Cuisine: Chef Miles Vaden’s ambitious Clarendon kitchen doesn’t produce anything too out-there, but his Modern American cooking is full of surprises. A classic tartare is made from bison, sweetbreads are rolled in oats, and octopus comes not grilled but marinated, escabeche style.
Mood: You might expect a crowd out of Twilight in this soaring, Goth-chic dining room. But under the black chandeliers sit casual families, empty-nesters, and smartly turned-out young professionals.
Best for: Bar snacks in the downstairs lounge or, in the summer, on the roof; dinner dates.
Best dishes: Grilled-pear salad with blue-cheese flan; octopus with olives and mashed chickpeas; Arctic char over spaghetti squash and spicy-tangy rémoulade; duck with foie gras butter and lush polenta cake.
Insider tips: Virginia permits unfinished bottles of wine to be taken home, and the restaurant provides wine “doggie bags.”
Service: •••
Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, Sunday for brunch. Expensive.
See all of 2010'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.
