khoww

Not sure about their overall German selection, but Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207) has this wine from their newsletter that we've been happy with: "2013 Alte Grafschaft "Weisser Wertheimer" (Tauberfranken, Baden, Germany) Our Regular Price: $19.99 The "Weisser Wertheimer" is emblematic of a new breed of German wines. It is dry, but not bone-dry-- there is plenty of lip-smacking vibrant fruit. It is a versatile wine with impeccable balance of vivid fruit flavors and palate-cleansing freshness that make it a wonderful pairing with a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey with all the trimmings."

The bar menu will change slightly depending on season and main menu offerings, but you can usually count on options of two soups, two salads, a fish entree served with the sushi rice, usually a pasta (mushroom fettuccine), beef (what they call a faux ribeye) and one or two other things - sometimes pork, sometimes softshell crab, etc. Seems like the desserts are almost always the same - bread pudding, ice cream, sorbet, flourless chocolate cake. At least this is what comes to mind anyway.

I've also never been, but Ebenezers Coffeehouse is one block over from the station: http://ebenezerscoffeehouse.com/.

I've found the bar to be more crowded in recent months, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. There will probably be even more traffic making its way over there in the future now that the new hotel has opened on the next block down. Don't get me wrong, it's still one of my favorite meals in town and is definitely worth it regardless of the crowd. I just feel obligated to mention this as it seems that often people's expectations aren't realistic when Corduroy's bar is crowded and the restaurant is bustling.

Don, thanks for this link. The more resources I can get my hands on, the better. Joe, thanks for your input and points. I believe that those who are interested in this topic have a responsibility to educate themselves as you have done and I'm trying to do, but if posted information at restaurants is way off base (significantly understated in these examples), it will make this effort doubly difficult. As a new year begins, lists and forecasts are all the rage. I typically take this kind of reporting with a grain of salt, but the more I read about healthy trends in the restaurant industry, the more encouraged I am that a large group of people are taking this seriously and we will see tangible results in the near future. Here's an example of one such article: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2013/01/2013_food_trend_a_healthy_stat.php

I agree that my three categories may not be all-inclusive, they're more a jumping off point to get the discussion started. I'm all for various ethnic cuisine and appreciate the recommendations. I'll report back as I try some of these and/or find options as I go. The only one I've been to on your list is Sticky Rice and since their tater tots with sauce are listed as a vegan option, another point to keep in mind is that gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, etc doesn't necessarily equal healthy. Most of it boils down to common sense by the diner, but if restaurants make an effort to produce healthy dishes (i.e. limit salt, omit unnecessary butter as Bart mentioned), it can help take some of the guesswork out of the equation. I realize their food still needs to taste good to make money, but hopefully there is a balance to be found.

Since the closest topic I could find was "Quiet, Healthy Sunday Dinner" and the last response was in 2010, I thought I would start a new topic. I'm new here so feel free to move it if there's a better place for it. I'm not getting any younger and certain dining indiscretions are starting to catch up to me. Therefore, I'm working on changing my usual approach to food to keep a focus on quality and healthy ingredients, with the occasional indulgence here and there. Also, we don't typically go out to eat because we don't want to cook. When we go out (wife and I), we're looking for an overall experience complete with great food. So, I'm not going to be happy or satisfied if I go to a restaurant with all these fantastic, unhealthy options and I feel required to order chicken breast and broccoli. To the point of this post, I'm trying to come up with a list of places with healthy options (either the focus of the restaurant or an individual dish) for all occasions. To get started, here are some of the occasions that come to mind and potential options (though I'm not endorsing these, nor have I even been to many of them): Quick/On the way home, could be either pick up or delivery - Whole Foods prepared foods, Protein Bar, etc Casual, reasonably priced, order at counter or table service with minimal fuss - Busboys & Poets, etc Higher-end dining, a nice night out - Elizabeth's Gone Raw, Restaurant Nora, etc Any thoughts, suggestions, additions would be greatly appreciated in developing a reliable list of go to options. Kevin

They serve both the regular menu and the bar menu (three course for $35) at the bar. We went early last Friday and sat at the bar, but by about 7pm the bar was pretty much full.

My name is Kevin and I'm new to the District (about 8 mos), moving here from Houston. I'm not currently in the restaurant/hospitality industry, but have been involved in various capacities over the years from bussing and dishwashing at family owned restaurants to accounting/finance roles for a corporate chain. Wherever I go, I like to try to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry and this forum sounds like a good way to do it. I look forward to learning from people here and hope to find myself back in the business someday.