tom sietsema best restaurants 2020

We briefly pause to admire the edible canvas before plunging into the spread: deep golden cabbage, zesty red lentils, a rosy mound of kitfo that replaces the usual minced raw beef with raw tuna. A pupusa bursting with oxtail and octopus gives new meaning to surf and turf, and the dish inspired by a dishwasher who makes staff meals is better for a sauce of black beans made darker and more maritime with squid ink. A server might suggest with your meal a little thimble of what looks like liquid fire: pili pili, a habanero-stoked condiment and an exception to Kenyas relatively tame flavor profile. His pints come in such fun flavors as oatmeal cookie with shaved chocolate and ricotta with sour cherry. New Orleans is summoned in the long-grain Louisiana rice that shores up the fish amandine and in the crackle from the Leidenheimer bread thats shipped in for the beefy po boy. Rutas menu is a master class in execution. Outdoor dining at Annabelle by Deb Lindsey. Check out the swordfish kebab, cooked over coals and painted with a sauce made vibrant with green chiles, cilantro, caraway and more. Reliability is a hallmark of the restaurants, where the shredded pork and mustard green soup is as delicious and restorative as I remember it back when Facebook was in its infancy, and the shaved dry bean curd, pungent with cilantro and crunchy with peanuts, remains a prized snack. I think Washington remains one of the best places to dine in America. Schooled to be a priest, Onyona has his waiters watch how the food is made before they become guides, and the effort pays off at the restaurant. Equally enticing are the prices: Only one of A&Js many dishes costs more than $13. I want to be open all the time and for all people, says the chef of his window-wrapped restaurant. Chef Eric Ziebolds takeout is worth the travel. Delivery via DoorDash. is a cross between Neapolitan and New York-style pizza based on a dough thats fermented at least a day, cooked in an oak-stoked oven and simply dressed with toppings that show thought. Takeout via Tock or phone. Takeout via Tock or phone. Takeout also available via phone. His response to the upheaval: radical self-care, meaning more time with friends and outside pursuits and taking stock of the whole person, mental health included, in a business known for its long hours and uncomfortable working conditions. Review. "How can we make it work? The interior feels as alive as the man behind the menu. [Dauphines pays respect to New Orleans with top-notch cooking and cocktails]. We're counting down Post food critic Tom Sietsema's Top 5 restaurants in and around Washington for 2022 over the next two weeks, highlighting one restaurant each weekday until Tom's full. Food lovers will appreciate the restroom doors. I dont want to miss a dish in the lot. How you can help restaurants - The Washington Post A year like no other calls for a different dining guide. Lettuces, shishito peppers and cardoons are a given. 2020 Fall Dining Guide by Tom Sietsema The original article can be read here 'Surrounded by the sun' is the name and the setting I rediscovered a chill pill this summer that doesn't involve a prescription. Ahn combines arborio rice and pecorino cheese as deftly as any Italian chef, but makes his risotto singular with the help of dashi instead of chicken stock and diced boiled abalone as the featured attraction. A dinner from this big-hearted restaurant, whose seating now spills onto the street, is almost guaranteed to result in tonights midnight snack or tomorrows lunch. Indoor seating only. Ziebold and his wife and co-owner, Clia Laurent, quietly reopened their luxe, four-star Mtier below Kinship last month yet another reason to venture forth. "I was looking at rebranding," focusing more on classic fare, even changing the restaurants name, says the chef. Fun is a side dish here. Nyama choma is a dish that could keep the newcomer part of a mini-chain with a branch in Newark and plans for New York and Tysons in business. A motherly server adds to the outing, revealing that the chicken wings are on the hot side and pork shoulder tacos are enough food for a family. Yet the journey, he adds, should be a happy one. ADA-compliant restroom. In honor of Independence Day in Mexico last month, Irabien featured chile en nogada, a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with a treasure trove of ingredients ground beef and pork, tomatoes, walnuts, peaches, onion and pooled with a creamy walnut sauce. The talent behind the ice cream, Ben Brunner, is the reason I broke up with Jenis this year. A rethought version at Annabelle a whole baby chicken made great with citrus peels and warm spices is cause for applause, too, evinced by table mates reluctant to share. Diced fluke arranged with ribbons of compressed celery and matchsticks of green apple in a puddle of dashi adds up to the most revivifying crudo for miles. Perch on the patio and you get bug spray along with your hand-sanitizer scented, like much of the cooking, with lemongrass. Duck leg cooked to a shattering crunch in the