News & Politics

Restaurant Week 2010: What’s on the Menu

Related: Who Is Turning Restaurant Week Into Restaurant Month?

Restaurant Week, when you can get three-course lunches for $20.10 and dinners for $35.10, kicks off on Monday. To help you make last-minute reservation choices, we’ve gathered a ton of menus and will keep updating this guide through the week. This year, plenty of places are extending their specials another week, or even the whole month. You can check out the list here.

1789
The Georgetown institution is offering the special throughout January.

Dinner appetizers: Endive-and-apple salad with bacon, candied walnuts, and cave-aged marisa dressing; veal paté with country ham and amaretti; sweet-potato gnocchi with foie gras, trumpet mushrooms, and bosc pears; duck-leg confit with caramelized cabbage, warm potato salad, and duck jus.

Dinner main courses: Poussin with stewed kale, roasted fingerlings, and meyer-lemon marmalade; pork chop with scarlet turnips, roasted apples, and turnip greens; rockfish with grits, collard greens, rock shrimp, and ham-hock jus; citrus-braised veal breast with parsnip purée, tangelo-glazed root vegetables, veal jus, and gremolata; branzino with farro, candystriped beets, and balsamic vinegar.

Dinner desserts: Choose off the regular dessert menu.

2941
This art-filled Falls Church dining room is extending their lunch special through the end of the month.

Lunch appetizers:
Endive salad with bartlett pear, blue cheese, and truffle vinaigrette; butternut-squash soup with cider gelée and spiced apple compote; salmon tartar with cucumber carpaccio and yuzu aioli.

Lunch main courses:
Grilled escolar with citrus beurre blanc; burrata ravioli with mushroom fricassee; roasted duck breast with blood-orange marmalade.

Lunch desserts:
Guayaquil-chocolate cake with earl-grey ice cream; Meyer-lemon pound cake with ricotta mousse and lavender syrup.

3 Bar and Grille   
This Southern-accented Clarendon dining room is offering most dishes on its regular lunch and dinner menus, and the special will run through January 24.

701
Gotham Bar and Grill alum Adam Longworth’s sure-handed American cooking is on offer at lunch and dinner. His clam chowder is one of the best versions we’ve had.
 
Lunch appetizers:
Fennel soup with goat cheese, olives, and basil oil; mushroom risotto with gruyere cheese and white-truffle oil; spinach salad with pears, bacon, goat cheese, and cider vinaigrette; baby greens with apples, manchego cheese, and mustard vinaigrette; crispy-calamari salad with hearts of palm, cucumber, and olive vinaigrette.

Lunch main courses:
Fried chicken with collard greens and crispy polenta cake; salmon with potato puree, roasted fennel, and coffee vinaigrette; baked-potato ravioli with crème fraîche and malt-vinegar onions; burger with house-smoked ketchup, American cheese, and French fries; roasted cod with lentils, fingerling potatoes, grapes, and verjus emulsion.
 
Dinner appetizers:
Black-bass ceviche with orange, avocado, and mint; roasted-beet salad with apples, goat cheese, and orange yogurt; grilled scallops with butternut-squash puree, grapes, and balsamic-brown-butter; baby greens with figs, goat cheese, and hazelnut; clam “chowder”  with smoked-potato gnocchi.

Dinner main courses:
Baked-potato ravioli with scallions and malt-vinegar onions; roasted pork tenderloin with braised red cabbage and mustard sauce; braised-beef-shortrib pappardelle with whipped ricotta; rice-crusted striped bass with spiced eggplant, lentils, golden raisins, and curried emulsion; coq au vin with potato puree; Scottish salmon with preserved lemon, coffee/hazelnut vinaigrette, and potato puree.

Lunch and desserts:
Flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream and blood-orange marmalade; lemon cheesecake with gingerbread crust; apple-buckwheat shortcake with cherry/fig compote and whipped cream; brown-butter blondie with sesame-seed brittle; banana-pudding profiteroles with caramel sauce and almond toffee.

Acadiana
This indulgent, Louisiana-inspired dining room lets you choose a main course off its regular menu. There’s an $8 upcharge for crabcakes at lunch, and a $9 upcharge for crabcakes and grilled New York strip at dinner.

Lunch and dinner appetizers:
Turtle soup; smoked-chicken-and-andouille-sausage gumbo; roasted-corn-and-crab soup; deviled eggs; mixed greens salad; BLT salad; pork boudin balls.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Warm vanilla bread pudding with praline-crunch ice cream; toasted-almond crème brulée; buttermilk- chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.

Adour  
Superstar chef Alain Ducasse’s elegant Washington outpost will extend its dinner menu through January 23.

Dinner appetizers:
Polenta soup with foie-gras royale; artisanal pasta with braised rabbit leg, onion, and olive; chilled lentil salad with shiitake mushrooms and mustard dressing.

Dinner main courses:
Slow-cooked short ribs with bordelaise sauce and winter vegetables; seared haddock “grenobloise” with brandade, capers, and fried parsley; roasted chicken breast with button mushrooms and pearl onions.

Dinner desserts:
Chocolate fondant with earl-grey tea and streusel; key-lime coupe with almonds and meringue.

Ardeo
The full dinner menu is on offer at this pretty Cleveland Park dining room.

 
Art and Soul  
This Capitol Hill dining room overseen by Chicago celebrity chef Art Smith will extend its lunch and dinner specials through January 24.

Lunch appetizers:
Arugula salad with watermelon pickles, goat cheese, and blackberry/ale vinaigrette; Caesar salad with white anchovies; Capitol Hill salad with apples, blue cheese, pecans, and cider vinaigrette; butternut-squash soup with parsnip chips and crème fraîche; chipotle-marinated shrimp with cheddar/grits cake and Creole tomato sauce.

Lunch main courses:
Fried chicken with buttermilk mashed potatoes and sausage gravy; blackened catfish with sweet-potato mash and crawfish étouffée; spring-vegetable ravioli; salmon with braised apples, roasted beets, and citrus-brown-butter; grilled hanger steak with black-pepper jelly and board
walk fries.

Dinner appetizers: Arugula salad with watermelon pickles, goat cheese, and blackberry/ale vinaigrette; Caesar salad with white anchovies; Capitol Hill salad with apples, blue cheese, pecans, and cider vinaigrette; crab bisque with bourbon cream; spice-rubbed tuna with fried green tomatoes; soup of the day.

Dinner main courses: Pecan-crusted chicken with chicken-and-apple sausage stuffing; butternut-squash ravioli with citrus-butter sauce; salmon with braised apples, roasted beets, and citrus-brown-butter; braised pork shank with black-eyed pea stew and spicy greens.

Lunch and dinner desserts: Chocolate/cinnamon cake with pear compote and vanilla crème fraîche; banana-bread pudding with rum caramel and vanilla ice cream; almond cheesecake with raspberry compote.

Againn
The newly opened gastropub is extending their lunch special through January 24.

Lunch appetizers: Curried cauliflower soup with hazelnuts; beetroot salad with walnuts, goat cheese, and honey dressing.

