Restaurants
1. Mirabelle
Former White House chef Frank Ruta is back in his old neighborhood along with Aggie Chin, the pastry chef who has been with him since his days at Palena. The French-American stunner is an undeniable splurge—as is the red-wine-sauced burger. 900 16th St., NW.
Drive-up biscuit sandwiches are now a thing near Ivy City, thanks to Union Market purveyor Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. No wheels? A retro dining area is open breakfast through late night. 2301 Bladensburg Rd., NE.
Petworth’s Upshur Street is a hotbed for great new haunts (Himitsu, Timber Pizza Co.). The newest addition is this Mexican bar/restaurant from the DC Empanadas crew. 821 Upshur St., NW.
4. Meggrolls
Megg Baroody’s popular food truck turned restaurant in Old Town delivers all your favorite comfort foods—cheeseburgers, burritos—in crunchy egg-roll form. 107 N. Fayette St., Alexandria.
Food Happenings
Beer Gardens!
Hopheads have new reasons to imbibe outside. There’s Owen’s Ordinary (11820 Trade St., N. Bethesda) for Red Apron brats and rare Bavarian beers and ginormous Bardo Riverfront (25 Potomac Ave., SE) in Navy Yard, which has space for 750 people and countless dogs.
Futuristic coolers on wheels are roaming DC’s sidewalks in neighborhoods such as Georgetown and Logan Circle, ferrying waffles and Thai takeout to your doorstep. (Thank you, Postmates and Starship Technologies.) Plus: They’re cute.
Oyster Overnight
Oyster lovers, time to plan your dream getaway. Head to Topping, Virginia—about a three-hour drive from DC—and book a night at Rappahannock Oyster Co.’s “stay and play” rental next to its riverfront restaurant, Merroir. Perks for six to eight guests include an oyster-farm tour and ample wine with your bivalves. Call 804-918-6870 for rates.
José Andrés’s spirited restaurant hop is back on June 7. Over the course of a night, visit 30 eateries around Penn Quarter and 14th Street alongside culinary celebs including Andrew Zimmern—all to benefit World Central Kitchen. Tickets, starting at $105, at dinendash.info.
This article appears in the May 2017 issue of Washingtonian.
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.