wood oven and arranged on dandelion greens with roasted plums and pickled shallots is as sublime as youve ever encountered, here or abroad. The menu is a concert of hot Korean wrap and funk. The entree, accompanied by a carton of couscous and slivered almonds, was sufficient to become lunch for two thereafter. Everything coming out of the kitchen is something to rave about. Sign of the times: Ziebold says the most popular category of all is Indulgence. Guests who couldnt travel during the pandemic are spending their vacation money on luxuries such as caviar, truffles, Japanese Kuroge beef and his signature lobster French toast breakfast for dinner for $38. tosses pies that reach for perfection (and come close)]. The hallmark four-course menu was shortened to three dishes, and the entrees became larger and more familiar. Fear not, fans. The beautiful salads capture whatever season were in corn, cucumber and nectarine in August and side dishes such as tomato-sauced Romano beans scattered with feta cheese are snapshots of the chefs childhood, both at home and on visits to Greece. Expect a serious wine list, an herb-packed hamburger, pistachio cake for dessert and cosseting service. Light pours through the windows, which take in a spacious patio outside. 6395 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, Va. Takeout via website, phone or DoorDash. One of multiple marvels is a tiny taco whose dark filling, hidden beneath shredded lettuce, is a ringer for ground beef. I rediscovered a chill pill this summer that doesnt involve a prescription. Takeout, no delivery. The chef uses local ingredients and Indian techniques to come up with such intriguing dishes as a chicken kebab plied with blue cheese, sour cream and cream cheese and set on a pool of spiced sour cherry sauce, a nice foil to the rich meat. His lightly pickled wild sardines, served sashimi style, are from Hokkaido, Japan, noted for the freshness of its seafood. Want to light up your dining room table? Ive saved the best for last. Seng Luangrath is uncompromising. It helps that he retained his entire staff, who still went through two weeks of training before reopening the dining room in June. But fans in summer and heaters in winter let patrons enjoy the chefs surprises, year-round, in the great outdoors. Smooth off the edges of a rough day with the Hari Daiquiri. A warm Persian treat moves in near the convention center. Lately, Im crushing on slender maccheroni tossed with crumbled braised goat, green olives and lemon zest. Makeda, its name a reference to the biblical Queen of Sheba, is full of niceties. Delivery Friday via website. (The crackle comes from the mahogany skin. Indoor seating only. A ground-floor restroom is ADA-compliant. A recent visit found us in the middle of what felt like a nightclub loud music, busy bartenders but still serving food thats very much the personal expression of its muse. A celebration of the bounty of the Mid-Atlantic look for quail with wild grapes the Dabney occasionally incorporates truffles or foie gras into the menu, and I couldnt live without olive oil, jokes the chef. Lunch Wednesday through Saturday, dinner Tuesday through Sunday, mercato open daily. Indoor and outdoor seating. 1513 Antioch Rd, Andalusia, AL 36421. Fried lentils replace the usual bulgur in a tabbouleh displayed on a swipe of hummus fueled with tamarind; Lebanese flatbread, sprinkled with zaatar, makes for a finger-blistering scoop. The Best New Restaurants in D.C., June 2022 - Eater DC Delivery via Caviar and DoorDash. Tom Sietsema revisits Blend 111 in his review in the Washington Post (Dec. 2020) Northern Virginia Magazine shares Blend 111's Bacalo Encocado recipe (Dec. 2020) Northern Virginia Magazine Suggests Blend 111's NYE to-go menu (Dec 2020) Brightest Young Things Recommends Blend 111 Nochebuena Dinner (Dec, 2020) The stew, dak jjim, is just a few ingredients, including Korean red chile flakes, but oh, what a sight and oh, what a mom! A surplus of eggplant might translate to see-through fried slices, drizzled with honey and toasted almonds an elegant appetizer with the crowd appeal of potato chips. The calm presence in the open kitchen? Reported by mediums, the ghost in the oldest dining room is harmless. Just eat it and enjoy it! I wanted to tell her. The food is both recognizable and wonderful, and vegetarians are treated like most honored guests. Shrimp cooked just enough to warm the seafood are paired with Israeli couscous and a vivid sofrito. