Dinner During Mid-Afternoon

[abramer]

We're getting some unexpected baby-free downtown time on Saturday. My husband has an appointment at 1:00 in Dupont Circle, and we want to be back at Verizon Center early for the game that night (around 5-5:30). We'll have time to catch an off-peak meal sometime around 3-3:30. We like just about everything, cuisine-wise, but the budget requires a moderate bill. The food is more important to us than the atmosphere, but good service is always appreciated. I'd welcome any suggestions of places that would be open between lunch and dinner on a Saturday, and aren't going to hit the wallet too hard. There are just too many restaurants in both areas to pick from, so I'm hoping you all can tell me what's the best bang for the buck right now that's also open in the mid-afternoon.

We don't get many chances these days to eat downtown. Generally we're lucky if we can hit someplace mediocre around the Phonebooth before a game. Otherwise, most of our DC dining has been inside the arena. Looking forward to something delicious!

Thanks,

Ann-Marie

[Flavortown]

Mandu is one of my favorite options around Dupont, particularly for moderately priced meals that fall between the normal hours of lunch and dinner. The food (Korean, but not Korean BBQ) is good and inexpensive, the place has a comfortable atmosphere, and the service has been friendly and efficient on all my visits. And it's only a 5 to 10 minute walk from the metro. Menu wise, the best dishes I've tried have been the steamed shrimp dumplings, dolsot bibimbap, and duk bok gi.

Alternatively, If you're up for a slightly longer walk (over to Logan Circle), and you have an interest in beer, Churchkey is open from noon on and could fit the bill for an inexpensive meal as well. Plus, from there, walking to the Verizon Center only takes about 15 minutes.

Good luck choosing.

[Pat]

What about Zaytinya?

[Rovers2000]

Matchbox would work well here as well (obviously the Verizon Center location). Delicious pizzas and sliders (with their heroin like onion strings) and a nice little draft list.

Your off-peak timing should save you from some of the pre-Caps game crowds.

[dcs]

You could stay in Dupont and head over to Pizzeria Paradiso for some good pizza and excellent draft and bottle beer offerings. Not hard on the wallet, depending upon how much you drink, of course.

[Waitman]

Saturday afternoon is tough. Most restaurants in town don't open at all before dinner, so call before you get your heart set on something. Sette, in Dupont, isn't bad. And you can always hit Bistro du Coin. Chinatown-ish puts you near Cafe Atlantico and Jaleo, both worthy adventures, open Saturdays and a cut above pizza and burgers. Not in either neighborhood but not imnpossibly far from Verizon Center is Brasserie Beck, also open (last time I checked) all afternoon.

[Tweaked]

I've been to Zaytinya, Matchbox, and Jaleo on a Saturday afternoon right around 3pm and never been crowded.

[mame11]

Why not the cafe at the American Art Museum. It's cafeteria style but the setting is fabulous.

[Lola007]

And you can always hit Bistro du Coin. Chinatown-ish puts you near Cafe Atlantico and Jaleo, both worthy adventures, open Saturdays and a cut above pizza and burgers. Not in either neighborhood but not imnpossibly far from Verizon Center is Brasserie Beck, also open (last time I checked) all afternoon.

I second the recommendations for Bistrot du Coin in Dupont and Jaleo in Chinatown. I like the variety of Jaleo's tapas and the atmosphere. Plus you'd be close to the Verizon Center. Another place I'd recommend is the Penn Quarter Teaism, especially for a light meal and nice atmosphere. Have fun!

[abramer]

Thanks for the great ideas, everyone! Looks like there are many worthy options. I'll report back on how we did.

[porcupine]

uh, just as a reminder, why not check the Brunch Guide? It isn't limited to brunch; it should include any restaurant that's open midday on Saturdays and/or Sundays.

[abramer]

Thanks again, everyone, for your ideas. We ended up going to Brasserie Beck, as we'd never been before and mussels sounded good. The dining room was closed for dinner prep, but the bar was open with the full menu. We split the lamb, roasted pepper and goat cheese sandwich, which was good but not great, and the mussels with chorizo and fennel which was outstanding. The service in the bar was warm and welcoming. Definitely a stop we would make again.

Thanks, too, Porcupine, for pointing out that the brunch guide could have helped. I generally only think of brunch as being a Sunday affair, so I blanked out on that one.

Ann-Marie