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Majestic Café
It's hard to say what's more appealing, the Majestic's modernized diner setting or its mouthwatering modern diner menu. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized this Art Deco café for the extremely slick renovation of its historic building. But the menu is no afterthought: it changes regularly, depending on what is fresh and seasonal, but it is always perfectly divine.
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Martin's Tavern
John F Kennedy proposed to Jackie in booth number three at Georgetown's oldest saloon, and if you're thinking of popping the question there today the attentive waitstaff keep the champagne chilling for that very reason. With an old English country scene, including the requisite fox and hound hunting prints on the wall, this DC institution serves a mean burger and icy cold pints of beer to college students and senators alike.
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Minibar At Café Atlantico
Located in a corner of Café Atlantico, adventurous foodies flock here for a unique dining experience. The pre-set menu of 30 tasty morsels - ranging from cotton-candy-slicked foie gras to a whisky sour frothed up in a shot glass - is whisked up by well-known local chef José Andres before your very eyes. Many of the creations are delightful, but the chef sometimes seems more interested in creating something bizarre than worrying about its taste.
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Monocle
The best place to spot your senator off-duty and glass-in-hand is this good ol' boys' club just behind the Capitol. The dark bar only helps to boost the haughty atmosphere. Check out the walls festooned with politicians' quotes ('If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog'). The food - surf-and-turf American classics like salmon and rib eye steak - is less appetizing than the people watching.
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Nora
Nora is the queen of the Washington food scene. She has made her reputation serving food from local farmers and ranchers, usually organic and always fresh, and combining ingredients in innovative ways. All this happens in a quaint carriage house on one of Dupont's loveliest corners.
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Old Ebbitt Grill
This all-American saloon has been a venerable favorite with Washington's good ol' boys since it opened its doors around 1846. Serving local choices like Maryland rockfish, crab cakes, steak and burgers, the brass and wood lends a powerful atmosphere and the place is always popular with DC's power-broking crowd. Don't miss the delightful Sunday brunch.
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Oohh's & Aahh's
You'll find DC's best soul food at this barebones U Street joint popular with everyone from the homeless to sports superstars. The down-home southern cooking comes in plentiful portions and remains affordable for the residents living on this still edgy part of town. A plate of three heaping side portions costs just around US$8 , while for around US$13 you can score meat or fish plus two sides. The ambiance is as unfussy as the food - this is a spot meant for eating not socializing.
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Palm
Fun for people-watching as well as meat- eating, this classic American steakhouse is a media and political celebrity magnet (Larry King likes to hang out here). Everyone's lunch seems to consist of sirloin, straight-gin martinis and cigar smoke. Its waitstaff are renowned for giving their customers a hard time.
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Poste
Former mail-sorting room for the City Post Office, many of this brasserie's restored architectural features had a practical purpose back in the day, such as skylights and a picture window providing light to sort by and a portal entry (now leading to patio seating) large enough for a horse-drawn carriage. It's now a fantastic place for a drink (try a 'Skyy Love Letter') or a delightful, French-influenced meal.
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Prime Rib
It seems like this place has always been synonymous with DC's movers-and-shakers, a notion that becomes more apparent once you step into its time-warp inducing interior. Tuxedoed waiters serve suit-bedecked patrons (mandatory attire) prime aged steak and some of the city's top crab cakes. Few things at this institution ever change and you'll be treated like a VIP as long as you dress the part.
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Red Hot & Blue
The logo featuring pigs in sunglasses jamming on guitars says it all: Memphis-style barbecue. And this Memphis-born author says the place is almost worthy of the title. The traditional spicy dry ribs are undeniably the best, but you can also get them smothered in sauce. In any case, they are smoked over hickory wood for hours and hours, and served with beans, coleslaw or other classic Southern side dishes.
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Rio Grande Café
One of the city's top spots for Tex-Mex. Start with a bowl of melted queso (cheese); ask for some fresh flour tortillas on the side. The fajitas are some of the best in the business and what to order (skip the only so-so tacos and enchiladas).
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Rocklands Barbecue
Order up some spicy ribs and choose your side dish from among Southern classics like potato salad and collard greens. While you wait for your order, check out the huge selection of hot sauces ('From the Depths of Hell'). Then take a seat at the wooden counter in the window and watch the passers-by drool.
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Sequoia
Overlooking the Potomac and offering mouthwatering seafood, this classic Georgetown restaurant caters to all the senses. Try the more casual outdoor patio, where the menu's a bit cheaper and the sunsets spectacular; indoors it's all white linen, china and suits. Inside or out, the food is creative and elegant, the service excellent. At night, it's a popular drinking spot with the city's preppy pretty people.
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Tabard Inn
This delightful oasis includes a warm, dark bar inside and a sun-dappled, walled garden outdoors. Eclectic mains include fish stew, pastas and chops for dinner, which you might enjoy on a rainy night next to the roaring fire in the lounge. Or come for beignets with vanilla whipped cream or chocolate-almond pancakes for brunch in the garden. Life is sweet.
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Tastee Diner
Maryland's favorite greasy spoon, this is the place to get eggs at after a night of drinking. It's an old-school diner )open since 1935) in a ramshackle tin and brick building, complete with long bar and Formica tables touting personal jukeboxes. Local high-school kids pack in on weekend nights for coffee and plates of grilled cheese with fries. See if you can guess which waitress has served here for over two decades.
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Union Street Public House
Gas lamps out front welcome tourists and locals into this spacious taproom for frosty brews, raw-bar delights and nightly dinner specials. Inside, the atmosphere is equally inviting: a wide bar, heavy wooden furniture and exposed brick hark back to Alexandria's days as a bustling Colonial port.
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Well-Dressed Burrito
Brought to you by CF Folks across the street, this hidden gem is arguably the best Tex-Mex in the neighborhood. The gigantic 16oz El Gordo burrito - stuffed with marinated beef, chicken or vegetables, plus beans and cheese - receives rave reviews from office folk in the neighborhood.
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Zola
Inside the International Spy Museum, it is only appropriate that guests should be able to monitor the kitchen through discreet one-way mirrors in the booths, or slip off to the restroom through a hidden door. In the midst of this secrecy, Zola's cuisine is surprisingly straightforward. Upscale versions of American classics include veal and mushroom meat loaf wrapped in bacon for dinner, or baked ham and smoked gouda grilled sandwiches for lunch.
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Zoo Bar
This neighborhood pub is really more of a drinking establishment, but the animal theme and value-minded menu make it an ideal lunch spot on your way out of the zoo. And it's child-friendly, with animal decor, patient waitstaff and an inexpensive kids' menu.
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