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Washingtonian "Best Restaurants" Issue


Sudhir Seth

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I always like Washingtonian's best of and find it to generally a bit less head scratch inducing than some of Tom Sietsema's dining guides.  Still though, I don't know how you put stuff like All Purpose (which I really enjoy mind you) above Kinship and Rose's Luxury.  They also seem to have a habit of putting a Trabocchi place (Del Mar this year) way higher than what would seem correct, but then again I haven't been yet.  Interested to see the rest of it.

EDIT: It seems like they don't repeat any chefs / restaurateurs in the top 25 which would better explain no Fiola, Roses, Little Serow, Kinship.  I don't necessarily agree with that logic if that's the case but it would seem to better explain it. 

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12 hours ago, FranklinDubya said:

I always like Washingtonian's best of and find it to generally a bit less head scratch inducing than some of Tom Sietsema's dining guides.  Still though, I don't know how you put stuff like All Purpose (which I really enjoy mind you) above Kinship and Rose's Luxury.  They also seem to have a habit of putting a Trabocchi place (Del Mar this year) way higher than what would seem correct, but then again I haven't been yet.  Interested to see the rest of it.

EDIT: It seems like they don't repeat any chefs / restaurateurs in the top 25 which would better explain no Fiola, Roses, Little Serow, Kinship.  I don't necessarily agree with that logic if that's the case but it would seem to better explain it. 

Overall I think it's a solid list. For what it's worth, I asked Jessica Sidman today if they purposefully did not include more than one restaurant per group and she said no.

With that said, I totally agree with you and don't know how else the restaurants you mentioned weren't in the top 25

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13 hours ago, FranklinDubya said:

Still though, I don't know how you put stuff like All Purpose (which I really enjoy mind you) above Kinship and Rose's Luxury. 

Simple answer: You don't.

This won't win me many friends, but the truth is that, absent significant changes, restaurants don't bounce around in quality nearly as much, year-over-year, as some of our local publications would like you to believe.

Example: I went to a restaurant last week for the first time in several years - it really hasn't changed very much since it first opened. I'll get a review out next week, but there won't be anything in it you don't already know (except that there was no wait at 6 PM on a Thursday).

Say what you want about Michelin (France), but at least it's relatively stable; the DC dining press is, by and large, ridiculous, capricious, and very, very self-serving - always looking for the NEW! and the HOT! and the LATEST!

You couldn't find ten restaurants in this town better than Corduroy, and it's been that way for well over a decade.

But that isn't a very sexy story, is it.

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Lists are lists. It's hard to make a list that makes the majority of people happy. If anything, they may be a decent enough barometer of places to keep an eye on to decide to try for the uninformed. But, largely I would image, all of us are here on DR.com because we're generally eager to be informed - far sooner, in greater detail, from DR people whom we trust, with follow-up visits from other DR folks chiming in frequently.

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Full list now here.

A lot of low-ball surprises, e.g., Kinship (27), Fiola Mare (30), Little Serow (absurd at 33), 2 Amys (equally absurd at 39), Hazel (46), Maketto (47), Bresca (53--haven't been but have heard great things), Mirabelle (59!), Rose's (66--ouch), Bann Thai (84), Afghan/Aracosia Bistro (95).

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On 2/16/2018 at 10:24 AM, Marty L. said:

Full list now here.

A lot of low-ball surprises, e.g., Kinship (27), Fiola Mare (30), Little Serow (absurd at 33), 2 Amys (equally absurd at 39), Hazel (46), Maketto (47), Bresca (53--haven't been but have heard great things), Mirabelle (59!), Rose's (66--ouch), Bann Thai (84), Afghan/Aracosia Bistro (95).

Whatever - we all have our favorites and any new list will not make me change my mind - I like what I like. That being said, I am sensitive to the restaurants that make it on this list and how close to the top, probably get some real traffic by making the list (or to a certain level on this list (just as much as it probably hurts if they DON'T make it on the list or as high as some might hope for.

Some random comments -

I'd put Kinship above Metier, personally.
I'd love to get to Tail Up Goat, but my wife has no desire to get there.
Himitsu would be at the top of my list to try, but I'll pull a Rose's Luxury on this one (I want a reservation and I am unwilling to wait in line.)
Masseria was.......fine. Not high on my return to list.
Hazel, Tiger Fork and Convivial should have ranked higher, same for Bresca.
Glad Clarity made the list - really good.
Mirabelle...hey, not the critic's favorite but it is my personal favorite. What can you say?

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