100 Very Best Restaurants: #42 – Maydan

Whole roasted chicken at Maydan. Photograph by Scott Suchman

About Maydan

Location(s)
1346 Florida Ave NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20009-4838

A blazing hearth for roasting meats and a playlist heavy on Middle Eastern hip-hop are just a couple things that set apart Rose Previte’s moodily lit Middle Eastern dining room. Reservations are still tough, so we arrive early and angle for a seat at the bar. Although the kitchen recently changed hands, it still has a way with vegetables, which shine in plates such as carrots with harissa or turnips with preserved lemon. And hearth-cooked meats like turmeric chicken and Syrian spiced lamb shoulder remain marvelous. Moderate.