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, brunch weekends. Which is a long way of saying pretty much everything on the menu created by chefs Lisa and Peter Chang is something you dont want to miss. Note that Saravan "Sam" Krishnan and his brother Venkatesan, or "John," also put in time at the now-dark Udupi Palace in Takoma Park, and ask for a dosa. Playing the meaty role, however: ground black walnuts imbued with a housemade version of Old El Paso taco seasoning. (You can count on the restaurateur, a fan of wines from Burgundy and the Loire Valley, to steer you to something special.) Looking for a party room? Troublesome Bubblegum brings together improbable bedfellows pisco, watermelon, chamomile, herbaceous amaro that refresh and delight us. Okra charred on the grill, paired with pickled fennel and eaten with a sumac-seasoned tartar sauce is detailed so passionately by a server, we bite then scrape our plate clean. An elegant riff on a gin & tonic arrives in a glass the size of a globe which didnt stop anyone from the last drop. Ask for the chess pie and you get the whole thing, presented in slices beneath a glass globe. Rutas roast chicken drew food lovers to his still-missed Palena in Cleveland Park. "Im trying to be more conscientious about what I eat," says chef Marcelle Afram, who also oversees the popular Maydan. The $8 appetizer is familiar and finessed, just like so much of the rest of Rutas handiwork at the youngest restaurant in the realm of the prolific Ashok Bajaj. Summer beans and julienned peaches are slicked with a dressing of chile oil, lime juice and sesame seeds, plus some crunch courtesy of dried shallots and garlic. Jeremiah Langhorne says hes serving half as many customers as he did pre-pandemic and his is a better restaurant for it. A request for tej produces a lovely honey wine made by a local producer. [For exceptional Korean food, book a table at Anju]. Did I mention the menu is still printed on the kind of luxurious stock typically reserved for wedding invitations? The 15 Best Restaurants in Andalusia - May 2023 Selection by Restaurantji Youre not going to get the usuals here, says the chef. One of the best reasons to reserve at brunch is the chance at pupusas, an idea of sous-chef Alberto Lopez, a native of El Salvador. Takeout via Tock or phone. Maupillier, who spent six years cooking for the legendary Michel Richard, believes in braises and makes a compelling case with his Moroccan chicken, served beneath a protective and delicious cover of chicken jus flavored with cinnamon, coriander and cumin. The result is skin thats crisp throughout and improved only with a bit of the chefs jerk sauce, whose heat sneaks up on you like an O. Henry ending. It takes skill and good timing to achieve jjolmyeon with the desired chewiness. Competitors should check out the high bar he maintains in his own lair, where the meatless attractions include kale nachos, shiitake-filled batons of phyllo and tiptop chop, a sumptuous mound of shredded kale, quinoa, slivered almonds, pomegranate seeds and carrots rising from a plate of garlicky hummus. Dinner daily, lunch Tuesday through Sunday, brunch weekends. Its a leftover from the previous occupant, Alba Osteria. The lightest bouillabaisse around is a few Gulf shrimp and a crisp square of red snapper lapped with a tomato-colored sauce that tastes of the sea and is best mopped with the buttery pullman toast on the side. A perch at the convivial bar lets you watch the skilled mixers and shakers and glean the latest mating rituals. The pandemic prompted this Italian charmer to take reservations for the first time in 31 years. The truth is, there are lots to like here: housemade sodas that change with the season (fall finds pumpkin pie and Concord grape), a small dining room decorated with old cooking utensils and Mason jars-turned-lights, and warmth beyond that of the oven. The pale yellow drift to the side is whipped yogurt with fermented mango. Stick around for Rochelle Coopers desserts, a favorite of which is her ritzy twist on smores, its honeyed meringue teased into little flames.. Some of the best flavors of any new restaurant in town, we think. Now and then, the chef offers a taste of the food his mother made back in his native Sicily. May 13, 2020 11:24. While every other chef in town is pushing chicken, Deboy invites us to try pheasant brined in lemon, onion and bay leaf and better for passing over a charcoal grill before you slice in. New to the menu is salmon goulash, based on a recipe Tedlas mother made for her father, who grew up in Italy. The executive chef at Anju in Washington, whos spent half his 32 years in the industry, is no Ted Lasso. But you know what? Brunch finds a strapping plate of huevos rancheros that fits braised pulled pork in with the eggs, black beans and corn tortillas. 6 reviews $$ - $$$ American Steakhouse. Your wish is their command. Corduroy Outside dining during the pandemic often means traffic and pedestrians in the background. Long may they serve us. Fans of the standout Japanese restaurant in Dupont Circle were crushed by the news that Sushi Taro would do only takeout following the pandemic. Robert Sietsema's 15 Best Dishes of 2020 Our senior critic champions barbecued pork, a carbohydrate-only sandwich, and delicate scallop crudo eaten in a backyard garden by Robert Sietsema. The constant here is consistency. Dont miss sous-chef Leena Alys Lebanese fried rice, a swirl of color and crunch, lentils and almonds, inspired by mujaddara. [Shake up your dinner routine with a (short) road trip]. The richest dish of the lot is the slow-cooked lamb, shaped into a soft terrine and grouped with red cabbage, sweetened with agave syrup, and