer Shulie Madnick of Fairfax, was "the one dessert that blew me away this year (and I am not a dessert person in general)."

    929 F St. NW. www.cocosala.com. $12

       

    Tuna and beet tartare at Rappahannock Oyster Bar

    For Edelman, this dish is as much about the ritual as the food. To indulge in this unorthodox tuna tartare-meets-beet salad, Edelman and her husband, Robb Duncan, regularly sneak away from Dolcezza's factory for lunch dates at the nearby Union Market eatery. He gets a beer. She sips on sparkling rosé. They share the rare tuna, heightened with the acidity of oranges, horseradish and tiny fried capers. "We have two little girls so we rarely go out on dates," Edelman said. "This meal elevates the work lunch and makes us feel we are on a romantic date. I always feel good after I finish it."

    1309 Fifth St. NE. www.rroysters.com/restaurants. $16

       

    Grilled pork banh mi at Banh Mi D.C. Sandwich

    This shop out on Virginia's Route 50 is notable for two things: a menu that includes two dozen twists on the French-tinged Vietnamese sandwich and the intoxicating scent of baking baguettes that wafts your way as you walk in the door. The bread, warm and so fresh that it's crunchy and soft at the same time, is the ideal vehicle for the red-hued pork, crunchy daikon, jalapeno, cilantro and rich Vietnamese mayonnaise that make up the No. 2. "So much of banh mi rests on the baguette," wrote a Going Out Guide reader. "The bread here is absolutely perfect for banh mi."

    3103 Graham Rd., Falls Church. 703-205-9300. No Web site. $4.20

       

    Palak chaat at Rasika

    2005년 이후 계속 40가지 음식에 포함됨.

    40 Eats Classic / On the menu since: 2005.

    Orders sold on a typical weekend: 340 (between two locations).

    More than once, we've reached the bottom of our bowl of chef Vikram Sunderam's famous snack and found ourselves calling for the waiter: "Another round of the spinach, and can you hurry?" That's the appeal and the curse of the North Indian palak chaat. One order, shared with a dinner date, never seems like enough. Sunderam laces his flash-fried greens with yogurt, sweet and tart tamarind chutney and a sprinkle of onion and pungent black salt, but it is the texture of the battered spinach — crunchy, light as air — that compels us to order seconds.

    633 D St. NW; 1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW. www.rasikarestaurant.com. $10 at lunch, $11 at dinner.

       

    Sapporo style shoyu ramen at Ren's Ramen

    Most of the ramen varieties offered at Ren's are made in the Sapporo style, prepared as bowls of soup have been in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, for ages. That might be why Ren's shoyu ramen — a soy sauce-based ramen more typical of Tokyo — stands out. According to Ren's sous chef, Lawrence Kao, the secret is stir-frying ground pork, garlic and the shoyu spices in scallion oil first to release their aromatics, giving this soup a headier flavor than the others. The rich pork broth is added next before it's ladled onto those famed Nishiyama noodles. "Their miso is very nice, the salt tasty," wrote Kelly Young of the District. "But the shoyu has a weight and heartiness, and frankly, addictiveness."

    11403 Amherst Ave., Wheaton. www.rens-ramen.com. $10. Cash only.

       

    Fried smelts at Pop's SeaBar

    In a bright and beachy Adams Morgan bar where oysters rule, daring diners can opt for something less familiar: smelts, tiny freshwater fish with the mild flavor of a largemouth bass but with such rustic character that they rarely appear on restaurant menus. They arrive fried and tossed with vinegar-soaked peppers; for dipping, there is "Jersey sauce," which chef John Manolatos describes as basically all the world's great condiments blended into one. The mix of crispy smelts, tart pickled peppers and bright sauce, wrote Lyn Holland of the District, is "umami perfection."

    1817 Columbia Rd. NW. www.popsseabar.com. $7.99

       

    Burrata cheese at Republic

    Burrata, the ultra-decadent globe of chewy fresh mozzarella encasing a center of rich cream, is on menus across the region. At Takoma Park's Republic, the cheese is given a healthy(-ish) treatment that perfectly suits the neighborhood's crunchy reputation: The burrata comes atop farro tossed with celery, lemon and basil. "I could eat this every day and not get bored," Verratti wrote. "I can't tell whether the flavor or the texture is more complex."

    6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park. www.republictakoma.com. $13

       

    Buffalo chicken pizza from Pizza D'Oro

    Cheston works at one of the city's favorite spots for upscale bar food, but when his cravings skew more lowbrow, he phones Shaw's humble Pizza D'Oro for a pie topped with ranch dressing, chicken and house-made hot sauce that makes this pizza taste like D'Oro's wings. It's Super Bowl Sunday food Cheston says he orders more than he should. He wrote: "I love pizza. I love chicken wings. This is the perfect combination of the two."

    Pizza D'Oro, 717 T St. NW. www.pizzadorodc.com. $13.99-$18.99

       

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