Spices
Lots of Cleveland Park residents use Spices for takeout and
delivery, but the food is at its best in the warmly lit dining room. We
dug into a tangy salad of green papaya, mango, and red cabbage, and
another Vietnamese classic—grilled shrimp over cold vermicelli with nicely
crunchy spring rolls, cucumber, mint leaves, and peanuts. Less inspiring:
gummy drunken noodles with flavorless minced chicken and the limp,
over-steamed edamame. 3333-A Connecticut Ave., NW;
202-686-3833. —JV
Ray’s to the Third
We took the casual route at Michael Landrum’s latest
restaurant. The enormous Mack burger—with American cheese and tangy “heck”
sauce—was juicy perfection. Tender slices of rib eye elevated a sandwich
that included melted American and provolone and grilled onions on a Lyon
Bakery sub roll. A side salad lent lovely contrast to the sandwiches, and
a boozy shake with bourbon and bacon bits made an indulgent ending. 1650
Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-974-7171. —JV
Woodberry Kitchen
Spike and Amy Gjerde may have their mind on new projects, but
that hasn’t diminished anything at their farmhouse-cool flagship. Our
table became cluttered with terrific snacks: cucumbers seasoned with fish
pepper, crab dip with a shot of sherry, a crisp salad of charred sugar-snap
peas. Excellent desserts—from a blackberry meringue pie to a
marshmallow-and-malt sundae—helped make the meal one of the best we’ve had
here. 2010 Clipper Park Rd., Baltimore; 410-464-8000. —AL
This article appears in the September 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.
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.