Lunch main courses: Corned-beef sandwich on brioche with horseradish cream and housemade pickles; pan-seared salmon with green lentils and braised greens. 

Dinner appetizers: Celery-root soup with grated apple and stilton mousse; beetroot salad with walnuts, goat cheese, and honey dressing.

Dinner main courses: Slow-roasted pork belly with grits, mustard greens, and smoked-tomato jus; pan-seared salmon with green lentils and braised greens.

Lunch and dinner desserts: Sticky toffee pudding with stout ice cream; ice cream with brown bread.  

Bastille
The modern French bistro is extending its dinner menu through January 23.  

Dinner appetizers:
Endive salad with orange, toasted pecans, and goat-cheese vinaigrette; frisee salad with duck sausage, celery-root remoulade, and gruyere; calamari-and-shrimp beignets with sheep’s-milk yogurt and harissa; chicken-liver mousse with cranberry gelée, cornichons, and baguette.

Dinner main courses:
“Pot roast,” with carrots, winter vegetables, potato purée, and horseradish sauce; pan-roasted salmon with cider-mustard beurre blanc, braised cabbage, and glazed turnips; pan-seared scallops with Sauternes emulsion, black-truffle/mushroom risotto, and winter greens; seared duck breast with spiced pineapple sauce and sweet-potato purée; grilled hanger steak with bordelaise sauce and French fries.

Dinner desserts:
Manjari-chocolate turtle pot de crème; sweet-potato crème caramel with cranberry compote; ginger/spice cake with mascarpone and banana/raisin compote; passion-fruit crème brûlée.

Belga Cafe
The Barracks Row Belgian hangout will run its dinner promotion an extra day, through January 18. 

Dinner appetizers: Lobster soup with fennel confit and anise cream; pan-seared monkfish with sunchoke purée and carrot foam.  

Dinner main courses: Lamb-leg navarin with winter vegetables and tomato-garlic sauce; mussels with tomatoes, peppers, and white wine; New York strip steak and shrimp with melted spinach and potato gratin ($8 surcharge). 

Dinner desserts: Nutella crepes with orange sorbet and Grand Marnier sauce; red-wine-poached pears with almond ice cream.  

Bibiana
Ashok Bajaj's latest restaurant is putting out extensive lunch and dinner menus.

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Sorrel-and-arugula salad with apricots and charred-onion vinaigrette; beet salad with gorgonzola, saba, and almonds; lentil soup; braised veal meatballs with polenta; braised tripe with tomato and parmesan; salumi (add $2 for grilled bread); sheep's-milk/ricotta agnolotti with lemon and spinach; mozzarella with winter-vegetable salad (lunch only); burrata with winter-vegetable salad (dinner only; $3 surcharge).

Lunch main courses: Risotto with pesto and green bean salad; rigatoni with cauliflower, raisins, and pecorino; bucatini with guanciale, chilies, and pecorino; potato-and-salami-stuffed calamari with squid-ink vinaigrette; skate with borlotti/cannellini ragu; grilled lamb sausage with chickpeas and escarole; grilled beef sirloin with salsa verde.  

Dinner main courses: Risotto with pesto and green bean salad; rigatoni with cauliflower, raisins, and pecorino; tagliatelle with Bolognese ragu; striped bass with crushed potatoes, calamari, and squid-ink vinaigrette; skate with borlotti/cannellini ragu; roasted lamb leg with chickpeas and escarole; beef cheeks with celery-root purée and winter vegetables. 

Lunch and dinner desserts: Cheese with clementine marmalade ($2 surcharge); lemon tart; vanilla panna cotta with orange center; fried pastry-cream; milk, salted caramel, and mint gelati; apricot and sour cherry sorbets.  

Bistro Bis
Jeff Buben’s elegant Capitol Hill French restaurant is offering most of its regular lunch, brunch, and dinner menus, but watch out for upcharges.

Lunch appetizers:
Frisée salad with lardons, egg, and sherry vinaigrette ($2 surcharge); steak tartare with spicy aioli and garlic potato chips ($3 surcharge); roasted-beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and oranges ($3 surcharge); country-style pork paté with toasted baguette and mustard sauce; mussels in tarragon/Pernod cream ($3 surcharge); onion soup with gruyere and emmenthaler cheeses; split-pea soup with bacon and brioche croutons; field greens salad with radishes, chopped egg, and lemon/tarragon vinaigrette; endive salad with pears, blue cheese, and walnut/red-wine vinaigrette.

Lunch main courses:
Steak frites with red-wine/shallot butter ($7 surcharge); rockfish with clams, chorizo, white beans, and espelette-pepper nage ($5 surcharge); mustard-and-porcini-crusted salmon with lentils; chicken salad with artichokes, haricots verts, and truffle vinaigrette; salad Nicoise with seared tuna, fingerling potatoes, and anchovy/red-wine vinaigrette ($5 surcharge); veal fricassée with artichokes, tomato confit, and Dijon-mustard/caper sauce ($5 surcharge); pistachio-crusted sea scallops with butternut squash puree, chanterelles, and cider vinaigrette; wild-mushroom risotto with roasted pears and sage butter; coq au vin with pearl onions and cremini mushrooms; trout grenobloise with lemon/caper-brown-butter.

Dinner appetizers:
Frisée salad with lardons, poached egg, and sherry vinaigrette ($2 surcharge); steak tartare with spicy aioli and garlic potato chips ($3 surcharge); endive salad with pears, blue cheese, and walnut/red-wine vinaigrette; country-style pork paté with toasted baguette and mustard sauce; mussels in tarragon/Pernod cream ($3 surcharge);  split-pea soup with bacon and brioche croutons; roasted-beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and oranges ($3 surcharge); salad Nicoise with seared tuna, fingerling potatoes, and anchovy/red-wine vinaigrette ($3 surcharge); onion soup with gruyere; field greens salad with radishes, beets, and lemon/tarragon vinaigrette.

Dinner main courses:
Slow-cooked lamb shank with polenta and flageolet beans ($5 surcharge); mustard-and-porcini-crusted salmon with bacon and lentils; trout grenobloise with haricots verts and lemon/caper brown butter; coq au vin with cremini mushrooms and root vegetables; duck confit with white-bean ragoût and tomato; rockfish with clams, chorizo, and espelette-pepper nage ($5 surcharge); pistachio-crusted sea scallops with butternut squash puree, chanterelles, and cider vinaigrette ($6 surcharge);  veal fricassée with artichokes, tomato confit, and Dijon-mustard/caper sauce ($5 surcharge); wild-mushroom risotto with roasted pears and sage butter; steak frites with red-wine/shallot butter ($7 surcharge); honey-glazed pork chop  with chestnuts, apple/butternut-squash pierogi, and Banyuls gastrique.
 
Brunch appetizers:
Onion soup with gruyere; melon cocktail with sorbet and mint; field greens salad with beets, chopped egg, and lemon/tarragon vinaigrette; split-pea soup with bacon and brioche croutons; frisée salad with lardons and garlic/sherry vinaigrette; endive salad with pears, blue cheese, and walnut/red-wine vinaigrette; country-style pork paté with toasted baguette.

