VIA WASHINGTONIAN.COM
DC foodies, unite! The ever-popular Summer Restaurant Week runs from August 24 through August 30. Three-course lunches are still $20.09, but dinners have jumped to $35.09. There’s still lots to offer friends or families.
So, to help you choose your meals carefully, Washingtonian got menus from many participants, with more added daily. Their advice: Look for a generous and varied selection of dishes, and pick a place you wouldn’t otherwise splurge on.
• Acadiana
“Big” and “rich” are the buzzwords at this Louisiana-inspired dining room, where eating lightly can mean a BLT salad. The restaurant lets you choose any entrée off the regular menu, with upcharges for crabcakes and a New York strip steak.
Lunch and dinner appetizers: Turtle soup; smoked-chicken-and-andouille-sausage gumbo; roasted-corn-and-crab soup; trio of deviled eggs; mixed-greens salad; BLT salad.
Lunch and dinner desserts: Warm raisin bread pudding with butterscotch and vanilla ice cream; toasted-almond crème brûlée with cane syrup and almond shortcake; chocolate-raspberry cake with raspberry caramel and vanilla ice cream.
• Adour
Alain Ducasse’s elegant and expensive bistro in the St. Regis Hotel is offering a special dinner menu.
Dinner appetizers: Tomato-and-watermelon gazpacho with basil and fresh almond (add $12 for lobster); dorade ceviche with corn emulsion, lime, and ginger; mixed-greens salad with summer-vegetable crudité and black-olive dressing (add $9 for tuna confit).
Dinner entrées: Pasta with summer greens, ricotta, and pesto; roast lamb chop and vegetable-wrapped tenderloin with pommes boulangeres and sautéed spinach; salmon medallion with bell-pepper “piperade” and espellette jus.
Dinner desserts: Strawberry-and-vanilla vacherin with chantilly cream and meringue; apricotsachertorte with marmalade and bittersweet chocolate.
Chicago chef Art Smith, who used to cook for Oprah, oversees this Capitol Hill hotel dining room. He’s offering Southern-accented fare of his regular menu for both lunch and dinner, and extending Restaurant Week through September 6.
Lunch and dinner appetizers: Capitol Hill salad with apples, blue cheese, pecans, and apple-cider vinaigrette; arugula salad with blackberry/ale vinaigrette, watermelon pickles, and goat cheese; Caesar salad with white anchovies; gazpacho with shrimp and avocado crème fraîche; soup of the day; grilled shrimp with succotash.
Lunch entrées: Fried chicken with country potato salad; blackened catfish with crawfish etouffe and pickled yellow beans; ravioli with herbs and spring vegetables; salmon with pea risotto, golden-beet relish, and preserved-lemon vinaigrette.
Dinner entrées: Fried chicken with country potato salad; ravioli with herbs and spring vegetables; salmon with pea risotto, golden-beet relish, and preserved-lemon vinaigrette; pork chop with charred-stone-fruit relish and sweet-onion broth; crispy whole trout with spring-bean salad and rhubarb vinaigrette.
Lunch and dinner desserts: Lemon pudding cake with mixed-berry compote; peach/pecan crumble with bourbon-caramel and vanilla ice cream; chocolate cheesecake with chocolate sauce.
• Bastille
This Alexandria restaurant offers a dinner menu of French cuisine crossed with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. A $9 cheese course is optional. It is $5 if substituted for the dessert course.
Dinner appetizers: Soup of the day; Caesar salad with Parmesan panna cotta and white anchovies; calamari-and-rock-shrimp beignets with sheep’s-milk yogurt and harissa; heirloom tomato salad with Burrata, basil, and oregano vinaigrette; goat-cheese cromesqui with baby arugula, berries, and dijon/citrus vinaigrette.
