1. Fried chicken
The crackling Southern-fried birds from Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken live up to the restaurant’s name. (Pro tip: Go all-dark-meat and get a starter of fried pickles with ranch.) 5810 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt.
2. Adobo
The vinegar-and-soy-braised chicken smothered in a garlic-rich gravy at Matthew’s Grill will make you understand why this stew is the national dish of the Philippines. 213 Muddy Branch Rd., Gaithersburg.
3. Chicken Parmesan
There’s nothing typical about chef David Deshaies’s Unconventional Diner, including this otherworldly Parm stuffed with spinach and melted Gruyère. 1207 Ninth St., NW.
4. Pot pie
An abundance of vegetables and herbs—mushrooms, butternut squash, peas, basil, tarragon—almost makes Silver’s velvety pot pie healthy (buttery crust aside). 3404 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 7510 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda.
5. Soup
Pho ga, Vietnam’s answer to chicken noodle soup, is heaped with fresh herbs and a mix of pulled white and dark meat at Pho Nom Nom. 842 Rockville Pike, Rockville.
This article appears in the November 2018 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.
