Olivia

Olivia restaurant features Mediterranean flavors with seasonal, responsibly and locally sourced ingredients and modern techniques, striking a balance between innovation and tradition. Offering signature cocktails and a diverse menu of Mediterranean cuisine inspired by Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Morocco, and beyond in a beautiful, welcoming environment Olivia is the revamp of its predecessor, NoPa. Olivia features a menu that highlights shared plates, large plates, and a wine list that is priced to welcome exploration of a variety of vintages with special attention to wines of the Mediterranean region. Closest Metro is Gallery Place - Chinatown.

Succotash

Succotash located in Penn Quarter is named after the classic dish that has been a longstanding staple of the Southern table. While many know "succotash" when they see it, the dish has been interpreted, modified and passed from generation to generation for centuries. Here, James Beard Award nominee Edward Lee brings his Korean roots and Southern repertoire to a soulful Southern menu, which gives a progressive perspective of classic Southern favorites to downtown DC. Closest Metro is Metro Center or Gallery Place.

minibar

minibar by José Andrés, a two Michelin-starred restaurant, is a study in avant-garde cooking where each bite is designed to thrill the senses by pushing the limits of what we have come to expect - and what is possible - from food. The creations combine art and science, as well as tradition and technique, to deliver an imaginative and progressive tasting menu, offered at a communal setting for up to 6 guests. The menu price is $275 per person (excluding beverage, tax and gratuity). Beverage pairing options are available. Closest Metro is Gallery Place.

Dirty Habit

Dirty Habit contrasts the classic architecture of the original 1841 General Post Office in which it's set, with an intriguing bar scene that includes an expansive atrium and a private patio encompassing an entire city block. The alluring dining room conjures an air of mystery, drawing guests to experience globally inspired, seasonal shareable plates. The Atrium Bar serves up inventive craft cocktails while offering a view of the light-filled soaring ceilings plus sweeping views of the patio. The outdoor courtyard presents a respite of fresh air and intimate fire pits. Closest Metro is Gallery Place.

Dine-N-Dash 2016

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On June 15, 2016, Chef José Andrés will host the fourth annual Dine-N-Dash event. From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., event-goers will walk through the city’s Penn Quarter and 14th Street neighborhoods, enjoying food, drink and music at all of the participating restaurants. Over twenty new restaurants and food trucks were added to the Dine-N-Dash lineup this year. All proceeds from the event will benefit World Central Kitchen, José Andrés’ international non-profit that focuses on smart solutions to hunger and poverty.

China Chilcano

China Chilcano celebrates the rich culinary diversity of Peru and brings an exciting exploration of this multicultural cuisine to our nation’s capital. The restaurant honors Peru’s deeply rooted and diverse heritage, including its native Criollo, Chinese Chifa and Japanese Nikkei cuisines; its name an homage to Peru’s renowned fish stew and its popular national drink, the chilcano. Discover Chef José Andrés and team’s unique take on contemporary Peruvian cuisine with bold flavors, heady aromas and the buzz of excited diners that take you on a sensorial journey that is anything but everyday.  Closest Metro is Archives- Naval Memorial.

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza

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Ella's Wood Fired Pizza, named for the owner's daughter, is a popular Penn Quarter favorite influenced by the Neopolitan tradition, and a love of good food. Their philosophy is straightforward: to use the freshest, best quality ingredients, prepare the food simply and properly, and to serve it with joy. Closest Metro is Gallery Place.

Dine-N-Dash

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On June 9, 2015, Chef José Andrés hosted the third annual Dine-N-Dash event. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., an estimated 2,500 event goers strolled through the city's Penn Quarter, enjoying specialty dishes, craft cocktails, and live music at Washington D.C.'s top restaurants and food trucks - all in one evening! All proceeds from the event benefited World Central Kitchen.

Boss Shepherd's

Instilled with Chef Waybright’s southern inspiration, Boss Shepherd's menu boasts fresh takes on time-honored, rustic classics using farm-to-table ingredients. Offering a diverse beverage selection with distinct local whiskey and beer programs, Boss Shepherd's presents a modern take on the classic DC watering hole in the Penn Quarter neighborhood. Located just past entrance to The Warner Theatre, the closest Metro is Metro Center.

Del Frisco's Grille

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Del Frisco's Grille is buzzing with excitement in the heart of the nation's capital between the U.S. Capitol and the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. With several locations around the country, this American grill sits along wide, tree-lined sidewalks that brim with the energy of locals who live and work in this DC neighborhood, as well as visitors from all over the globe. Closest Metro is Federal Triangle.