Dinner entrées: Grilled Mediterranean sea bass with cherry tomatoes and fennel-and-orange ragout; pan-seared sea scallops with fennel pesto and cumin-and-eggplant caponata; grilled lamb chops with merguez sausage, harissa/ras el hanout oil, couscous with raisins and chickpeas, and summer vegetables; Moroccan-style chicken tagine with seasonal vegetables, dried fruits, harissa, pearl couscous, and garbanzo beans; marinated hanger steak with Cabernet/shallot sauce and French fries; roasted-corn risotto.
Dinner desserts: Valrhona-chocolate truffle cake with Kirsch and cherries; crème brûlée; vanilla chiffon cake with peaches and cream; ginger crème caramel with blueberries.
This Palisades fish market/dining room is serving a Restaurant Week menu at lunch and brunch only.
Lunch and brunch appetizers: Rhode Island calamari with chipotle remoulade; Addie’s mussels with tomato, garlic, and lemon; heirloom-tomato gazpacho; hummus with grilled pita, cucumber/pinenut salad, and olives.
Lunch and brunch entrées: Wood-grilled hamburger with Amish cheddar, arugula, and fried onions; Provençal seafood stew with daily fish, Gulf shrimp, blue-shell mussels, and saffron broth; wood-grilled salmon with fingerling potatoes, sweet corn, and cherry tomatoes; daily catch.
Lunch and brunch desserts: Housemade ice cream or sorbet; Key-lime pie; chocolate/Chambord-truffle cake.
This regal Indian dining room near the White House offers lunch and dinner menus with little overlap.
Lunch appetizers: Reshmi kebab with chicken, chili, nutmeg, and garam masala; marinated dorade with chili, ginger, garlic, and coriander; chapli kebab with lamb, coriander, cardamom, and onion; paneer tikka with yogurt, mint, cilantro, and ginger; sev puri with potatoes, mango, sprouts, and onion chutney.
Lunch entrées (served with rice and bread): Tandoori salmon with homemade spices; tandoori chicken chops with yogurt, cheese, and mint; lamb pepper masala with onion, tomato, black pepper, cinnamon, and clove; Mangolorean chicken curry with onion, coconut, tamarind, and roasted spices; chicken tikka makhni with barbecued chicken, tomato, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek.
Vegetarian lunch entrée: Bombay thali with vegetable curry, lemon rice, and lacha paratha.
Lunch desserts: Basmati-rice kheer with milk, nuts, raisins, and saffron; gulab jamun; fresh mango with mango sorbet.
Dinner appetizers: Crispy arugula-and-spinach chaat with date/tamarind chutney; Malabari shrimp with black pepper, fennel, and mango chutney; rockfish with mango, ginger, garlic, and yogurt; malai chicken tikka with yogurt, cheese, mace, and cardamom; asparagus with yogurt, ginger, chili flakes, and date chutney; Bombay sev puri with potatoes, mango, sprouts, onion, and chutneys; beet samosa with green peas, potato, mint, and date/tamarind chutney.
Dinner entrées (served with rice and bread): Chicken tikka anar with garlic, pomegranate seeds, anise, and yogurt; mixed grill with tandoori salmon, chicken tikka, and seekh kebab; shrimp moileewith coconut milk and curry leaves; chicken tikka makhni with tomato, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, and garam masala; dhaba murg with chicken, onion, tomato, coriander, and chilies; lamb rogan josh with brown onion, tomato, yogurt, and garam masala; taar lamb korma with almond, chili, nutmeg, and cardamom; Bombay thali with vegetables, paneer, and dal.
Dinner desserts: Chocolate/sticky-toffee pudding with spiced ice cream; carrot halwa; milk pudding with blueberries; mango or pear sorbets.
José Andrés’s buzzing Penn Quarter restaurant is putting out a short but well-chosen lineup of Nuevo Latino dishes through September 6.
Lunch appetizers: Carrot soup with passionfruit; heirloom-tomato salad with cotija cheese, pistachios, and sherry dressing; Dominican conch fritters with jicama/avocado ravioli and passionfruit oil.