Brunch main courses:
Trout grenobloise with haricots verts and lemon/caper brown butter;  mustard-and-porcini-crusted salmon with bacon and lentils; croque madame with onion rings and field greens; brioche French toast with bananas, crème fraîche, and bacon; eggs benedict; malted Belgian-style waffle with berries and crème fraîche; wild-mushroom omelet with tomato; scrambled eggs with roasted peppers,
chorizo, and manchego cheese; chicken salad with artichokes and truffle vinaigrette.

Bistro D'oc
This rustic French dining room on the fringes of Penn Quarter is serving lunch and dinner with a good array of choices.

Lunch appetizers: Butternut-squash soup with fines herbs; mussels/crab/saffron bisque; charcuterie plate; duck rillettes with truffle; tossed salad with blue cheese.

Lunch main courses
: Chicken with Thai green curry; Toulouse sausage with French fries and béarnaise sauce; salmon with capers and lemon; steak and eggs with French fries; beef bourguignon; blanquette de veau; mussels with white wine and crème fraîche. 

Lunch desserts:
Cream puffs in chocolate sauce; berries clafoutis; orange-confit ice cream.

Dinner appetizers:
French onion soup; butternut-squash soup; hot duck-foie-gras mousse with truffle sauce; Boston lettuce salad with roquefort cheese, pecans, and apples; mesclun salad with coppa, haricots verts, and roasted tomatoes; hot seafood feuillette in Champagne sauce; lamb brains with capers and butter.

Dinner main courses:
Flat iron steak with roquefort cheese; center-cut pork chop Normandie; lamb sirloin with French beans; roast chicken with orange Curacao; striped sea bass with crab and potato brandade.

Dinner desserts:
Crème brûlée; petite pots of chocolate; raspberry bavarois; assortment of miniature desserts.

 

BlackSalt
The Palisades seafood market/dining room is offering an eclectic lunch menu.

Lunch appetizers: Calamari with chipotle remoulade; mussels with garlic, shallot, tomato, and lemon; baby arugula with herbed feta, dried cranberries, and lemongrass/almond vinaigrette; sweet-potato bisque with candied almonds and charred onion; hummus with grilled pita, cucumber/pine-nut salad, and olives.

Lunch main courses: Cheeseburger with Amish cheddar, arugula, and crispy onions; Provencal seafood stew with shrimp, mussels, fish of the day, and saffron; wood-grilled salmon with pan-roasted fall vegetables and clove gastrique; daily housemade pasta; wood-grilled swordfish with roasted cauliflower, tabouleh, and cilantro.

Lunch desserts: Key-lime pie with blueberry compote and sesame tuile; chocolate-Chambord-truffle cake with raspberry compote; ice creams and sorbets. 

Bobby Van's Grill
Classic American steaks and seafood are on the menu at this downtown politico hangout.  

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Baby greens salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and roasted-shallot vinaigrette; Caesar salad; roasted-chestnut-and-chicken soup; black-bean-and-lobster soup.

Lunch and dinner main courses: New York strip steak (filet mignon at dinner) with roasted fingerlings and Makers Mark demi-glace; pan-seared Chilean sea bass with spinach gnocchi, carrots, and saffron sauce; pan-seared chicken breast with basil mashed potatoes, broccoli, and chicken demi-glace; tagliatelle with shrimp, scallops, tomato, and corn in herb-cream sauce.

Lunch and dinner desserts: Apple/sour-cherry tart with vanilla ice cream; Makers Mark chocolate mousse with caramel sauce; carrot cake with mango coulis. 

The Bombay Club
Upscaled Indian fare in a downtown power dining room.  

Lunch appetizers: Chicken tikka with yogurt and spices; tilapia with cilantro, chilies, garlic, and Goan spices; roasted sweet potato with yogurt; seekh kabob; corn kabob.

Lunch main courses (served with rice and bread): Tandoori salmon; tandoori chicken chops; chicken curry; lamb with onion, tomato, and apricots; vegetarian thali with lemon rice; chicken tikka makhni.  

Lunch desserts: Rice kheer; gulab jamun; coconut panna cotta.  

Dinner appetizers: Crispy arugula and spinach chaat with date/tamarind chutney; malabari shrimp with fennel and mango chutney; mango fish tikka; malai chicken tikka; potatoes with chickpeas, ginger, and date chutney; puri with potato, mango, and chutneys; corn/mushroom samosa.  

Dinner main courses (served with rice and bread): Chicken tikka; mixed grill of salmon, chicken tikka, and seekh kabob; shrimp moilee with coconut milk and curry leaves; chicken tikka makhni; chicken with onion, tomato, coriander, and chilies; lamb rogan josh; lamb korma; vegetarian thali.

Dinner desserts: Chocolate/sticky-toffee pudding with spiced ice cream; carrot halwa; milk pudding with blueberries; mango or coconut sorbets. 

Bourbon Steak

Michael Mina’s Four Seasons steakhouse is tagging its burger menu with Restaurant Week prices, but $20 is around what you’d pay for a burger and fries here anyway.

Lunch burgers:
Prime steak burger with pickles, Cabot Clothbound cheddar, and secret sauce; vegetarian falafel burger with tahini sauce, tomatoes, and parsley; turkey burger with jack cheese, roasted peppers, and arugula; glazed banh mi-style salmon burger with cilantro, carrots, and jalapeño; boneless barbecue-pork baby-back ribs with cole slaw and bread-and-butter chips.

Lunch sides:
Market greens with potato chips; trio of duck-fat fries with dipping sauces; beer-battered onion rings with pickle kethcup.

Lunch dessert:
Brownie.
 
Café Atlantico  
This festive Nuevo Latino spot is offering lunch and dinner specials through January 24.

Lunch appetizers:
Tomato-coconut bisque; beet salad with queso fresco; conch fritters with jicama/avocado ravioli.

Lunch main courses: Veracruz-style trout with tomatoes, olives, and capers; root-vegetable quesadilla with guacamole; crabcake salad with coconut dressing; Medio Dia sandwich with roasted pork, ham, Mexican cheese, pickles, and mustard.

Dinner appetizers: Celery soup with American caviar; beet salad with queso fresco; tuna ceviche with coconut milk; conch fritters with jicama/avocado ravioli.

Dinner main courses: Duck confit with apples, raisins, and pine nuts; portobello mushroom with sweet-potato/plantain ravioli; Veracruz-style salmon with tomatoes, olives, and capers; grilled flat iron steak with potato espuma and mushrooms.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Warm chocolate cake or sorbet of the day.

Cafe du Parc
Michelin-starred chef Antoine Westermann consults on the menu at this French spot next to the Willard. 

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Chestnut soup with crème fraîche and croutons; pot-au-feu terrine with a salad of herbs. 

< span style="font-weight: bold">Lunch and dinner main courses: Mussels with white wine, shallots, and parsley; salmon (char at dinner) with lentils, bacon, and horseradish cream; hanger steak with shallot confit and red-wine sauce.

Lunch desserts: Daily specials.

Dinner desserts: Tomme de savoie cheese with cherry jam and raisin bread; warm chocolate cake with red-wine ganache and vanilla ice cream; rice pudding with apple-cider sorbet.

