Until recently, diners queued up for more than an hour, hoping for one of the 24 stools at this Filipino dining room. (It now takes a limited number of reservations.) What awaits inside the plant-crammed place is a familial vibe, thanks to co-owner Genevieve Villamora; a lineup of funky wines and ciders; and Tom Cunanan’s thrummingly flavorful dishes. The menu changes all the time, but we recently reveled in a rice-flour tamale with lobster, plus a plate of hand-cut spaghetti crowned with dry-aged-beef sausages. And if you can’t snag a reservation, there’s one easy way to get in quickly: Eat by yourself at the single stool fronting the kitchen. Moderate.
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.
