100 Very Best 2017Jeff and Barbara Black’s bistro isn’t far from Bethesda, but it has an out-in-the-country vibe. And though it’s a neighborhood gathering spot, it’s also a destination for those seeking a tête-à-tête rather than a scene, along with easy-to-like food. Crackly-crust pizzas (the mushroom-pecorino is terrific) share space with Modern American plates such as a chewy-in-a-good-way hanger steak with chimichurri. Cake lovers will find their happy place—especially if the blackout cake is on the menu. Even though it’s mated with Chantilly cream and chocolate sauce, we amp it up with ice cream.
Don’t miss: Grilled-squid salad with feta; mussels with shallots, parsley, and chilies; grilled salmon with tea rice and sesame; roast chicken; burger with crispy onions; beignets; latkes with house-made applesauce; eggs Benedict with cured salmon and an angel biscuit.
See what other restaurants made our 100 Very Best Restaurants list. This article appears in our February 2016 issue of Washingtonian.
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.
