100 Very Best Restaurants 2017: Del Campo

Cost:

Del Campo will close to make way for two Mexican restaurants from chef Victor Albisu: Taco Bamba and Poca Madre. Photograph by Scott Suchman

About Del Campo

Cost:

Smoke touches nearly every part of the experience at chef Victor Albisu’s South American steakhouse—from grilled-lime pisco cocktails to gratis warm bread and smoked olive oil to Nutella-stuffed churros with burnt banana. Composed entrées have proven the least winning of late. We’d load up on appetizers—don’t forget juicy Wagyu empanadas—and focus on the lengthy asado (grill) portion of the menu. An applewood smoker perfectly flavors steaks, house-made sausages such as chorizo and morcilla, and lamb shoulder. Mix and match all with sauces such as a bright chimichurri and vegetable sides that often get their own turn in the flames. Very expensive.

Also great: Hamachi ceviche with avocado and soy; provoleta (seared cheese with shishito peppers); chopped salad; Peruvian chicken; grilled-carrot cake.


Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

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.

Food Editor

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
Food Editor

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.

Kristen Hinman
Articles Editor

Kristen Hinman has been editing Washingtonian’s features since 2014. She joined the magazine after editing politics & policy coverage for Bloomberg Businessweek and working as a staff writer for Voice Media Group/Riverfront Times.