Cafe Dupont
This hotel restaurant sits on Dupont Circle. 

Lunch appetizers: Smoked-corn-and-crab bisque; beet salad with fromage blanc and blood-orange vinaigrette.

Lunch main courses: Steak-and-caramelized-onion sandwich with salad or French fries; grilled chicken breast sandwich with bacon.

Lunch desserts: Vanilla/orange crème brûlée; flourless chocolate torte. 

Dinner appetizers: Braised-apple-and-frisee salad with poached egg, bacon, and Banyuls vinaigrette; clam chowder; sous vide short rib with wild-mushroom risotto and veal jus. 

Dinner main courses: Rack of lamb with farro, carrots, and savory jus; pan-seared salmon with spinach and tongues-of-fire-bean ragu; mushroom tagliatelle with feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and porcini sauce.

Dinner desserts: Apple cobbler with cinnamon-roll ice cream; flourless chocolate torte with hazelnut ice cream.  

The Capital Grille Tysons Corner (1861 International Dr., McLean)
Sirloins and filets are free of upcharges at the Tysons outpost of this chain steakhouse

Lunch appetizers: Clam chowder; Caesar salad.

Lunch main courses: Filet mignon with mashed potatoes; citrus-glazed salmon with creamed spinach; sirloin salad with roquefort dressing; lobster-and-crab burger with shoestring fries.

Dinner appetizers: Field greens salad; clam chowder.

Dinner main courses: Filet mignon; citrus-glazed salmon; sirloin with shallot butter; grilled chicken breast with roasted tomatoes and peppers.

Lunch and dinner desserts: Cheesecake with berries; flourless chocolate/espresso cake; Key-lime pie (dinner only). 

Cedar (822 E St., NW; 202-637-0012)
Diners get full run of the dinner menu at this subterranean Penn Quarter restaurant, which is extending its special until January 24.

Ceiba
Jeff Tunks’s eclectic Latin dining room lets customers choose their main course off the regular menu.

Choose any entree from the regular menu. On the dinner menu there is a $9 surcharge for the ribeye, crabcackes, and moqueca bahiana (a seafood stew).

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Mixed greens salad; Caesar salad; black-bean soup; Bermuda fish chowder; shrimp-cocktail ceviche; Peruvian-style ceviche; fried calamari.

Lunch and dinner desserts: Flan with coconut macaroons; chocolate/espresso cake with chocolate ice cream; carrot cake with Key-lime/cream-cheese frosting.

Charlie Palmer Steak
This high-gloss dining room, a favorite of Hill power players, is offering identical lunch and dinner menus.  

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Roasted butternut-squash soup with capon confit and pumpkin-seed oil; red oak-leaf lettuce with blue cheese and bartlett pears; braised baby octopus with panzanella and citrus salad. 

Lunch and dinner main courses: Grilled sirloin with braised Swiss chard and crushed fingerlings; walleye with potato/scallion pierogi and horseradish purée; pan-roasted chicken with wild-mushroom-and-farro risotto. 

Lunch and dinner desserts: Pecan/chocolate tart with maple/bourbon ice cream; vanilla cheesecake with apple compote; espresso crème brûlée with cinnamon foam.

Co Co. Sala
This chocolate-obsessed Penn Quarter lounge/dining room is featuring lunch and dinner specials through January 20. Dinner includes an amuse bouche and glass of wine. 

Lunch appetizers: Goat-cheese-and-beet salad with raspberry vinaigrette; tomato-and-burrata salad with balsamic reduction.

Lunch main courses: Mac'-and-cheese tart with house salad; spinach-and-feta tart with grilled shrimp; sandwich of salami, parmesan, fig marmalade, and arugula on herbed focaccia; Philly flatbread with sliced beef, roasted peppers and onions, provolone, and banana peppers. 

Lunch desserts: Almond-and-apple tart with caramel-corn gelato; chocolate three ways.  

Dinner amuse bouche: Tomato croustade with burrata.

Dinner salad: Manchego-and-arugula salad with dates, apples, oranges, and coffee vinaigrette.

Dinner small plates (choose two): Crabcake with avocado/cilantro emulsion and chipotle/chocolate/tomato glaze; portobello flatbread with goat cheese, kalamata olives, and fig marmalade; beef slider with blue cheese, mole sauce, and mushrooms; mac'-and-cheese tart; tandoori-chicken slider with raita; bacon mac' and cheese.

Dinner desserts: Almond-and-apple tart with caramel-corn gelato; tasting of milk-chocolate/peanut-butter ice cream, bananas foster, miniature cupcake, and malted shooter. 

DC Coast
Diners get a set selection of appetizers and desserts, but can choose a main course from the regular lunch and dinner menus (there are upcharges for the crabcakes at lunch and the Chinese-style smoked lobster and grilled New York strip at dinner). 

Lunch and dinner appetizers:
Mixed greens salad; Caesar salad; soup of the day; kabocha-squash/porcini soup; parsnip-and-potato soup; risotto fritters with shrimp and romesco sauce.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Goat-cheese cheesecake with candied pistachio and berries; chocolate/caramel tart with smoked salt and bittersweet-chocolate sauce; warm almond/brown-butter cake with Madeira/cherry sauce and maple cream.
 
Dino
This familial Cleveland Park Italian spot is offering the dinner special through all of January. Choose off the regular menu (there are a few upcharges). Free corkage nights (excluding official restaurant week) are Monday through Wednesday.

Eatonville
Andy Shallal’s latest U Street addition is offering identical lunch and dinner menus.


Lunch and dinner appetizers:
Chipotle/sweet-potato bisque; smoked-trout-and-blood-orange salad with goat cheese and citrus vinaigrette.

Lunch and dinner main courses:
Grilled flat iron steak and fried oyster with garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini, and smoked-tomato aioli; pan-seared fish of the day with hoppin’ john rice, asparagus, and crayfish/tarragon/butter sauce.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Warm chocolate cake with Frangelico/chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream; rum crème brûlée. 

Firefly
Comfort food gets a modern twist at this warmly lit restaurant in the Hotel Madera. In addition to lunch and dinner, it is serving a brunch special.

Lunch appetizers:
Seasonal vegetable soup; chicken/matzoh-ball soup; iceberg wedge salad with bacon and blue-cheese dressing; baby arugula with roasted pear, smoked ham, and sherry vinaigrette; deviled eggs with garlic chips; salt-roasted beets with goat cheese, pistachios, and fig vinegar; chopped chicken liver with pickled radish and buttered toast.

Lunch main courses:
Hot ham-and-gruyere sandwich with sauerkraut on rye; turkey/pastrami reuben with cole slaw and gruyere; cheddar burger; French dip sandwich with horseradish cream; pot roast with red-eye gravy, caramelized onion, and horseradish on a sesame roll; poached-shrimp-and-Little-Gem-lettuce salad with creamy caper dressing; steak salad with baby spinach, figs, roasted squash, and pumpkin-seed vinaigrette; grilled-chicken cobb salad; porcini-mushroom-and-butternut-squash risotto; shrimp-and-bacon mac’ and cheese.

