Fish collars
Like pork cheeks of the sea, the once-overlooked cut holds luscious, fatty meat.
Fancy tinned seafood
Forget Starkist—cracking a can of Galician cockles or oil-rich sardines is like a mini-trip to Spain.
Caviar everywhere
It always feels like a delightful little luxury.
Whole ducks
The natural progression of the fancy whole chicken trend (and much better in our book).
Rangoons
The ’50s party snack is making a welcome comeback.
’80s kid desserts
Ice cream cake and brownie sundaes are on the menu? Sign us up.
Soft-serve
Fro-yo has nothing on this creamy treat.
Milanese
Thin, crispy proteins FTW.
Fondue
Gooey cheese, what’s not to love?
French dips
Leave no jus behind.
Einkorn
The ancient whole grain lends a wonderful nuttiness to a loaf of bread.
Charred cabbage
The new crispy Brussels sprout.
Tasting menus with flexibility
Hey, sometimes we want two pasta courses.
Reservation confirmations via text
The fewer phone calls, the better.
The death of the “no-reservations” trend
No one actually enjoys standing in line for food.
Real deal cacio e pepe pasta
Now that the cacio-flavored-everything trend is waning (i.e. Pizza! Ice cream!) we can finally enjoy the traditional Roman pasta again.
Olives in dessert
The salty bitterness balances with sweets in a surprising way.
Seedlip
Bartenders are jazzing up mocktails with this non-alcoholic spirit.
Savory cocktails
Miso and seaweed in your drink? Don’t hate it till you try it.
Low-alcohol highballs
We’ll take five, please.
Cocktail clothespins
Adorbs.
Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables
No longer just for vegetarians.
Impossible burgers
They really do taste almost like the real deal.
Plants
We prefer a restaurant that looks like a beautiful garden to one that looks like an industrial factory.
All-day restaurants
Because sometimes you want a great meal at 3 PM.
Live-fire cooking
A little smoke and char will unleash your inner caveman.
Cheffy fast-casual
The city’s lunch game has been upped considerably.
Carts
Who can resist something delicious rolling by?
Small menus
Because you can’t have something (good) for everyone.
Fancy toast
Anyone can make avocado toast. Delicious lobster toast? Not so much.
Pina coladas
Tropical vacation vibes all year long.
A version of this article appears in the 2019 100 Very Best Restaurants issue.
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.
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.
