100 Very Best 2017Situated in a Victorian-style house in a tree-lined neighborhood, Black Market Bistro exudes a rare homey vibe that doesn’t feel forced. The occasional rumble of trains from the nearby tracks is a reminder that you’ve escaped the city. The menu sways from pizzas with cracker-thin crusts to American bistro comforts. As with many of Jeff Black’s restaurants, seafood is always a wise decision. Marinated, grilled squid with a salad of olives and feta is large enough to pass for an entrée, but save room for the New Orleans–style barbecue shrimp with sweet-corn-and-scallion grits—one of the veteran restaurant’s most popular entrées. Moderate.
Also great: Cornmeal-crusted oysters; mushroom pizza; salmon with chickpea cakes; lemon-almond-ricotta cake.
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.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
Kristen Hinman has been editing Washingtonian’s features since 2014. She joined the magazine after editing politics & policy coverage for Bloomberg Businessweek and working as a staff writer for Voice Media Group/Riverfront Times.