Dinner appetizers:
Seasonal vegetable soup; chicken/matzoh-ball soup; iceberg wedge salad with bacon and blue-cheese dressing; baby arugula with roasted pear, smoked ham, and sherry vinaigrette; lettuce salad with caperberries and creamy caper dressing; deviled eggs with garlic chips; salt-roasted beets with goat cheese, pistachios, and fig vinegar; chopped chicken liver with pickled radish and buttered toast.

Dinner main courses:
Butternut-squash-and-porcini-mushroom casserole with parmesan and sage; seared-tuna BLT with avocado; seared sea scallops with black-eyed peas, smoked ham, and celery-root mashed potatoes ($4 surcharge); pan-roasted market fish with braised fennel, garlic quinoa, and salsa fresca; roasted chicken with Italian sausage, scarlet runner beans, and collards ($4 surcharge); “corned” pork tenderloin with squash dumplings, brussels sprouts, and rutabega puree; braised lamb shoulder with fresh pappardelle, maitake mushrooms, and mascarpone; bacon/cheddar burger with truffle fries; grilled bistro steak with creamed spinach and au gratin potatoes; mini pot roast with mashed potatoes, braised baby carrots, and roasted-shallot jus ($6 surcharge).

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Apple brown betty with cinnamon/maple ice cream; chocolate pot de crème with chai foam; red velvet cake; pear-and-ginger crisp with vanilla ice cream; seasonal sorbet with salty-oat cookie.

Brunch cocktails (choose one):
Mimosa with freshly-squeezed orange juice; vodka martini with herbs and tomato/basil water; vodka with blueberries, blackberry-and-basil lemonade, and sparkling wine; roasted-poblano-pepper-infused tequila with cilantro, lime, and agave nectar; Old Bay bloody mary.

Brunch main courses:
Green eggs and ham; maple/cinnamon oatmeal with apples and raisins; orange-and-vanilla brioche French toast with apple/raisin compote; New Orleans-style eggs with crawfish, hollandaise, and home fries; soft-cooked eggs in a bread basket with sausage, red-eye gravy, and home fries; mushroom/cheddar omelet with home fries and toast; fried-egg BLT with home fries; cheddar burger with shoestring fries; grilled-chicken cobb salad; French dip with shoestring fries.

Brunch sides (choose one):
Home fries; petite banana; blueberry muffin; sliced tomato; shoestring fries; bacon; sausage; bagel with cream cheese; toast; mixed greens with sherry vinaigrette.

Georgia Brown's
Restaurant Week is dinner only at this downtown house of Southern indulgence.

Dinner appetizers: Fried green tomato; country pate with bourbon/apple butter and Creole mustard; roasted-chestnut-and-mushroom bisque with maple ricotta and blue-cheese profiterole; Spinach-and-frisee salad with goat cheese, cracklings, and buttermilk/barbecue dressing.

Dinner main courses: Sweet-tea fried chicken; grilled mahi mahi with shrimp chowder; country ham biscuits with sausage gravy; pot au feu with filet mignon and gnocchi.  

Dinner desserts: Butternut-bread pudding with butterscotch; peanut-butter pie.  

Hook
Sustainable seafood (and a great beet salad) are on the menu at this minimalist Georgetown restaurant.

Lunch appetizers:
Greens salad with ginger and grapefruit; arugula-and-prosciutto salad with lemon; beet salad with goat cheese and tangelos; tuna tartare with apple, spiced carrot, and ginger/cilantro oil; smoked salmon with trout roe, crème fraîche, and brioche; grilled calamari with potato salad and basil/walnut pesto; cream-of-tomato soup with basil.

Lunch main courses: Salmon with sweet-potato rosti and shallot vinaigrette; ale-battered haddock with remoulade and French fries; mahi mahi with chickpeas, tomatoes, and cayenne; striped bass with scallop-and-shrimp mousse, salt-crushed potatoes, and shallot/red-wine vinaigrette; smoked-chicken salad with cole slaw and romaine;  tuna-confit sandwich with bacon, aioli, and French fries; cheddar burger with greens and French fries.

Dinner appetizers: Arugula-and-prosciutto salad with lemon; beet salad with goat cheese and tangelos; tuna tartare with apple, spiced carrot, and ginger/cilantro oil; grilled calamari with potato salad and basil/walnut pesto; cream-of-tomato soup with basil; fennel-and-grapefruit salad with watermelon radish and endive; six oysters with coriander mignonette.

Dinner main courses: Salmon with sweet-potato rosti and shallot vinaigrette; Arctic char with sweet potatoes and celery-root puree; mahi mahi with chickpeas, tomatoes, and cayenne; Yellowfin tuna with white-bean puree, bok choy, and boquerones mustard; barramundi with salsify, parsnips, and olives; ribeye with fingerling potatoes, parsnips, and red-wine jus; bluefish with creamy polenta, green beans, carrots, and basil pesto; sablefish with fingerling potatoes, parsnips, and red-wine jus.

Lunch and dinner desserts: Apple frangipane tart with vanilla ice cream; chocolate/hazelnut torte with hazelnut ice cream; buttermilk panna cotta with dried-fruit compote; bittersweet-chocolate pudding pie with chantilly cream.

Jackson 20
This Kimpton-Group-owned Southern restaurant in Old Town’s Hotel Monaco is offering their full lunch and dinner menus, with a few exclusion
s: the ribeye, brisket, and rack of ribs.

Nage
An eclectic mix of lunch and dinner dishes—lobster pot pie, foie gras with a gingerbread doughnut—are on the menu at this funky Scott Circle hotel dining room.

Lunch appetizers:
Ancho/butternut-squash soup with cocoa oil; winter-citrus salad with brie croquettes and five-spice vinaigrette; latkes with smoked-trout salad; wild-mushroom baklava with goat-cheese fondue and blueberry compote.

Lunch main courses:
Lobster pot pie; short ribs with lentils, salsify, and rosemary jus; crispy skate with coconut, passionfruit, and forbidden rice; walnut/Swiss-chard tortelloni with taleggio-mornay sauce.

Dinner appetizers:
Ancho/butternut-squash soup with cocoa oil; smoked-duck salad with goat cheese and five-spice vinaigrette; crabcake with kohlrabi slaw; seared foie gras with watermelon pickle and gingerbread doughnut.

Dinner main courses:
Seared scallops with coconut, passionfruit, and forbidden rice; braised lamb shank with chestnut gnocchi; prosciutto-wrapped monkfish with bacon vinaigrette; walnut/Swiss-chard tortelloni with taleggio-mornay sauce.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Warm chocolate cake with raspberry/chipotle coulis and vanilla ice cream; cardamom carrot cake; espresso tiramisu; lemon/goat-cheese cake.

New Heights
This quiet Woodley Park restaurant is offering a short but unique dinner menu.

Dinner appetizers:
Mesclun salad with beets, radishes, and walnut vinaigrette; celery-root/almond soup with dried olives; seared scallop with deviled egg and caper-brown-butter; chicken-liver parfait with toast.