Lunch entrées: Veracruz-style seared trout with tomatoes, olives, onions, and capers; huitlacochequesadilla with sundried-tomato oil and guacamole; crabcake salad with mango, fresh herbs, and coconut dressing; “medio día”sandwich with roasted pork, ham, Mexican cheese, pickles, mustard, and herbed French fries.
Lunch desserts: Warm chocolate cake with banana; sorbet of the day.
Dinner appetizers: Carrot soup with passionfruit; heirloom-tomato salad with cotija cheese, watermelon, and sherry dressing; tuna ceviche with coconut milk and avocado; Dominican conch fritters with jicama/avocado ravioli and passionfruit oil.
Dinner entrées: Duck confit with Brussels sprouts, apples, raisins, and pinenuts; portobello mushroom with huitlacoche, chihuahua cheese, roasted beets, and beet oil; braised beef short ribs with grilled eggplant and squash; Veracruz-style salmon with tomatoes, olives, onions, avocado, and capers; grilled skirt steak with mushrooms, green beans, and truffled potato espuma.
Dinner desserts: Warm chocolate cake with banana; sorbet of the day.
• Ceiba
Taking a cue from siblings PassionFish, DC Coast, TenPenh, and Acadiana, this Nuevo Latino restaurant lets you choose any entrée off the regular menu, with $9 surcharges for a ribeye and a Brazilian shellfish stew.
Lunch and dinner appetizers: Mixed-greens salad; Caesar salad; Cuban black-bean soup; Bermuda fish chowder; golden-tomato gazpacho; shrimp ceviche; Peruvian-style ceviche; Bolivian empanadas and salteñas.
Lunch and dinner desserts: Flan with pineapple-and-fig compote; chocolate/espresso cake with dulce de leche cream and raspberry coulis; lime-and-sour-cream poundcake with strawberry salad and lemon sorbet.
Politicos love this celebrity-chef-owned steakhouse near the Capitol, which is offering the same lunch and dinner menus, with bigger portions in the evening. Restaurant Week ends on August 30, but the restaurant will offer a $39 three-course dinner—with ingredients sourced from within a 150-mile radius of DC—through September 12.
Lunch and dinner appetizers: Heirloom-tomato salad with goat-cheese mousse; chilled corn soup with blue crab and tarragon; salt-roasted baby beets with baby lettuce and Minus 8 vinegar.
Lunch and dinner entrées: Pan-roasted black bass with summer-bean ragout and black-olive oil; chicken with Brussels sprouts and roasted-trumpet-mushroom jus; roasted beef sirloin withboulanger potatoes and caramelized shallots.
Lunch and dinner desserts: Chocolate pave with raspberry salad and milk-chocolate ice cream; peach cobbler with vanilla frozen custard; berry soup with citrus panna cotta and kaffir-lime sorbet.
For all the sweet-tooths out there, this chocolate-obsessed restaurant is putting out a three-course lunch menu and a dinner lineup of sweet and savory dinner nibbles through September 2. At dinner, you also get a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic cocktail. We’re fans of the tandoori-chicken and blue-cheese beef sliders, and the bacon mac ’n’ cheese.
Lunch appetizers: Beet salad with goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette; tomato-and-burrata salad with balsamic reduction.
Lunch entrées: Macaroni-and-cheese tart with sage, cauliflower, and a house salad; spinach-and-feta tart with tiger shrimp and creamy dill sauce; artichoke-and-chickpea salad with grilled lemon chicken and tarragon vinaigrette; Philly-inspired flatbread with sliced beef, peppers, onions, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and banana peppers.
Lunch desserts: Grilled peaches with dulce de leche gelato and a white-peach/chocolate bon bon; chocolate tasting.
Dinner amuse bouche: Fig croustade with brown-sugar brittle; baby-arugula salad with manchego, caramelized walnuts, dates, apples, oranges, and coffee vinaigrette.
