dining in dc

I must preface this blog post for any bosses, colleagues or executives with the following statement: My business trip to Washington, D.C., this week was both fruitful and productive, resulting in countless business-related contacts and numerous story topics.

That being said, the D.C.-area dining and nightlife establishments also made a lasting impression, enough so to warrant a post about my renewed vigor for the nation's capital.

I can't vouch for the entire district's food and beverage scene because I was only there three days; and it's quite possible that the establishments I chose to patronize were the cream of the crop because I did a fair amount of research. So I return home with a sense of pride for my knack to choose quality dining and I commend the following restaurants for their dedication and commitment to taste and service.

A historic sense of character oozed from the Round Robin Bar that jettisons from the Willard InterContinental lobby. Countless presidents have sipped cocktails at the circular bar constructed entirely of wood and brass. Hanging here makes you feel important. Legend has it the term "lobbying" was invented here as Washingtonians approached presidents and congressman, sharing a cigar and a drink and pitching their political agendas, although a handful of people I spoke to dismissed that notion as hearsay and considered it myth.

Old Ebbitt Grill was conveniently located two blocks from my hotel (and two blocks from the White House), was recommended by a local and touted as the place to be in D.C. A casual yet traditional atmosphere made a good first impression and the quality food backed it up. I assume the place is packed on most evenings--as it was this Wednesday evening--but four bars, one in each corner, provide plenty of seating for waiting guests.
I ordered a burger on a recommendation and was impressed. You can't beat a standout burger.

As much as I recognize how open-brick, candle-lit bistros with hip chefs are over-saturating the dining industry, the similarly positioned Matchbox vintage pizza bistro proves it's impossible to turn pizza and beer pretentious. We popped in to watch the Bears-49ers game on a Thursday night and found quite possibly the best array of beers on tap I have ever seen, including Stella Artois, Allagash White, Yuengling, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Bell's Two-hearted Ale, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Delirium Tremens and others. The serrano spanish ham & pecorino romano pizza, made with roasted garlic, ricotta, buffalo mozzarella and tomato and cooked in the wood-fired oven lived up to expectations.

But my favorite of the trip had to be Blue Ridge, known for locally sourced mid-Atlantic cuisine and voted one of the best new restaurants in November ESQUIRE. What Blue Ridge lacks in decor and flair it makes up for with ingredients. Instead of offering vegan and soy-based dishes, the chef promotes truly healthy eating with hearty dishes grown and cultivated locally and including plenty of vegetables and seafood. "You want to save the oceans? Eat more broccoli. Change the topography of your plate," the chef told Esquire. The sweet-potato fritters were off the hook.
Here I also tried Star Hill's wheat beer, brewed in Charlottesville, Va., and it must have been brewed with more hops than the traditional wheat beer because it blended the tastes of a good wheat and a good IPA.