Dinner main courses: Pan-seared Arctic char with sunchoke puree and chilies; cauliflower risotto with pumpernickel croutons; roasted pork loin with buckwheat polenta and smoked apple butter; braised brisket with cured egg yolk and fingerling-potato confit; grilled flat iron steak with potato puree, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and red-wine jus ($10 surcharge).

Dinner desserts: Chocolate/espresso soufflé cake; sugar-and-masala-spiced doughnuts; ginger crème brûlée.

The Occidental
You'll find lunch and dinner specials at this historic downtown DC dining room.

Lunch appetizers: White-bean soup with wilted chard and crispy pork; arugula salad with goat cheese and date vinaigrette; sauteed mushrooms in pastry with truffle cream. 

Lunch main courses: Blue-cornmeal-crusted trout with andouille sausage and remoulade; butternut-squash-and-goat-cheese raviolini with mascarpone sauce; braised short ribs with barley-style risotto and bordelaise sauce; grilled flat iron steak with lettuce, blue cheese, and sweet-onion vinaigrette.

Dinner appetizers: Roasted-chicken consommé with spaetzle and smoked chicken; panko-crusted trout with clementines and pickled-ginger vinaigrette; grilled duck sausage with apricot/pear compote and Banyuls vinegar reduction; arugula salad with goat cheese and date vinaigrette.

Dinner main courses: Pan-roasted rockfish with poached oysters, leek confit, and oyster velouté; roasted scallops three ways; grilled chicken breast and roulade with foie-gras sauce; grilled flat iron steak with duxelles and truffle sauce.  

Lunch and dinner desserts: Toasted chocolate-brioche bread pudding with caramel sauce and rum-raisin ice cream; crème brûlée; apple tart with mulled-cider sorbet. 

 

The Oval Room
Chef Tony Conte’s surprising, often stunning cooking is the draw at this dining room near the White House. The lunch and dinner menus are the same.

Lunch and dinner appetizers:
Roasted beets with blue-cheese pudding and red-wine vinaigrette; cauliflower soup with aged cheddar and pickled apricots; mozzarella with sweet chili dressing and red papaya; shrimp chorizo with black-olive crumble and avocado; goat-cheese custard with kumquats.

Lunch and dinner main courses:
Flat iron steak with mushrooms and soy caramel ($5 surcharge); crispy chicken with sweet potato, guanciale, and green apple; slow-baked salmon with black beans, avocado, and sake dressing; seven-minute risotto with roasted squash; crispy bass with braised carrots and couscous.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Peanut-butter/cheesecake parfait with Concord grape and huckleberries; passionfruit curd with yogurt sorbet and fruit salsa; dark-chocolate brownie with coffee ice cream; rum-braised pineapple with mojito sorbet.

Perrys
The dinner menu at this Asian-accented Adams Morgan spot begins with an amuse bouche and ends with a chocolate truffle.  

Dinner appetizers: Fisherman's soup with shrimp, mussels, whitefish, and sofrito; sautéed spinach with pine nuts, raisins, and shallots; pan-seared sea scallops with crunchy romesco sauce; tuna tartare with dashi water and mustard leaf; grilled lamb chop with aioli.

Dinner main courses: Risotto with manchego, oysters, and truffle oil; monkfish with peekytoe crab, parsnip purée, and saffron broth; sushi/sashimi dinner; beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and rosemary jus; seared duck breast with pomegranate glaze and baby bok choy.  

Dinner desserts: Warm chocolate cake with orange/vanilla ice cream; cheese platter.  

Poste  
This comfortable brasserie in the middle of Penn Quarter is offering lunch, dinner, and brunch specials. A flight of wine will be available for $11.10.

Lunch appetizers:
French onion soup with comté cheese; arugula salad with figs, parmesan, and aged-sherry vinaigrette; cheese terrine with mustard-green salad and black walnuts.

Lunch main courses:
Beluga-lentil salad with slow-cooked duck egg, pork belly, and crispy shallots; wreckfish with chanterelles and shrimp; serrano-ham/manchego sandwich with smoked-paprika chips.

Dinner appetizers:
French onion soup with comté cheese; arugula salad with figs, parmesan, and aged-sherry vinaigrette; beluga-lentil salad with slow-cooked duck egg and pork belly.

Dinner main courses:
Winter-vegetable crepes with goat cheese and figs; sea scallops with rutabaga and crispy pig’s tail; crispy envelope of pig’s trotter with mustard sauce.

Brunch appetizers: Seasonal fruit plate; housemade doughnuts; granola parfait.

Brunch main courses:
Market quiche with mesclun salad; Eggs Hussarde with bacon and marchand de vin sauce; brioche French toast.

Lunch, dinner, and brunch desserts:
Warm chocolate bread pudding with milk-chocolate ice cream; gingerbread cake with eggnog ice cream; warm date pudding for two.

Potenza
This colorful Italian dining room will let diners choose from the regular lunch and dinner menus (charcuterie and raw bar selections are excluded). The specials will run through January 24.

The Prime Rib

This old-guard, jacket-required dining room is offering short lunch and dinner menus, which include such hits as crab imperial and roast prime rib, through January 15. Where else can you dine for twenty bucks with a live pianist?

Lunch and dinner appetizers:
Roasted-tomato soup; house salad; Caesar salad.

Lunch and dinner main courses (served with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach):
London broil; grilled calves’ liver; chicken piccata; crab imperial; fillet of salmon; roast prime rib ($4 surcharge).

Lunch and dinner desserts: Crème brûlée; key-lime pie.

PS7's
Peter Smith's whimsical Penn Quarter dining room is extending its extensive special menus until January 23.

Lunch appetizers: Field greens with candied hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and mascarpone/lemon dressing; mussels steamed in Allagash White with cilantro, sausage, and polenta; chopped salad with market vegetables and Champagne vinaigrette; butternut-squash soup with chestnut caramel; flatbread with eggplant, sundried tomatoes, pesto, and feta; tuna-tartare sliders. 

Lunch main courses: Hot Brown sandwich with turkey, bacon, tomato, and mornay sauce; open-faced pastrami reuben; burger on brioche bun; roasted-chicken salad with toasted almonds, grilled scallions, fennel, apples, and basil/cider vinaigrette; steak au poivre salad with blue cheese and creamy balsamic dressing; pan-seared trout with bacon/Coca-Cola gastrique; salmon with winter-squash ragout and red-wine/orange vinaigrette; wild-mushroom risotto with parmesan; buttermilk-fried boneless chicken breast with red chard and sausage gravy; braised short ribs with red-wine jus, potato purée, and mushrooms. 

Dinner appetizers: Field greens with candied hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and mascarpone/lemon dressing; warm spinach salad with bacon, feta, onion rings, and mustard/thyme dressing; chopped salad with market vegetables and Champagne vinaigrette; butternut-squash soup with chestnut caramel; flatbread with eggplant, sundried tomatoes, pesto, and feta.

