Cuisine: Chef/owner Carole Greenwood’s fine-dining paean to the holy trinity of contemporary gastronomy: local, seasonal, organic.
Mood: Red walls, retro Champagne glasses, and vintage ’50s tables serve as backdrop for the lawyers, journalists, and other hotshots who descend on this Cleveland Park gem.
Best for: An intimate date or double date.
Best dishes: Batter-fried chile relleno that gives off a slow, subtle heat; fresh, sweet, chunky gazpacho (in summer); whole grilled branzino; fried chicken with a hit of Old Bay in the crust; peach-and-blueberry pie.
Insider tips: Don’t even try sending that soy-marinated cowboy steak back to the kitchen for more cooking or asking for sauce on the side. Greenwood does not suffer menu meddlers. Also, get there early to avoid the disappearance of menu items.
Service: ••
Open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner. Expensive.
See all of 2009's 100 Best Restaurants
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.
