The River Club
3000 K St., NW
This styling Lebanese/Italian/Spanish dining room sits near the Georgetown waterfront. Opt for share plates like eggs with crispy potatoes and Iberico ham or lemony tagliatelle—or dig into a family-style Lebanese breakfast, which includes eggs, ground lamb, pita, and an array of fixings. Drinks go beyond the standards; There’s a Garibaldi with Campari and fresh OJ, an affogato martini, and an arak-spiked cucumber-tequila spritz.
Neutral Ground
6641 Old Dominion Dr., McLean
David Guas’s breezy McLean hotspot leans into the chef/owner’s Louisiana roots with hearty plates like eggs sardou with artichokes, spinach, and hollandaise; pastry-cream-stuffed French toast; and grits and grillades, topped with braised brisket and tomato gravy. Nice touch: a roving cocktail cart serves bloody Marys, rum punches, and pear mimosas—and you get to choose how boozy you want them.
Evelyn Rose
111 Church St., NW, Vienna
Downtown Vienna’s fine-ish dining room comes from Clarity alums Nick Palermo and Sam Schnoebelen. Its new morning menu ranges from a compressed-endive salad with caper/raisin puree to fancy French toast with apple/pear compote to a top-notch house-ground burger.
Olio e Piu
699 14th St., NW
Downtown DC’s sprawling French brasserie, La Grande Boucherie, got this nearby Italian sibling in early October. (Both restaurants are spinoffs of Group Hospitality’s New York spots.) On weekends, the plant-filled, granny-chic space offers a lineup of focaccia, panini, and egg dishes accented with zucchini and mint; prosciutto and taleggio; and more. One enticing perk: diners get a free espresso martini or Bellini with the purchase of an entree. Or, you can go the bottomless mimosa route ($30 per person)—with a choice of four different juices.
Trummer’s
7134 Main St., Clifton
This long-running Clifton restaurant recently re-started its brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Kick off your day with bruleed oatmeal, shrimp and grits with whiskey cream, or Weinerschnitzel with redeye gravy. The kids’ menu offers easy plates like cavatelli with butter and cheese or a Belgian waffle. And for dessert, there’s a pear-and-brie strudel or a round of beignets.
Call Your Mother Vienna
205 Maple Ave., E., Vienna
The bagel-sandwich behemoth continues its domination of the local breakfast scene with its 11th area location, which opened in a former Cold Stone Creamery a few weeks ago. Expect hangover helpers like pretzel bagels with nacho/jalapeno cream cheese, bacon, and potato chips; black-and-white-cookie lattes; and of course, a ton of Pepto-pink paint (this one has a disco ball, too).
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.
