Cuisine: Chef/owner Peter Smith’s upgrades of classic Mid-Atlantic ingredients can be very rich, playing viscous reductions, well-roasted roots, and earthy mushrooms against chutneys and fruits, pungent Asian curry spices, and preserved lemons. Occasionally, though, more is less.
Mood: PS 7’s is like a box of chocolates, with its square dining room and bar, long halls, and side rooms in deep browns and woods. Depending on the crowd, it can seem elegant or just trendy.
Best for: Lighter meals—some of the best dishes are appetizers or platters “for the table.”
Best dishes: Perfectly braised short ribs en croûte larded with foie gras and sided by chanterelles, available in full or half portions; pork belly braised in apple cider; crisped salmon with seasonal clementine reduction; braised pork shoulder with sautéed loin and gleaming polenta; tuna-tartare “sliders” with white miso aïoli; miniature hot dogs with fries; flatbreads, especially the one topped by duck confit with Gouda, spiced pumpkin, and onion jam and the dessert-worthy version with macerated figs, prosciutto, and bleu cheese.
Insider tips: The lounge is open all afternoon, and the appetizers and flatbreads, fine cocktails, and well-selected wines are an inducement to head out for a late lunch or early happy hour.
Service: •••
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Expensive.
See all of 2009's 100 Best Restaurant
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
