100 Very Best 2018
Eat Great Cheap 2017Springfield’s tiny Afghan Bistro—and its bigger Palisades spinoff, Bistro Aracosia—have a lot in common. Warm, kind service, ginormous portions, and a trove of family recipes from Kabul-born owners Omar Masroor and his wife, Sofia. We’ve yet to meet a stew here we didn’t love (Aracosia has the bigger selection), whether veal and mushrooms in a velvety cilantro-laced gravy or Rumi’s chicken, in a zesty, sweet tomato sauce. Every table should have an order of mantu, the freeform dumplings stuffed with minced beef and laden with garlicky yogurt. Moderate.
Also great: Fried turnovers stuffed with greens; aushak (leek-filled dumplings); lamb chops; roasted eggplant; lamb-shank moghuli.
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.
