No. 79: Hook
Cuisine: Sustainably sourced seafood and fish embellished with pristine local and organic produce. Chef Jonathan Seningen picked up after the departure of opening chef Barton Seaver with minimal transition pains. Sauces still rely mostly on virtuous alternatives to butter and cream—vegetable and bean purées, herb-infused oils and vinaigrettes.
Mood: Georgetown in microcosm. The white-walled dining room with its glass-bubble light fixtures draws all kinds, from Birkenstock-wearing grandmas to young families to edgy artists.
Best for: Fish lovers (there’s only one meat dish, a rib eye, on the menu); lunch or dinner after shopping in Georgetown.
Best dishes: The menu changes almost daily, but recent hits have been crudo of mahi-mahi with pickled squash, fingerling potato, and juniper oil; oysters three ways with Champagne gelée and Bloody Mary and dirty-martini sauces; sturgeon carpaccio with juniper-cilantro oil and beet sauce; Arctic char with sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and celeriac purée; lobster-and-prawn risotto with Parmesan and kabocha squash; lingonberry linzertorte with Taleggio-cheese ice cream; Hooked on Chocolate, a feast including hot chocolate, milk-chocolate ice cream, and chocolate-ganache tart.
Insider tips: Well-informed servers can expound on the esoteric wine list and decode cryptic items on the menu. Pastry chef Heather Chittum’s desserts are still a good reason to visit.
Service: ••½
Open Monday for dinner, Tuesday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Expensive.
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