Thai Chilli

Now this Thai restaurant is pretty snazzy. The interior is mostly black with a few hints of color that gives it a sleek modern look. This is a great place to grab some tasty Thai food. The curry is spicy, the drinks are delicious and I have yet to be disappointed. The staff is very friendly and on point. The manager even walks by and checks on everyones tables to make sure you are doing okay, a plus in my book. The curry is good, the Pad See Wa, and the Pad Thai are all yummy. They have a specialty drink that has pureed strawberries in it, it is so good, you have to order it (I have to remember what it is called), but its great. The prices are reasonable so it's a good spot to stop by if your in the mood for some good Thai food. The chicken satay must be ordered before starting your meal and pretty much any of the salads. The portions are pretty large for the price. It's definitely worth trying.

Location: Chinatown
Price Range: $10-20

Thai Chef

Thai Chef is a small space with a bar and a happy hour on their sushi a few of the Thai entrees and rail drinks that begins from 4-7. They have sushi and Thai food. The sushi isn't all that great. The Thai Chef dumplings were okay. The people are really nice there, but the service can be shotty. The Grilled Jumbo River Shrimp are pretty good, but the Hawaiin Duck isn't so tasty even though the tomatoes and pineapples in the sauce were pretty chunky and good. Wouldn't consider this spot if I was in the taste for sushi, maybe for a Thai dish, but I'll update my review when I have had more of the dishes on the menu.

Location: Dupont Circle
Price Range: $10-20

http://66.34.56.214/thaichef/main.html

Mama Ayesha's

Mama Ayesha's is a nice restaurant with an outdoor terrace feel indoors. The ambiance is nice and very Mediteranean with water fountains and beautiful tile art. It's a nice place with great food. A good place for large dinner parties, and nice quaint dinner dates. The food is really good. I went with a friend and we ordered TONS of food. We had the Grape Leaves and the Mezze (a sampler platter) for appetizers. For dinner we ordered the Combination entree with shish kabobs, kifta kabob, couscous, grape leaves and kibbeh over rice. The portion was large enough to share between two people. But my friend ordered a plate himself, and we had TONS of leftovers. But the meal was so good we both tried to stuff ourselves with as much as we could. The menu is pretty extensive and it took me forever to try to figure out what I wanted because it all looked so good. Middle Eastern food is my favorite cuisine, and this restaurant definitely satisfied my appetite. It's a little pricey, but you can always order a combination plate (for an appetizer since it has everything on it) and split an entree, and that would be sufficient and cost efficient.

Location: Adams Morgan
Price Range: $20-40

http://www.mamaayeshas.com/

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza

I caught up with a couple of people after the Eid Celebration at this place during lunch. The place had a bar and reminded me of a more inexpensive and intimate styled California Pizza. The menu was pretty decent and had a few interesting mixes of salads and fire roasted pizzas. The table ordered the ella's cheese pizza, wild mushroom pizza, lombardi pizza, and the quattro fromaggi. Oh yeah, and a belgian & endives salad that was extremely yummy. The quattro cheese pizza looked amazing and was pretty good. The garlic was fresh and tasted like it. The person who ordered the Lombardi pizza (mostly carmelized onions) was excited because he is an onion lover. The ella's cheese was good but had more sauce than cheese.

This is definitely a nice spot to stop and grab a decent personal size pizza that is big enough to share with another, or to just grab a quick lunch. Definitely suggested if you are walking around Chinatown looking for something quick to eat or if your in the mood for a decent pizza that isn't super greasy.

Location: Chinatown
Price range: $10-20

http://www.ellaspizza.com/

Tony & Joe's

I went to Tony & Joe's on a date after work one day. I was kinda scared when I first walked in because there were tons of men sitting at the bar, and everyone turned towards the door, and I felt like I just interupted a boys club meeting or something. But we were seated in the dining area and it was very nice. The waiters brought out bread while we waited for our food. Both of us ordered the Cream of Crab soup, which was delish. For an appetizers we had the Spinach Crab dip and we DEVOURED it, it was soooo good and it was such a large portion that we couldn't even finish it. I had to force myself to stop eating it so that I would have room for my entree. For the entree I ordered the Tony & Joe's Broiled platter. YUM! Unfortunately I ate too much dip so I couldn't finish the entire thing. But I tried to stuff as much as I could into my mouth that my little tummy would allow. I was very impressed with the food. The wait staff was very helpful and were like on cue with everything! It was like they had secret cameras that alerted them when we were done with our plates. I highly suggest this place if you enjoy seafood. There is a patio area that overlooks the waterfront, unfortunately it was too chilly to sit outside and enjoy the view.

