One of the hardest of the 100 Very Best Restaurants to find, Corduroy is on the second floor of the Sheraton Four Points Hotel with no direct entrance from the street. The advantage of this location is that it's usually possible to get a table.

Corduroy is worth seeking out. Chef Tom Power worked for Michel Richard at the Citronelle in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Georgetown. Both the quality of his ingredients and the deftness of his technique are impressive. Soups are always a good bet--a fall parsnip soup was earthy and delicious, a soup of kabocha squash pleasantly sweet. A lobster salad with green peas was delicious to look at but served too cold.

Main-course choices include one of the best roast chickens in town, crisp skinned and moist; a flavorful loin strip of buffalo from New Frontier, cooked to order; and long-cooked veal cheeks, meltingly tender, with tarbais beans. Power's time with Michel Richard has been noticeable in his desserts--a perfectly cooked crème brûlée, Michel's Chocolate Hazelnut Bars, and seasonal ice creams.