Category DC

Corduroy- Washington, D.C.

We were invited to Corduroy by a few friends in the wine business. One of them lives in the D.C. area and always has a great recommendation for food. She’s also a great cook, so she knows good food. We arrived at Corduroy before everyone else and snagged a seat at the bar for a drink while we waited. It was a great little spot, neither too big nor too small, with a sleek, black marble counter. Everyone else ended up being very late, so we were able to drink two glasses of wine and cocktail each until they got there. It was very comfortable and I honestly could have stayed there all night.

Once all our party finally arrived, we were moved downstairs into a more traditional dining area...

Range- Washington D.C.

Conceptually, this restaurant seemed fabulous. An area of town with little choice when it comes to dining options and located inside the popular Chevy Chase Pavilion. You know you will have patrons from the mall, but also the bizarre addition of hotel guests also located inside. What could be bad? The execution. It was scattered and awkward. To be honest, I felt kind of awkward sitting in my “booth”. It wasn’t really a booth, but more like the table and bench seats you would find at any mall food court. Yes, Range is in a mall, with the Embassy Suites guest hallways directly in front of you for your viewing pleasure during the meal. I felt like I was making a pit stop between errands, on display, and spying on hotel guests...

Rogue24- Washington, D.C.

For two people that love the culinary amazement that is Alinea, but live 700 miles away, we are always up to try something in our neck of the woods that can woo us. The double-digit course restaurants have a lot of pressure to perform since so many courses can be easily forgotten or compared to others. Not to mention, it still has to TASTE good. You can make anything look pretty on a plate or create a foam out of everything in your pantry, but it only counts if it is still enjoyable to eat…and worth the hefty price. Rogue 24 seemed to have forgotten these important details.

Following suit with other upscale, blow-your-paycheck dining establishments, the place was impossible to find...

Komi-Washington, D.C.

Let me start by saying this: We wish we would have gone to Komi sooner. Sooner and repeatedly. Since I just discovered it, it will be my request for a birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gift. I’m of Greek heritage, meaning my father was off the boat from Ikaria to the U.S. at 26 years of age and my mother is 100% Ikarian on both sides.  The culture is all about passion and tradition. I learned to cook in my mother’s kitchen, my grandmother’s kitchen, and in our church banquet hall. Trays of moussaka, spanakopita, pastisio, bakalava, vasilopita, and of course, lamb have all been a part of my life since birth. Our food is rich, hearty, and usually prepared in huge batches to feed the entire church parish.

Komi takes the most elegant spin on traditional Greek fa...

Minibar & Barmini, Washington D.C.

I really should separate these two as they were two very different experiences, but they blended well and I try to keep these reviews to one per occasion. To explain further, if you are able to snag a reservation at Minibar for your meal, the final dessert courses will be just on the other side of the wall at Barmini. If you think about it, it’s quite the production. They must ensure that each group of 6 has seating timed perfectly with their dessert courses. Now we know why reservations are a must at both establishments. The execution was seamless, but more on that later.

All the best gastronomy restaurants with phenom reviews have one thing in common:  they are usually slightly hidden and give taxi drivers that aren’t familiar a bit of a hard time...