an uber-silky potato puree inspired by the late French chef Jol Robuchon. One reason to order chicken here is to taste how good the products are from nearby Upperville and Warrenton. Biscuits are baked every 30 minutes or so, and the side dishes are first-class. My vote goes to Daru, whose black-and-glass door commands attention with concentric white rings inspired by Himalayan mandalas and a welcome written in Sanskrit: The guest is god. A riff on bibimbap, the colorful Korean rice dish, swaps out rice for elastic wheat noodles (jjolmyeon) imported from the restaurants namesake city in Korea, arranged with a rainbow of cucumbers, carrots and onions plus tender sea snails instead of the traditional beef. Im crossing my fingers, looking for four-leaf clovers, rubbing rabbits feet and booking more time here. But would yours rival his masterpiece, whereby brioche crumbs, garlic and lemon are slipped under the skin and the chicken is accompanied by chunks of potato sauteed to an audible crisp (and better than any carryout french fries of late)? Chennai Hoppers Indian Restaurant | Gaithersburg, MD Eye-openers include kinche boiled cracked wheat finished with clarified butter and beef stew mixed with torn injera. 1825 14th St. NW. Fritto misto suspends steaming cod and red snapper in rings and balls of tempura, a golden catch finished with Fresno chiles. The best D.C. restaurants: Tom Sietsema's 2021 favorites - Washington Post An outdoor fountain splashes in a back garden. Spanish Diner opened two years ago to such great and sustained applause in New York, rainmaker Jos Andrs says he felt compelled to open a second branch in Washington, specifically Bethesda, where he lives, and where his three daughters insisted he couldnt close the Maryland branch of Jaleo unless it was followed by something similarly flavored. You should, too. In fall, she serves the popular Bolognese on pasta made from chestnut flour, and autumn is more luscious because of it. And I cant imagine a Nepalese meal without momos. Aim for a counter stool and the chance to watch the staff shape rounds of dough on a surface of durum and maybe meet Valerie Harding. Rubbas inspired food is served by attentive staff in a small dining room whose pinks and greens radiate joy. Delivery via DoorDash. Reserve a patio table at the waterfront Bammys and hope for good weather. Long and clattery, the dining room is warmed up with vintage accents and young servers who look after you like good neighbors. When we marvel at the staffs efficiency, a host tells us, We have lots of little corners to seat people, including a rear enclosed patio with a two-stool chefs counter that looks into the pizza-making operation. Because outside chef Amy Brandweins restaurant, along an alley of upscale shops, is a magical place to find yourself, sipping on a well-made cocktail, poking into an artful appetizer or twirling housemade pasta on your fork. Dinner commences with a temperature check and slices of ciabatta and focaccia from Piccolina, the restaurants casual offshoot across from where youre socially distanced from fellow diners. I have yet to encounter one. [The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, under a new chef, calls for a road trip]. Takeout and delivery via DoorDash and Uber Eats. Theres a reason Henrys, which also has a catering arm and a second, lesser branch in Oxon Hill sells about 100,000 sweet potato pies a year. 703-270-1500. Word seems to have spread. Sandwiches are iffy. This years showstoppers included chanterelles wrapped in country ham and presented as tempura, lobster mousse cloaked in savoy cabbage and staged like a comet tail, and a small chocolate globe with a center of hazelnut mousse that ran yellow with persimmon sauce when cut with a spoon. Heat lamps and blankets are the new endearments at this beloved Italian fixture in CityCenter. Time for someone else to enjoy one of the best meals of their week. On the other hand, he feels hes bonded more with his colleagues since the pandemic set ego and hubris aside. Echoing others in the industry, Barreto says, We give so much to guests. Before I tell you how much I revere this Japanese dad-and-daughter act, let me share a request from co-owner Cizuka Seki: Help wanted. Im equally enamored of the slender lumpia, stuffed with ground pork and shrimp; sisig, the funky and fiery stir-fry of pigs ears, headcheese, Thai chile, garlic and cane vinegar; the pale-green, super-moist pandan cake made by the chefs sister; and some of the best fried rice for miles, this bowl enriched with crab fat and longanisa, sweet sausage thats made on site and that Fernandez plans to sell. To keep things interesting for everybody, Kuya Ja is selling Filipino soup kits, featuring weekend specials (whole fried snapper with peanut curry) and offering the occasional kinamot. rather than working. Deshaies says he doesnt like to see blank spaces in his takeout containers. Whatever your preference short rib birria flavored by a complex mole, grilled fish brightened with avocado mousse reveals care and thought. 