Location: Georgetown Waterfront
Price Range $30-up
http://www.dcseafood.com/taj/index.htm

Zengo

I have been to Zengo's on a date catching up with friends and business associates for quick eats and good drinks. The environment is really modern, hip and trendy. It's a perfect way to start the night, or a perfect way to end an evening. Zengo's is a restau-lounge spot. I would recommend coming dressed up, or at least casually cute. The first time I went, I was unaware of what the dress code was and wore jeans and tennis shoes, and felt so out of place. The chicken emapanadas are REALLY good. The sushi, eh, I wouldn't recommend ordering any of them except the Angry Zengo (which are pretty good). I went for my cousins birthday dinner and I think we ordered everything on the menu. The Tuna Tataki Salad (My fave) was devoured by everyone at the table. A couple of my friends ordered the Grilled Lamb Striploins and I swear within a matter of minutes their plates were absolutely spotless, I really think they licked their plates clean. The tuna belly tartare was okay the tuna is cut up pretty chunky but it was cooked a little more than I preferred, but it was okay. The drinks are really good and would recommend ordering any of them. Definitely a must stop spot =) Being that the restaurant is tapa style you can get caught up trying to order every menu dish on the menu and your bill starts adding up, so if your on a budget be cautious, this place can be dangerous on your pockets!

Location: ChinaTown
Price Range $25-up

http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/

Sake Club

I have been here a couple of times and it never fails, I always enjoy my food. Gentlemen, for a first date, this is a MUST! I went here for a first date and fell in love LOL. The waiters bring out a bowl of miso soup (complimentary). It is a little pricey but the rolls are GINOURMOUS (Is that the webster spelling?) so it's well worth it. I usually get the Rainbow rolls, Philadelphia Rolls, and the Spicy Tuna, I know I've had a few others, but can't remember which ones. But they are all good. They have really good unfiltered saki and a pretty decent sake/drink/wine menu. I had some of the plum wine and it was pretty good too. The interior is really dark, and upscale, makes you feel like you want to wear some pumps or a pair of hardbottom shoes. It's a really nice place. During the summers its nice to sit in the patio area and people watch. The service is really good and the servers are great.

Location: Woodley Park
Price range - $30-up

http://www.sakeclub.net/

Mie-N-Yu

I have always walked past this place and was intrigued by the waterfall theme in the window with a golden Buddha in the window and beautiful drapery. Finally some kind soul took me here for dinner. The decor is so ecclectic and pretty that its art for the eyes decorated with pieces from different ethnic cultures and countries from around the world. What stood out to me is the intimate seating arrangments, it makes it a nice place to go on a first date or with your beau. It would even be a good place to gather for an event such as a birthday. I strongly suggest making reservations before just stopping in.

They have a very extensive wine and cheese menu and they also have a menu and cheese sample specials that allow you to order a few cheeses and wines for your own pairing and tastings of your choosing. The menu is really diverse and would appeal to a variety of palates. We ate the smoked salmon bruschetta (AMAZING), Grilled Calamari Salad, and the Chili Infused Crab Cakes. It was so good! I was very impressed and left extremely full! The portions are filling but not large. However they will hook your wine glass up if you order a glass. After wanting to try everything on the menu it can begin to get a bit pricey, but it's well worth it. Another great place to impress a date.

Location: Georgetown
Price range $12-25

https://www.mienyu.com/

Aditi

Aditi is decorated really nice and has a spiral staircase to the upstairs dining area. The waiters and waitresses are all very nice and helpful. It is an Indian restaurant and is decorated with the Gods and Goddesses and lots of elephants, but only slightly, and still looks classy.