Dinner main courses: Pan-seared trout with bacon/Coca-Cola gastrique; pan-roasted rockfish with gnocchi, cauliflower, and Pastis; seared tuna with roasted-pineapple gastrique; wild-mushroom risotto with parmesan; coffee-crusted beef tenderloin with mushrooms, potato cake, and Bell's Porter butter and reduction; pan-roasted chicken breast with rosemary/lemon butter and roasted root vegetables; stuffed pork loin with leeks, spinach, and parmesan; stuffed portobello with winter squash and polenta. 

Lunch and dinner desserts: Hazelnut candy bar; chocolate/raspberry mousse; profiterole with cherry compote and limoncello pastry cream; bosc-pear mousse.  

Rasika
This glittery Indian restaurant has really raised its game in the last year—it landed in the eighth spot on our 2010 100 Best Restaurants list.

Lunch appetizers:
Malai chicken tikka; lamb meatballs with garam masala; crispy spinach with yogurt and tamarind.

Lunch main courses (served with basmati rice, naan, or mint paratha):
Chicken makhani; lamb rogan josh; tandoori salmon; palak paneer.

Dinner appetizers:
Calamari with chili and garlic; malai chicken tikka; lamb meatballs with garam masala; harra bharra kabob (vegetarian) with mint chutney; crispy spinach with yogurt and tamarind.

Dinner main courses (served with
basmati rice, naan, or mint paratha):
Chicken dhansak with lentils; lamb chettinad with roasted coconut; mixed grill of salmon, chicken tikka, and seekh kabob; malai fish curry; black cod with honey and dill; vegetarian plate of palak paneer, vegetable tamatar rassa, and dal makhani.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Blackberry/black-cherry sorbet; mango/yogurt ice cream; carrot halwa with cinnamon sabayon; gulab jamun with cardamom ice cream.

Redwood
This farm-to-table restaurant in Bethesda Row will have lunch and dinner specials through January 24.

Lunch appetizers:
Soup of the day; market greens salad; mussels gratin with fingerling potatoes.

Lunch main courses:
Grilled market fish with butternut-squash hash and cider/mustard sauce; duck confit banh mi sandwich with chilies and pickled vegetables; cavatelli with rapini, eggplant caponata, and grana padano cheese.

Lunch dessert:
Maple/pecan baklava with vanilla crème fraîche.

Dinner appetizers:
Soup of the day; market greens salad with roasted root vegetables; tuna tartare with Asian spices.

Dinner main courses:
Braised short ribs with grits, glazed carrots, and horseradish gremolata; market fish with butternut-squash hash and mustard jus; pappardelle with mushrooms, black kale, and grana padano cheese; roasted pork loin with crushed new potatoes, grilled rapini, and fig jus.
 
Dinner desserts:
Steamed chocolate pudding with candied kumquats; white-chocolate cheesecake with blood orange sauce; maple/pecan baklava with vanilla crème fraîche; selection of sorbets.

Ris
Former 1789 chef Ris Lacoste has recently opened a restaurant of her own in DC’s West End. It will offer its lunch specials into late afternoon.

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Caesar salad with lemon/anchovy vinaigrette; ricotta gnudi with tomato/eggplant fondue; mussels with tomato, chorizo, garlic, and crusty bread.

Lunch and dinner main courses: Mushroom pappardelle with butternut squash, roasted chestnuts, and parmesan; soy-lacquered salmon with gingered beets, pickled bok choy, and jasmine rice; braised lamb shank with chickpeas, yogurt, pita, and pomegranate; cider-glazed grilled pork chop with braised collard greens, apple/cornbread pudding, and shell beans with bacon/bourbon sauce (dinner only).

Lunch and dinner desserts: Butterscotch pudding with cocoa crisps and chantilly cream; housemade ice creams and sorbets with cookies; German chocolate-mousse torte with roasted banana sauce.

Siroc (915 15th St., NW; 202-628-2220)
This modest Italian newcomer is a standout, especially when it comes to pasta.  

Lunch and dinner appetizers: Duck-and-apricot sausage over pistachio polenta; avocado-mango-and-roasted-shrimp salad with roasted-shallot vinaigrette; robiola-cheese-filled potato cake with baccala; roasted portobello mushroom with red onion, goat cheese, and oven-dried tomatoes.

Lunch main courses: Penne with peppers, tomato, and spicy lamb sausage; tomato taglierini with seared scallops and baby clams; spinach fettuccine with tomato, eggplant, and mozzarella; skate wing over zucchini purée with sweet-red-pepper sauce; quail with fingerlings, black olives, and tomato; Milanese-style pork rib chop with roasted potatoes, mixed baby greens, and truffled rice-wine vinaigrette. 

Dinner main courses: Short-rib-filled agnolotti with roasted red potatoes; lobster-filled rigatoni with lobster/tomato sauce; spinach fettuccine with tomato, eggplant, and mozzarella; skate wing over zucchini purée with sweet-red-pepper sauce; lamb chops with potato, artichoke, and rosemary sauce; roasted quail stuffed with quail sausage and served with pear demi-glace. 

Lunch and dinner desserts: Tiramisu with raspberry sauce; ricotta/chestnut cheesecake with apples and caramel; warm chocolate tart with hazelnut gelato.  

Sou’Wester
CityZen chef Eric Ziebold’s more casual restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental is offering a good bit of their regular lunch and dinner menus.

Lunch appetizers: Bibb lettuce salad with herb vinaigrette; iceberg lettuce salad with ranch dressing and bacon bits; cream of mushroom soup; French lentil soup with venison sausage; shoat rillettes with pickled green tomatoes; sautéed pork belly with pickled watermelon rind; pork scrapple with a fried egg and smoked-ham-hock sauce.

Lunch main courses:
Vegetable panini; grilled chicken-sausage sandwich with cole slaw; open-faced tuna confit sandwich; grilled shrimp with eggplant salad and parsley vinaigrette; blackened bluefish with Cajun rice; fried chicken with cole slaw; chicken and dumplings; meatballs with creamed grits and tomato sauce; roasted leg of baby lamb with beans.

Dinner appetizers:
Bibb lettuce salad with herb vinaigrette; iceberg lettuce salad with ranch dressing and bacon bits; cream of mushroom soup; French lentil soup with venison sausage; shoat rillettes with pickled green tomatoes; sautéed pork belly with pickled watermelon rind; heirloom beet salad with lemon-mascarpone; Maryland blue-crab bisque; marinated rockfish carpaccio.

Dinner main courses:
Grilled shrimp with eggplant salad and parsley vinaigrette; blackened bluefish with Cajun rice; fried chicken with cole slaw; chicken and dumplings; red snapper with Old Bay chowder; chicken-fried pork steak with smoked-ham-hock sauce; corned beef short ribs with horseradish soubise; roasted leg of baby lamb with beans.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Pear crisp; carrot cake; banana cream pie; cheesecake with huckleberry compote; brownie sundae.
 

Tallula
This Lyon Park wine spot is letting customers choose off the regular dinner menu (charcuterie and cheeses are excluded).  

 
Teatro Goldoni
The downtown Italian power spot is extending their offerings through January 23.

Lunch appetizers:
Borlotti-bean soup with pancetta; arugula-and-endive salad with gorgonzola cheese and balsamic dressing.

