The Best of DC Restaurant Week
You may not be a fat-cat lobbyist, but this month, you can dine like one for a week without breaking your bank. Between January 14 and January 20, nearly 200 DC-area restaurants are offering three-course lunch and dinner menus for $20.08 and $30.08 respectively. But choose carefully -- some Washington restaurants are known for the poor quality of their Restaurant Week selections. Still, whether you're in the mood for a succulent steak and a dirty martini or seared ahi tuna and a glass of sauvignon blanc, restaurant week has it all. Check out the following venues for meals that are sure to delight your palate. Further suggestions welcome in the comments or via the tipline.
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The Fourth Estate @ National Press Club
14th St NW & F St NW
Washington, DC
Filled with mahogany, brass, international flags, and elderly men, the National Press Club is the epitome of DC. Hoping to hobnob with Helen Thomas? Mosey over for a meal … at the Fourth Estate during Restaurant Week. The famous member of the White House Press Corps may not be around, but the food is quite good, and you're sure to see plenty of other people and historical items that will catch your interest. You don't even have to go with a member; the Press Club's restaurant is open to the public. Try the pine nut-crusted salmon if you're not sure what to order. (photo) [link]
Hook Restaurant
3241 M St NW
Washington, DC 20007
Check out Hook's lunch menu during Restaurant Week if you're interested in trying unique seafood recipes from across the globe. Hook primarily sells sustainable fish, so … this is an ideal dining spot for the ecologically minded gourmand. Order crudo, Hook's signature raw appetizer. [link]
Charlie Palmer Steak
101 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
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DC Coast
Tower BUilding, 1401 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
DC Coast offers a number of excellent lunch and dinner selections on its Restaurant Week menu and provides customers with above-par service even when meals are sold at … discount prices. One of Washington's premier seafood restaurants, the two-story, downtown eatery may not offer one of the city's most intimate date-night settings, but it certainly provides some of DC's best food and service. (photo) [link]
Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar
2917 M St NW
Washington, DC 20007
Restaurant week or no, Georgetown's Mendocino Grille & Wine Bar is one of the best spots in the city for a top-of-the-line meal. So why wouldn't you head to this … California-inspired restaurant when you can purchase dinner a tad cheaper than usual? Better yet, the chef uses many locally grown and organic ingredients in the naturally grown meat dishes and wild seafood. (photo) [link]