The dishes are absolutely amazing. I went with a couple of friends during Ramadan, and we were trying to find something to break our fast after a long day of running errands and shopping in Georgetown. I can't remember the names of all the dishes we ordered (we ordered a lot), but it HIT the SPOT! I think our bill was like $50 for 3 hungry little Muslim girls who wanted to fill their tummies. The portions are just the right size, not ginormous, but enough to satisfy. We pretty much devoured everything we ordered. I think we had 2 appetizers and like 4 main dishes. Everything was devoured and we had NO leftovers or anything to take home. The garlic naan was REALLY good. I was happy with the food & the prices. I wouldn't have been upset if our bill was high, it would have been well worth it. Of course this place is also very friendly for Vegetarians.

Location: Indian
Price range $6-20

http://www.image-in-asian.com/aditi/

Indique

Indique is a really nice little restaurant, the decor is upscale and gives you the feel of fine dining. The employees are nice. I was a little perturbed because they didn't have any really spicy curry. I love my curry spicy and was expecting tha they would have some. Unfortunately to my dismay they didn't have any. I think it's some sort of law against not having spicy Indian curry on an Indian cuisine menu. The food was okay, but it just wasn't up to my standards. It was a little bland and of course they didn't have anything that spicy. The food just didn't seem very authentic. Needless to say, I haven't been back. If you like Indian food that isn't spicy this is the place for you. Oh yeah they do have a decent wine menu.

Location: Cleveland Park
Price Range $12-20

http://www.indique.com/

Yanni's Greek Restaurant

Yanni's is a little on the gaudy side with its decorations. When you walk in you see a lot of older couples grabbing drinks and just hanging out. But it has a comfortable neighborhood feel. It has a bar side and a dining area. You can come casual or dressed up and still feel comfortable.

I love Greek food and anywhere I can get a good Greek salad I'm happy. I've had most of the appetizers and they are all pretty good. The dolmades are pretty decent, not the BEST but definitely edible (it's pretty hard to find GREAT grape leaves). The menu is cheap and the drinks are good. Last time I went I had the Chicken Souvlaki platter. It was pretty delish! The portion was so big I had enough for lunch the next day. The food is really cheap but it doesn't taste it. (always a plus for me)

Price range $8-$17

http://www.yannisgreektaverna.com/index.html

Spices

I can say I frequent this place A LOT! (Most of the people know me in there) The people there are realllllly nice. They have a great happy hour (1/2 off all drinks alcholic and non-alcholic). The service is great, the atmostphere is pretty relaxed and it can get PACKED.

The sushi there is great! I really enjoy their Spicy tuna, and the Crunchy shrimp tempura roll. Whenever I am sick I grab a bowl of their Tom Yom Shrimp soup and it clears me right up! The Crab wontons are really good as well as the rice paper rolls. The pad thai and their curries are all pretty good too. You can't really go wrong by stopping by this place if you are craving Thai food or Sushi.

Location: Cleveland Park
Prices $10-20


http://spicesdc.com/

BusBoys & Poets

Walking into Busboys the first thing you will notice is the bookstore directly in front of you, the bar, and the couches and tables to fill the room. If you swing by there during the daytime or on an off night you will see the restaurant/bookstore sprinkled with people lounging, chatting it up, doing homework, doing work on laptops and others engaged in enriched conversations. Friday and Saturdays are usually pretty busy so if you decide to go there on one of those days, I suggest you be prepared for the wait or get there early. There are also different events that take place here such as political discussions, appearances by different authors, and open mics.

The waiters and waitresses along with the bartenders are all very friendly and fun. (ask for Desmond or Walter they are FABULOUS & will keep you cracking up!) The food is really good. The surprising thing is the prices are really cheap! I love the pizzas (especially the three cheese pizza), I've had a few of the wraps (including the Hummus wrap, and it was delicious). I wouldn't really recommend getting the crab cakes (I was slightly disappointed) but other than that there aren't many things on the menu that would disappoint you. The drinks are also pretty good. The menu is also vegetarian friendly.

I suggests this spot as a great (inexpensive) date. If it's a first date, even better, just the ambiance and the vibe will break the ice. It's a cool place to study, work, or just unwind. I definitely suggest it to anyone. Its a place that can appease anyone!

Location 14th & V street. (Green/Yellow Line Cordoza Metro stop)
Prices $10-25

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/

Banana Cafe

One day speaking with my boss he suggested I find a good Latin restaurant that served Cuban &/or Puerto Rican food that would remind him of home (he is Cuban raised in Puerto Rico). Well I passed this place one day and figured it would be a good place to check out. He checked out the menu before we invited the whole division to dinner and he agreed that the menu was authentic Latin Food.

