January 2006 100 Very Best Restaurants
THE SCENE. Tucked amid the box buildings and fast-food joints along Rockville Pike, this quaint, saffron-painted house fitted with an antique stove seems curiously misplaced, a little girl's toy left by the side of the road. Walk inside and the chaos of the outside world begins to seem a few states away.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE. Jeff and Barbara Black's first restaurant is full of ragtag charm. The Modern American menu ranges far and wide for inspiration, from SoCal (roasted endive salad with blood-orange vinaigrette) to new Caribbean (grilled mahi-mahi kicked with mango-chipotle coulis)–but never seems to be showing off. And there are few more inviting spots to dine in warm weather than Addie's patio–you'd think you were at a backyard party.
WHAT YOU WON'T. Although many dishes have an appealing sturdiness to them and the menu is mostly free of clunkers, the cooking is ultimately less captivating than the atmosphere.
BEST DISHES. The oyster po'boy and shrimp salad, a lunch staple; fried oysters coated in panko; a mixed berry creme brulee with the faint flavor of yogurt.
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.
