Aventino

The centerpiece of this downtown Bethesda dining room is its emerald-green bar, which sends out lovely spritzes, Negronis, and dirty martinis with Parm-stuffed olives. Over in the clubby dining room, the menu—overseen by Red Hen chef Mike Friedman—celebrates Roman cuisine, with its hearty pastas (the best here is the lumache all’amatriciana) and robust meat dishes, such as veal saltimbocca. One unexpected hit: a great lunchtime burger.