Why go: Not merely the best Afghan restaurant in the area, this is one of the top dining destinations in Bethesda. And now that the dining room has been warmed up with glossy wooden tables, the setting is almost as engaging as the food.
What to get: Bulanee, crisp pastry triangles filled with green scallions; mantu, flat dumplings filled with beef and onions and topped with yogurt sauce and meat; quabili palau, spiced brown rice studded with lamb, shredded carrots, and raisins; kadu, a marvelous stew of sweet pumpkin with yogurt sauce.
Best for: An intimate dinner with family or friends—the perfect antidote to high-decibel dining.
Insider tip: The menu is small, and many dishes revolve around yogurt sauce and ground beef, so order carefully to avoid a one-note meal.
Open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner.
>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here
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.