Daikaya

Daikaya is a new Japanese restaurant in Penn Quarter from Chefs Yama Jewayni, Katsuya Fukushima, and Daisuke Utagawa as a collaborative effort to bring the "vibrant aesthetics and camaraderie of Japanese casual dining" to DC.  With a fast pace ramen shop on the first floor and an izakaya on the second floor, there are many modern touches seen in the menu of traditional dishes.  Closest Metro is Chinatown-Gallery Place.

The Source by Wolfgang Puck

The Source is the first fine dining restaurant in the nation’s capital headlined by Chef Wolfgang Puck. Designed by EDG, the three-level restaurant is the signature dining experience at the Newseum. The ground floor bar and lounge where guests enter offers approachable dining in a casual setting with a traditional Japanese Izakaya menu. Upstairs, guests can enjoy a menu with contemporary interpretations of Asian dishes. Closest Metro is Archives - Navy Memorial.

The Partisan

From the meat-loving minds behind the Red Apron, the first and only butcher shop in the nation to use 100% Animal Welfare Approved pork, comes it's neighboring sit-down restaurant, The Partisan.  Tom Sietsema recently listed this restaurant in his Fall 2014 Dining Guide with special call out to the charcuterie list that features more than 30 choices, from blood sausage to wild boar pâté.  Closest Metro is Archives - Navy Memorial.

Menu MBK

Located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, Frederik De Pue's Menu MBK is a local market, casual bistro and six-seat chef's table, offering three ways to enjoy the best seasonal ingredients and cooking that the Mid-Atlantic has to offer. The third and fourth floor BistroBar is a casual gathering place boasting thoughtful bistro fare and a diverse menu of beer, wine and cocktails, and where I recently went to lunch for DC Restaurant Week.  Closest Metro is Archives.

Potbelly "FLATS" + Popchips

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We were invited to Potbelly’s new FLATS "first taste" event at the Litwin Potbelly shop, which is within walking distance to the D.C. Court House, museums, and the National Mall.  Closest Metro is Archives-Navy Memorial.

Zaytinya Hosts its Sixth Annual Greek Easter Festival

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José Andrés and his team at award-winning mezze restaurant Zaytinya, led by Head Chef Michael Costa, commemorate this event with a two-week festival, which runs from April 20 - May 3, 2014.  The festival will feature celebratory food, cocktails, music and special events. Head Chef Michael Costa will create an array of Mediterranean-inspired dishes rich with flavors and ingredients reminiscent of springtime in Greece. The festival kicks off with Easter Brunch on Sunday, April 20th and culminates on Saturday, May 3rd from 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM with Agorá, a traditional Greek outdoor market event. The market will feature unique Greek artisanal products, wines, and much more. Live music, Spartan warriors, and complimentary loukamades help make for a very festive afternoon. Admission to Agora is free to the public.

Fiola

Fiola is Chef Fabio Trabocchi's first owned restaurant located in the heart of DC's Penn Quarter on Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 6th streets with its main entrance on Indiana Avenue.  It is a modern upscale Trattoria and uses the freshest ingredients for its daily changing lunch and dinner menus. Fiola's wine list is extensive and great variety is used to compile wines from Italy, Spain, France and the U.S.  Closest Metro is Archives.

Fogo de Chão

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The Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão (fo-go dèe shoun) began sharing the gaucho way of preparing meat in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1979. Today, the restaurant has expanded across the U.S. with gaucho chefs that expertly grill 16 cuts of meat and offer a continuous tableside service.  I recently visited the DC restaurant in the historic Evening Star building in Penn Quarter. A Beaux-Arts style façade invites guests into a space featuring large murals depicting ranch life in Southern Brazil.   Closest Metro is Federal Triangle.

Cedar

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Cedar, located in Penn Quarter, hopes to "recreate a fresh-air feeling from enjoying nature's wild beauty." Lead by Chef Aaron McCloud, the restaurant serves "a contemporary take on country fare: roasts, game, sausages, salmon, trout, forest forage-berries, mushrooms, herbs, greens, and smoke. Using the freshest of seasonal ingredients prepared thoughtfully and with great care, to remind us of the bounty of the great outdoors, the experience is further amplified by the lush rustic interior design." The website describes: "Classical French technique meets ingredient driven sensibility to create contemporary American cuisine with natural, clean flavors and vibrant presentations that highlight the expressions of the seasons." Closest Metro is Archives - Navy Memorial.

Zaytinya Hosts its Third Annual Grape Festival

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It’s that time of year to celebrate the harvest season of the most iconic fruit, the grape. José Andrés and his team at award-winning mezze restaurant Zaytinya, led by Head Chef Michael Costa, commemorate this event with a two-week festival, which runs from September 22 – October 5, 2013. This is third consecutive year that Zaytinya is raising glasses to the most cherished fruit of Mediterranean cuisine with many variations of this respected harvest through wine tasting events, dinners, a grape-inspired menu and a handcrafted specialty cocktail.