The Best of Washington, D.C. (Food Edition)

A big part of relocating to Washington, D.C. is getting a lay of the land once you’ve arrived. This tends to take some time since it’s such a big city with so much to offer, but one of the easiest places to start is with the ‘Best of Washington, D.C.’ Once you have experienced the bulk of the District’s highlights, then you may feel more prepared to venture off the beaten track without getting lost (or mugged). No matter where you’re moving from, I’m confident that the city’s rich culture and unique vibe will claim your undying allegiance in no time.

So you’ve just unpacked the last box and are ready to begin exploring. You may be wondering:  ‘Where do I even begin?’ Well, with food, of course. While Washington, D.C. has not historically been known for its cuisine, it’s been developing that reputation more recently, attracting Top Chef  rock stars Spike Mendelsohn and Mike Isabella, who have now set up shop in the District. A number of other gems have popped up over the years and you’ll have no shortage of options to choose from. If you’re in the mood for Italian, head over to Posto in Logan Circle which cooks up some of the best pasta in the entire District. Be sure to come with an appetite because the warm parmesan encrusted bread they serve before your meal is impossible to resist. Their best option on the menu is easily their seafood pasta – trust me, you don’t want to miss it. If you have a taste for Thai, check out Thai Tanic which you can find in both Columbia Heights and Logan Circle. Thai Tanic has a thick menu of tasty options which also happen to be cost-efficient. For Mexican food, don’t miss Tortilla Coast on Capitol Hill, which makes its own tortillas from scratch. You could make a meal out of those things and their margaritas if you wanted to. The Coast is also home to a good happy hour weekdays 3:30-7:00pm, where you’ll bump elbows with Hill staffers and sometimes even Members.

Twice a year, all locals feel their pants shrink a bit thanks to the phenomena known as  D.C. Restaurant Week, where over 200 establishments offer 3 course lunches for $20 and 3 course dinners for $35. Restaurant Week rolls around every August and January and is an excellent opportunity to sample a number of different places for a great bargain. You can view of list of participating restaurants here, although the specific dates for January 2012 have not yet been determined. Once you’ve decided which restaurants you’d like to try, I would recommend investigating how good of a deal they’re actually offering by comparing their fixed price meal to their normal menu, because some places are more cost-efficient than others. Also, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and make reservations to prevent waiting hours on end for a table.

For more information on the food scene in Washington, D.C. check out:

·         Washington City Paper’s Top 100 Spots for $25 or Less

·         Washington Post’s Best Food Trucks in Washington, D.C.

·         Urban Spoon’s Best DC Restaurants

Stay tuned as the ‘Best Of’ series continues with ‘The Best of Site-Seeing in Washington, D.C.!’