Lunch main courses:
Squid-ink handkerchief pasta with spicy tomato/crab sauce; roasted chicken breast roulade with spinach, prosciutto, and rosemary mashed potatoes; black cod with bread crumbs, black-olive paste, and pesto-cream sauce.

Lunch dessert:
Gianduja torte with prosecco zabaglione.

Dinner appetizers: Diver-scallop carpaccio with roasted artichokes and gelatins of balsamic, basil, and spicy red bell pepper; white-corn-and-parmesan custard with wild-mushroom ragu, red-wine caramel, and roasted-sausage streudel; white-asparagus soup with crispy artichokes, roasted prosciutto, and black-truffle oil.

Dinner main courses: Roasted shrimp with artichoke, chickpea puree, and roasted-red-pepper sauce; cavatelli with duck, red wine, and mixed vegetables; braised veal cheek over fontina cheese mashed potatoes and port reduction.

Dinner dessert: Almond cake with cappuccino sauce; white-chocolate panna cotta with blood-orange sauce.

Tosca
Customers get full run of the regular dinner menu (main courses are usually in the $30 to $40 range), and there are only a few upcharges. 

Vermilion
This brick-and-velvet Old Town restaurant is offering a brunch special in addition to lunch and dinner.


Lunch appetizers:
Cornmeal hushpuppies with bread-and-butter pickles and dipping sauces; butternut-squash soup with apple, amaretti, and pumpkin-seed oil; mixed greens with balsamic vinegar.

Lunch main courses:
Garganelli pasta with herb-roasted mushrooms, mascarpone, and garlic breadcrumbs; roast turkey with cranberry relish, spiced pumpkin butter, and sausage stuffing; blackened catfish with slaw, pickled jalapeño, and Old Bay French fries.

Dinner appetizers:
Butternut-squash soup with apple, amaretti, and pumpkin-seed oil; crispy oysters with fennel and slaw; duck confit with Alsatian cabbage, pomegranate, and roasted bird jus.

Dinner main courses:
Pan-roasted Arctic char with baby bok choy, winter citrus, and ginger/carrot purée; grilled bistro steak with roasted beet “hash,” Virginia ham, and crispy goat cheese; mushroom cannelloni with Swiss chard, garlic breadcrumbs and parmesan froth.

Brunch appetizers:
Sheep’s milk yogurt with seasonal fruit, granola, and honey; mixed greens with balsamic vinegar; butternut-squash soup with apple, amaretti, and pumpkin-seed oil.

Brunch main courses:
Eggs benedict with toasted brioche and béarnaise sauce; burger with gruyere, caramelized mushrooms, and dijonaisse; blackened catfish with slaw, pickled jalapeño, and Old Bay French fries.

Lunch, dinner, and brunch desserts:
Chocolate bar with almond brittle and olive-oil ice cream; ricotta pound cake with mascarpone and citrus.
 

Volt
Top Chef runner-up Bryan Voltaggio offers a sampling of his intricately creative (and usually very expensive) menu.  

Lunch appetizers: Carrot/raisin salad with cabra la mancha cheese and carrot meringue; goat-cheese ravioli with butternut squash, sage brown butter, and maitake mushrooms; yellowfin tuna with jasmine rice, sesame lavash, shiso, and yuzu vinaigrette ($7 surcharge); potato/leek chowder with bacon, leek, and sea scallop.

Lunch main courses: Dorade with fennel, potatoes, and mussels billibi; beef coulotte with roasted pepper, chickpea, and parsley ($9 surcharge); pork tenderloin with celery root, chiogga beets, Swiss chard, and black fermented garlic; braised rabbit with scallion cavatelli, honsemiji mushrooms, and lemon thyme.

Lunch desserts: Almond financier with ginger ice cream, lemon, and mint; coconut, passionfruit, and pineapple with caramel ice cream; white chocolate ganache with chocolate caramel and raw cocoa.  

Zola
This sleek Penn Quarter dining room is serving special lunch and dinner menus through January 24.

Lunch appetizers:
Crispy-chicken-liver sliders with foie gras-mayonnaise; tuna tartare with spicy lime vinaigrette; porcini-mushroom ravioli with sweet-garlic sabayon; salmon pastrami with aged goat cheese and brioche crisp; apple/celery root soup with gorgonzola; soup of the day; white beans and mushrooms with sunchoke purée; house salad with sunburst squash and balsamic; butter-lettuce salad with roasted almonds and aged gouda; create-your-own salads.

Lunch main courses:
Butternut-squash risotto with caramelized chestnuts; tuna mignon with sunchoke purée; hot-smoked trout with sweet-corn griddle cake and apple-and-argula salad; roast sirloin with toasted Israeli couscous, goat cheese, and beet syrup; semolina noodles with three-meat bolognese; pan-roasted chicken breast with tarragon jus; asparagus-mushroom-brie omelet with mache and truffle vinaigrette; lobster macaroni-and-cheese; cheeseburger with French fries; double cheeseburger; roast-lamb sandwich with goat-cheese aioli and French fries; grilled-salmon BLT; pastrami-and-swiss-cheese sandwich with caramelized onions and potato/parmesan matchsticks; pulled pork sandwich with bourbon-barbecue sauce and cole slaw; chicken burger with caramelized onions, triple cream cheese, and potato-and-egg salad.

Dinner appetizers:
Seared tuna with avocado, mango, and chilies; porcini-mushroom ravioli with sweet-garlic sabayon; citrus-cured pork belly with lobster, scallop, and grapefruit; mushroom-and-goat-cheese fonduta with grilled ciabatta; lamb meatball sliders with goat-cheese aioli; seared sea scallops with country-ham-and-creamed-spinach-stuffed crepe; apple/celery root soup with gorgonzola; soup of the day;  white beans and mushrooms with sunchoke purée; house salad with sunburst squash and balsamic; butter-lettuce salad with roasted almonds and aged gouda; mixed red-and-green salad with feta-stuffed cucumber and sweet-garlic dressing; chop salad with veal sweetbreads, quail egg, and apricot/mustard vinaigrette.

Dinner main courses:
Butternut-squash risotto with caramelized chestnuts; semolina noodles with three-meat bolognese; “hot pot” with shrimp, scallops, mussels, and clams in sweet-corn/tomato broth; pan-roasted chicken breast with tarragon jus; beer-battered skate fish and chips;  beef loin and rib with corn puree and spoonbread; veal loin with Israeli couscous, goat cheese, and beet syrup; lamb with hazelnut-and-sheep’s-milk-ricotta ravioli; crispy Arctic char with leek/mascarpone sauce; pastrami-and-swiss sandwich with potato/parmesan matchsticks.

Lunch and dinner desserts:
Coffee parfait with Irish-cre
am brulée and sabayon; chocolate-glazed walnut brownie with banana-caramel and vanilla ice cream; bosc-pear crisp with spiced pears, oatmeal crisp, and Irish-stout ice cream; cranberry/pecan upside-down cake with orange ice cream; s’mores with chocolate-caramel sauce; sticky toffee pudding with butter-pecan ice cream; cheese plate for two; ice creams and sorbets.

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

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.