Tiny cocktails
Dainty Nick-and-Nora coupes are cute, but we’ll pass on the $16 mini-Manhattan.
Vegetal desserts
No one likes an eggplant coffee cake.
“Supper”
Only our grandparents are allowed to say this.
Chocolate martinis
We’ll take back the Cosmo but the other ’90s drinks are staying in the ex-files.
Whole roasted cauliflower
These vegetarian entrees are as exciting as homework.
Cooked cucumbers
Also, warm avocado.
Mega restaurants
Bigger isn’t always better.
“Concepts”
Can’t a restaurant just be a restaurant?
Tasting menus that last more than three hours
No meal should run longer than Lord of the Rings.
More chain steakhouses
We’re DC. We get it already.
Poke
The trend died with poke nachos.
Customizable bowls
Slopping 15 ingredients together so there’s no distinct flavor or texture < sandwiches.
Edible glitter
At least gold leaf is easy to pick off.
Instagram-bait desserts
Nobody actually wants a cupcake on top of a doughnut on top of a milkshake.
Instagram-bait succulents
It’s time they go the way of the Edison bulb.
Instagram-bait neon signs
Wall decor that screams “Look at meeee!!!! Why aren’t you looking at meeee?!?!”
Overly chatty servers
You don’t have to pretend to be our BFF to give great service.
Servers telling you to over-order
“Our chef recommends three-to-four [$16] small plates [that aren’t actually small] per person.”
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.
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 Logan Circle.
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.
