Club sandwich at Community
It’s almost comically tall, and doesn’t quite play by the traditional club sandwich rules (instead of Swiss, you get two kinds of cheddar, and toasted white is traded for griddled multigrain). Still, Mark Bucher’s nouveau-diner is where I’ll go the next time a club craving strikes. 7776 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda.
Champagne-poached oysters at Honeysuckle
At his restaurant in the old Vidalia space, Hamilton Johnson is putting out a terrific riff on a traditional oyster stew. It’s perked up with pearls of smoked roe that add briny pop, and crunchy shards of fried chicken skin. 1990 M Street, NW.
Double Vision at Red Apron Burger Bar
The nice thing about the patties at this Dupont spot (formerly GBD) are that they’re diner-slim, but not cooked to death like so many others in that category. The meat is juicy and even a little rare, and it doesn’t get lost among the accessories—in this case, bacon, plus good slathers of pimiento cheese and tangy/sweet tomato jam. 1323 Connecticut Ave., NW.
Mary Pickford cocktail at Colada Shop
I’m not someone who minds the seasons when it comes to booze (Rose in February? Bring it!). So on one of last week’s 24 degree days, I hit up this Cuban cafe in search of a pina colada. Their drink machine was down, so instead I got this delightful little rum-pineapple-and-grenadine cocktail, which tastes way less sugary than it sounds. 1405 T St., NW.
Scrambled eggs with goat cheese and mushrooms at Estadio
They’ve been on the menu forever, but these are still the best scrambled eggs in DC, if you’re in the soft and runny (as opposed to stiff and well-done) camp. The new grapefruit slushito is pretty great, too. 1520 14th St., NW.
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.
