Food

Critics Pick the 25 Best Dishes

What do our dining critics crave? Everything from the cheddar-topped burger at Ray's the Classics to vanilla-poached lobster at Farrah Olivia.

Fried Ipswich clams at Kinkead’s.

• Crispy sea bass or pork-belly dumplings at the Source

• 72-hour short ribs at Citronelle

• Snapper bisque at Corduroy

•Country rabbit pâté with house-made pickles and violet mustard at Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar

• Any soup at Palena

• Vanilla-poached lobster in a lobster bisque at Farrah Olivia

• Mascarpone-stuffed date or katsikaki (spit-roasted goat) with house-made pita at Komi

• Pot of mussels at Café du Parc

• Risotto with lobster at Teatro Goldoni

• Barbecue crabs (in season) at Johnny’s Half Shell

• Chilled cucumber soup at the Oval Room

 

• Ray’s Hell-Burger with Vermont cheddar at Ray’s the Classics

• Gazpacho (in season) at Buck’s Fishing and Camping

• Black cod at Rasika

• Bacon-egg-and-cheese salad at Restaurant Eve

• Crispy Ipswich clams with house-made tartar sauce at Kinkead’s

• Raspberry custard with rose-blossom ice cream and grapefruit at Adour

• Pad Thai at Nava Thai Noodle and Grill

• Lobster with Sauternes butter and grapefruit at Le Paradou

• White-clam pizza with lemon at Comet Ping Pong

• Skirt-steak-and-foie-gras sandwich at BLT Steak

• Lingonberry linzertorte with Taleggio ice cream at Hook

• Veal sweetbreads with port at the Inn at Little Washington

• House-made corned-beef sandwich at Central Michel Richard

• Carrot pappardelle with rabbit ragu at Tosca

What are your favorite dishes in town? Let us know in the comments below!

This appeared in our February, 2009 issue as part of the 100 Best Restaurants section. 

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Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

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.