We got there and the decor seemed to have caught my co-workers a little off guard. The decor seems a bit eccentric and loud, and not necessarily the classiests, but it was friendly and definitely somewhere to come casual and catch up with the family or friends for cheap eats, cheap drinks and a good time. The atmosphere was lighthearted and everyone in the place seemed to be having a really good time.

The menu had a little bit of everything on there chimichangas, Paella (My fave but they had Chorizo in it so I couldn't order it), Relleno, Enchiladas, Burritos, and some authentic Puerto Rican dishes. While waiting for the drinks and food the waiter brought out some chips and salsa, and the whole table just demolished the salsa and chips. My boss had the Ropa Viejo (rice with shredded beef flank) and was thoroughly impressed and claimed it reminded him of home. The table ordered a couple of pitchers of the margaritas which I must say were GREAT! I ordered the Camarones Andaluz (sauteed shrimp and vegetables in a white wine sauce) and I completely savored the dish.

My thoughts: RUN to this place and try it out. You don't have to dress up to feel comfortable and you can kick back enjoy the atmosphere, margaritas and the cheap eats. Definitely a must!

Latin Cuisine (Cuban/Puerto Rican)
Located in the Eastern Market District
Price Range $7-35

http://www.bananacafedc.com/menu.htm

Bistro Francais

After the 2007 CBC Gala and partying, a group of us were seeking an alternative for the Diner since we didn't feel like going to Adams Morgan to grab something to eat. I was referenced to the restaurant prior to and knew it stayed open until about 4 A.M. so I figured I would suggest it and try it out. WELL, that was a waste, I ordered the Oeufs Norvegienne (Poached eggs with smoked salmon hollandaise sauce on an English muffin), being that they didn't really have a breakfast menu, I was limited in what I wanted to order because I was already in the mood for breakfast food. I thought maybe it was only me being finicky about my food because I was disappointed because there wasn't anything on the menu that I really wanted but the rest of the group also complained about their food. One person even complained that their chicken Cesar salad wasn't even that great (I really don't know how you mess that one up). It's not a place I would try to visit again.

Prices range $15-30

http://www.bistrofrancaisdc.com/index.htm

Mate

Sunday night with a taste for sushi and some tasty drinks, a friend suggested Mates. Mates (pronounced Mah-tay's) is apart of the Latin Concepts chain of restaurants. As soon as I walked in I had a strong feeling I wouldn't be disappointed. The menu had the usual maki rolls, nigiri and sashimi but also has a nice amount of creative latin inspired maki rolls that are quite delectible. (Mmmmm my mouth is actually salivating thinking about their rolls, especially the Bamboo roll) The different flavored mojitos and pomegrante inspired drinks are to die for. The bartenders are pretty good and timely unfortunately the waitresses can sometimes be slow, but after getting your food it's well worth the wait. The calamari salad is interesting, the seaweed salad is VERY good. I've never had the ceviches, but I'm sure they are just as good as the sushi!

There is a happy hour during the week, and MAN, me, my cousin and a friend of mine went one day for their happy hour and ate sooooo much, had a few drinks and our tab only came up to about $80 for the three of us (we ordered about a million rolls and a couple of drinks) and we had SO much food leftover. The happy hour menu can be found on their website. http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate

Don't let the ambiance and setting fool you, it's not as expensive as it looks ;)

Location: Georgetown (K & 31st St.)
Cuisine: Latin, Sushi
Price Range: $10-$20

http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate

Cleveland Park Bar & Grill

Located directly off the Cleveland Park metro stop on the redline.

Cleveland park is your neighborhood bar & grill. Me and my cousin stop by this joint quite frequently when we don't want to cook and when we just feel like grabbing a bite to eat, plus the people who work there are all pretty cool. With a menu of pizza's, pasta's, burgers and sandwiches you can't really go wrong. It's a great place to catch a game, and they have a happy hour that starts at 10 p.m. on beer and rail drinks. The food is decent (I haven't been disappointed yet) and fairly priced. Great place to catch up with the guys or get up with the gang.

Price range - about $10-20.

