100 Very Best 2014
The most memorable thing on the menu at this French/German-inspired bistro is a hot dog, and trust us—that’s not a backhanded compliment. Fashioned from short ribs and spiced like a great terrine, the frankfurter is slipped into a house-made poppy-seed bun that’s been buttered and griddled. Near perfection. A restaurant that’s willing to go to such lengths with a dish once intended for children is a restaurant that minds the details from start (an excellent bread basket, well-made cocktails, one of the area’s best by-the-glass wine lists) to finish (baked-to-order crullers drizzled with icing). In between are chef Liam LaCivita’s hearty and abundant plates, including a selection of sausages, a juicy, crunchy schnitzel, and short ribs in a rich wine sauce.
Open: Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner.
Don’t Miss: “Colossal” shrimp cocktail; warm Bavarian pretzels; pâté de campagne; chicken-liver mousse; bratwurst.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