Choose two “Co Co bites”: Crispy Louisiana crabcake with avocado/cilantro emulsion and chipotle/chocolate/tomato glaze; portobello flatbread with goat cheese, roasted peppers, kalamata olives, and fig marmalade; bleu-cheese beef slider with mole sauce, sauteed spinach, and wild mushrooms; macaroni-and-cheese tart with sage, cauliflower, and a house salad; tandoori-chicken slider with cardamom carrots and cucumber raita; bacon macaroni and cheese with four cheeses.
Dinner desserts: Grilled peaches with dulce de leche gelato and white-peach/chocolate bon bon; milk-chocolate/peanut-butter ice cream with banana compote, PB&J chocolate, and cocoa-nib/marshmallow fluff.
Dinner “elixer”: Innocent Bystander dessert wine; raspberry Merlot; Prosecco; strawberry-basil-and-balsamic mocktail.
• DC Coast
At Jeff Tunks’s buzzing K Street seafood spot, you can choose any entrée off the regular menu, with upcharges for crabcakes, Chinese-style smoked lobster, and a grilled New York strip.
Lunch and dinner appetizers: Mixed-greens salad; Caesar salad; soup of the day; heirloom-tomato-and-melon gazpacho; sweet-corn-and-yellow-pepper soup; fried green tomatoes with charred-eggplant sauce and cherry-tomato/basil compote.
Lunch and dinner desserts: Goat-cheese cheesecake brûlée with strawberry/Limoncello compote; peach crumble with toasted-almond anglaise; warm chocolate cake with spiced blackberry jam and bittersweet-chocolate sauce.
The recently renovated restaurant in the Marriott at Metro Center is offering both lunch and dinner specials.
Lunch appetizers: Corn-and-crab chowder; fire-roasted Bosc pears with mesclun and bleu cheese; iron-skillet mussels with garlic, lemon, white wine, parsley, and baguette; baked goat cheese with fire-roasted tomatoes and crostini.
Lunch entrées: Seared sea scallops with citrus/soy vinaigrette, mizuna, snow peas, daikon, and rock-shrimp croutons; roast turkey breast on sourdough with bacon, Havarti, mayonnaise, and salt-and-pepper potato chips; wild mushrooms with shaved Parmesan; roast chicken with Chardonnay gravy, morels, and mashed potatoes.
Dinner appetizers: Corn-and-crab chowder; fire-roasted Bosc pears with mesclun and bleu cheese; flatbread with mozzarella, tomato, and basil; baked goat cheese with fire-roasted tomatoes and crostini.
Dinner entrées: Roast chicken with Chardonnay gravy, morels, and mashed potatoes; tea-smoked halibut with chargrilled corn salad; bacon-wrapped oak-plank scallops with cheddar grits and sage/cream sauce; chicken orecchiette with shredded arugula, garlic, white wine, lemon, and shaved Parmesan.
Lunch and dinner desserts: Hot doughnuts with honey butter and strawberry compote; ice-cream sundae with chocolate-waffle crisps, bittersweet chocolate sauce, and whipped cream; Key-lime pie.
A short menu of Southern-with-a-twist eats is on offer at this downtown expense-account dining room.
Dinner appetizers: Chilled tomato soup with blue crab and avocado; Cheerwine BBQ steak skewers with chiffonade salad and marinated cucumbers; blue-cornmeal-crusted lobster with zesty ketchup marinade and remoulade.
Dinner entrées: Fried buttermilk-soaked rabbit with smoked-turkey-stewed mustard greens and oven-baked grits; beef pot roast with stewed onion, celery and carrots, sweet-pea mashed potatoes, and crispy fried leeks; chicken and dumplings with roasted mushrooms, black truffle, and herbs; pan-roasted rockfish with shrimp etouffee and a six-cheese-and-green-chili-macaroni croquette.
Dinner desserts: Grand Marnier-soaked strawberry “shortcake” with sour-cream pound cake’ lemon-and-vanilla icebox cake with vanilla cookies.
Visit Washingtonian.com for the full list of Summer Restaurant Week listings.