2Fifty expanded into D.C. during the pandemic with a small stall inside Union Market. His rib-eye, for instance, hails from Seven Hills in Virginia and enjoys a salt cure before its pan-roasted and served with two terrific toppings: a puree of herbs and a whip of hollandaise and brown butter. Takeout and delivery via DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. The white tufts run red with raspberry coulis when pierced with a fork. Quality is matched by quantity. My current fascinations include crisp spring rolls bursting with shrimp, pork, wood ear mushrooms and taro root a truly filling filling a strapping stew of sweet potato noodles, sour mustard and squiggles of pork, and (new to the lineup) cumin lamb skewers. Entrees $20-$34; tasting menu $70, beverage pairing $30. singles are more interested in a potential someones vaccination status. Aracosia feels like the family business it is. From the brick oven come thin, crisp pies, including the Spotted Pig, decked out with wild boar meatballs, sopressata, a pleasantly sweet tomato sauce, fresh basil and multiple cheeses. Besides, his melt is built with tuna confit, housemade mayonnaise, thick Pullman bread and Gruyere, which bubbles after a moment under the broiler. In Annandale, wheelchair users can enter the restaurant via the right side of the building, which has a ramp. Reservations required. Tom Sietsema spotlights 48 DC-area restaurants, including his 10 favorites. Sea bass cooked low and slow with lavender and lime and delivered on steel-cut oats and hedgehog mushrooms is one of those combinations that make you go huh when you read about it and whoa! when you taste it. Eighteen months into the global crisis, the people who feed us away from home wonder how much resilience they still need to muster. [If you think fine dining is on pause, Imperfecto would beg to differ]. 402 Snowden Dr, Andalusia, AL 36420-2537 +1 334-222-0459 Website. Before the pandemic, it wasnt unusual for some customers to show up with their own containers. The former White House chef even manages to make cabbage seductive. Ask Tom: Rants, raves and questions on the DC dining scene As before, you should also know Three Blacksmiths still takes reservations about 200 days out and March 2022 is already spoken for. Indoor and outdoor seating. Like before, the courses are restrained, and sharing them is encouraged. His sentiment is mine as I unwrap steamed pork dumplings, as supple and juicy as Ive had them in the restaurant, and devour a fiery kimchi teeming with shredded Brussels sprouts and crisp apple. Email special orders (omakase, etc.) Tom Sietsema's fall dining guide countdown: Hitching Post is No. 1 Eat out with any frequency and you cant help but notice changes on the restaurant scene wrought by the pandemic. How could you not want to eat that? a wide-eyed friend of Ethiopia says as dinner is brought out, half a dozen vivid vegetables and stews arranged on a swath of injera. Additional development by Madison Walls. Note just the meatloaf, glazed with sriracha and slightly creamy with Gruyere, a nod to the French background of chef David Deshaies. "Please rest assured that behind the mask, there is a big smile on our faces," promises the restaurants thorough opening guidelines. Good news for Washingtonians. Pastas $24-$30, wood-fired entrees $28-$39. A roulade of flank steak from Paris, as in Virginia, veers Mediterranean with eggplant, olives and roasted tomatoes. You will eat as if its Thanksgiving too much, too fast and love every minute. His latest creations zesty crab and roasted coconut served beneath a rice crisp, soft duck patties made tangy with goat cheese and set on orange chutney should help fill the plush seats. Vegetarians fly first-class here; kudos to the towering hearts of palm crab cake. Meanwhile, Mother Nature has a rival in the pastry team, whose hand-painted peach involves a sumptuous mousse. Takeout also available via phone. Entrees $31-$59; chefs tasting menu $150, wine pairing $125. Meanwhile, the family-style dishes steamed pork belly alternating with slices of smoked tofu atop a mound of pickled mustard greens, shiny purple eggplant piled atop spicy garlic sauce are the definition of mass appeal. Hot tip from the owners daughter, Lydia: "People should ask about the specials." On my last visit, a young woman spent a course or two rearranging drinks and food for some close-ups. Another is their preparation. Brunch and dinner daily. Delivery via Chownow. I just wanted to do one thing as good as I can, says the chef. The staffs T-shirts say it best: Get to the Point.. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday Saturday. Indoor seating only. The latest major change at Thamee (daughter in English and pronounced thumb-MEE) turned a full-service restaurant into a fast-casual operation. Consecutive doors lead to the foyer; ADA-compliant restroom. Proof of vaccination or negative test required for indoor seating. Even soft-serve ice cream impresses us when its flavored with tahini caramel and delivered in a delicate glass tea cup.
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