Ardeo Bardeo

Location: Cleveland Park

I have been here to eat and walk by it daily. When I stopped by there I had the Steamed Nova Scotia Mussels (the portions were large) and the Fusille (smoked chicken dish) DELICIOUS!, I have also seen some famous faces dining there. Ardeo Bardeo is a Wine Bar (Bardeo) and restaurant (Ardeo). Upscale and classy the prices are a little more on the expensive side, but it's worth it. With a modern cuisine, the menu is extensive and the food is well prepared and delicious. The wine menu isn't too extensive but it's decent. It's a nice place to go if you want to get dressed up and have no place to go. A great place to take a date if you're trying to impress someone.

Prices are $25-up

http://www.ardeorestaurant.com/
http://www.bardeo.com/

Saki

Saki located at 18th and Columbia Rd is a hot little sushi spot.

Saki is one of the sushi restaurants I like to frequent although it's kinda iffy when it comes to how good the sushi is. It's a small spot consisting of a small bar area and the dining area is a row of tables, a wall length seating arrangement and little cube ottomans. It's a nice intimate place with a great happy hour. The happy hour has half off rail drinks and half off most of the sushi on the sushi menu and the appetizers. The sushi is so-so, depending on what day you go. It's not really consistent, one day it's great and one day it's not so much. But it's not that bad. I recommend it as long as you don't go with high expectations. I mainly go for the vibe more than the sushi because I never know whether or not it's going to be up to par that day. (I've tried most of the sushi on the menu)

http://www.sakidc.com/

Tabaq

Location: U Street Corridor
Cuisine: Mediteranean

I spent my birthday dinner at Tabaq. Located on U street between 13 & 14th St. off the Green/Yellow Line Cordoza Metro stop

Swanky & sexy with a Steven Starr restaurant type of feel it was definitely my steez. Tabaq has a Mediterranean theme with great drinks. The top floor (where the roof comes off in the summer) is where it is at! Leelah the bartender will hook you up with some of her delicious concoctions, you can trust her to shake up something to your tasting (Make sure you look for her). The food is really good. I think I have tried just about everything on the menu (except for any redmeat or pork dishes) and didn't have anything bad to say about any of them. Definitely a great spot for a first date, birthday dinner, or just to grab some drinks and hang out at the bar.

http://www.tabaqdc.com/

MEZE

Neighborhood: Adam's Morgan
Location: 2437 18th St. NW, Washington DC, 20009
Cost: $
Cuisine: Turkish


Walking in Adams Morgan one random Sunday in search of a good inexpensive brunch I came across Meze. Meze is a little Turkish cafe with two floors and an outdoor patio. The breakfast was amazing and CHEAP! I paid $9 for my Meze eggs consisting of poached eggs, smoked salmon on top of a muffin and potatoes! It was excellent and fulfilling. Everyone else was quite happy with their meals as well (they had the Aphrodite & Waffles). The salmon bruchetta is really good too. One of my girlfriends always orders the sausage and absolutely loves it. The workers are nice and the ambiance is really relaxed. I definitely recommend it if you want to spend less than $15 for good food & you don't really have to wait for a table. This has become by far, my favorite place for brunch. I have never had a complaint about the food here. If you can't find me on a Sunday afternoon, you haven't looked at Meze yet.

Price range $7-$20

http://www.mezedc.com/

Dino

Located on Connecticut and Ordway directly off the Cleveland Park Metro Stop on the Red Line)

Dino's is an Italian restaurant in Cleveland Park. The menu is very precise and to the point, the portions are pretty decent and the prices aren't even that costly. The wine selection is said to be the best in the city, and I will agree, they actually carried the wines that are hard to come by, but highly favored by me. The baretender a.k.a. the "Mixologists" was friendly, knew his stuff, and was also a certified sommelier. It's cozy and has a "neighborhood" type of feel but still upholds a certain air about itself. My friend ordered the Hanger Steak and although they don't carry A-1 she enjoyed it all the same. I ordered the Conchiglie ai Fruitti di Mare (pasta with shellfish) it was really good, a little salty, but pretty good. My cousin ordered the Halibut and that was amazing.

They also have a really good special Mon-Thurs, a 3 course meal for $24 as long as it is ordered before 7:00 pm.

If you love wine like I do you will be able to appreciate this place!

Price Range $15-up

http://www.dino-dc.com/index.html