Food Washington’s Inaugural,
The Best of the District
The Best Soup
Bread line - 1751 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006
Hands down the best soup in town is at surprise, surprise, the Bread Line. The B-line provides the best lunch in town, maybe even the best food in town. B-line’s Spicy Peanut soup is the best soup I have had in a long time. The soup is one of the few exemplary dishes in DC and it is served in a paper cup. No need to get a large, it is so rich a small will suffice. Toss some fries in it, if you are looking to add some more calories to your mid-day meal. Bread Line is only open for lunch Mon- Fri and the Spicy Peanut soup is only available on Tuesdays. So good it is worth the drive from almost anywhere. 5$
Honorable Mention (Soup)
Les Halles - 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004
The French onion soup at Les Halles is worthy of mention. Despite my hate for chains, (why you will not see any love for Palm on this sight, at least not from me) for Bourdain (chef) I will make an exception, because he is one of the reason I became a food snob in the first place. Plus he ate the live beating heart of a cobra in Nam on his show. I loved French onion soup when I was a kid, but have not have a good version of it in maybe 5 years. Les Halles made me remember why this dish used to be a staple of my diet. 7$
The Best Burger
Sonoma - 223 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
I wish I had the money to eat at Sonoma every night. It is a gastronoical oasis in the culinary Sahra that is The Hill. The Hill provides residents with a number of good bar burgers, but no great burgers. Sonoma provides something a little different, a decidedly upscale burger for about the same prices as most other decent burgers on the hill. I would appreciate a more generous pour of my Casillero del Diablo cab, but alas this is "best burger," not "best pour." ($9+)
The Guards - 2915 M St. NW Washington DC 20007
This old Georgetown haunt provides the best burger I have had since I’ve moved to DC. The Black and Blue burger is stuffed with blue cheese and then blackened. Not by any means the best burger I have ever had, but in this town of good, not great food, it is as good as you are going to find. Fries aren’t bad either. $10
The Best Falafel
Bus Boys and Poets - 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Since I went to the Middle East a few years ago, I have been disheartened by the quality of Falafel in the states. Not surprisingly this trend continued in DC. I have had Falafel at maybe eight different places, including the DC favorite (but not mine) Lebanese Taverna. None evoked the memory of Middle East, but as the old adage say, “where you least expect to find…..” Bus Boys and Poets up on 14th and V has the best falafel by far, that I have had in the city. It is crisp on the outside but smooth on the inside, not grainy like most falafel. And the place, as a whole, is a great place to meet people and have a killer, peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich.
The Best Meal
DC Coast - 1401 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Grilled Double Cut Pork Chop, Whipped Yams with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Steen’s Cane Syrup-Port Wine Mustard Sauce
What would this city do with out this Restaurant Group? Straight and Simple, the only (A) meal I a have had in 6 months. Despite my wish that the Coast would up the ambiance, I cannot really knock this place for anything. It is the only eatery in town I would recommend to someone from San Fran or the NYC, besides B-line. 19$
- The Connoisseur
Be on the look out for more Best of the District and also for the upcoming Best of the Burbs.
As always, your comments are encouraged.