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Dining Near Mount Vernon Square and Walter E. Washington Convention Center


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Folks -- Any recommendations for a late dinner with friends around the Washington Convention Center? Moderately priced. Any cuisine but of course good food biggrin.gif

Thanks!!
 
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To make this clear for out-of-town visitors, there was an "old" Convention Center, and there is a "new" Convention Center. *IN THEORY ONLY* every post on this thread was written after the new convention center opened, and should therefore pertain to the new one, and not the old one, but double check to be sure - here are descriptions of the old, and the new:
 
Washington Convention Center (The Old Convention Center): This was located at 909 H Street NW, to the northwest of Verizon Center. Opening in 1982, it was 800,000 square feet, making it the fourth-largest convention center in the United States. However, by 1997, it was only the thirtieth-largest, as other cities poured money into competing for convention dollars. Plans were made for a newer, more modern facility, and on Dec 18, 2004 - 5 months before this website opened - it was imploded. Nevertheless, to show you how large this was, it's boundaries were: H Street NW on the South, New York Avenue NW on the North, 11th Street NW on the West, and 9th Street NW on the East.
 
Walter E. Washington Convention Center (The New Convention Center) This is located at 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, north of Mount Vernon Square. Opening in 2003 - the year before this website opened - it is 2,300,000 square feet, with 703,000 square feet of exhibit space. It's boundaries are: Mount Vernon Place on the South, N Street NW on the North, 9th Street NW on the West, and 7th Street NW on the East - just a five-minute walk from where the old convention center was.

Edited by DonRocks
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Hi Monica,

Zaytinya is also close, and they serve until midnight on weekends. Full Kee is open late, also - but they don't serve wine. I haven't been to PS7 yet, but I do know that the location is an easy walk from the convention center (I live in this neighborhood), and they serve until 10:30 on Saturdays.

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This is the question I face just about every day. Corduroy is probably the best bet overall (and, thus, my standard decision). Acadiana is closer, but not as good. Neither Oya nor Zaytinya are too far. Other options that are a bit further but still not far include: Matchbox, PS7 (I haven't actually been yet), Poste, Jaleo, Rasika, Etete, and Old Ebbitt (if really late) are other standard options listed from closest to furthest.

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Hi Monica,

Zaytinya is also close, and they serve until midnight on weekends. Full Kee is open late, also - but they don't serve wine. I haven't been to PS7 yet, but I do know that the location is an easy walk from the convention center (I live in this neighborhood), and they serve until 10:30 on Saturdays.

I was at jury duty and raced over to Full Kee for lunch in July and they now have wine.

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I'm putting together a list of places for a very large conference that will be held at the Convention Center in mid-June. I'm trying to keep things relatively near the area or metro accessible, preferably within D.C. proper. The categories I'm working with are: Hotel Restaurants, Cheap Eats, and Hidden Treasures. Any suggestions?

P.S. If I were you, I'd generally try to stay away from that area while the conference is in town (June 21-27, with most of the programs happening on the 23-26), or at least make your reservations early. Last year, almost 17,000 people attended the conference in New Orleans and attendance is expected to be a bit larger this year.

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For cheap Latin eats, up 11th right before M (or right after) there is a lttle storefront place called El Riconcito. It's the standard mix of Mex/Salvadorenan with papusas, tacos, combos etc, but in my experience it's been very tasty and cheap and besides all my latin friends say it's better than most in the city and swear if you want good food you have to go to MD.

I absolutely love Full Kee (cheap, cash only) but I'll also eat at Chinatown Express and The New Big Wong (don't know if I just like the name?) Big Wong has a fabulous deep fried pork chop that I order everytime.

Hope that helps...

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right before M (or right after) there is a lttle storefront place called El Riconcito

I have eaten at this place many times as it is extremely close to where I live, and I agree that the food is really good. But, I feel the need to mention that it is not a great place to go at all times. I have had a few incidents there (which I have written about here but without naming the restaurant, see Never Again Experiences) that have led me to believe that take-out might be the only way to eat from here (and, I still need some recovery time before I can even get the take-out again).

But, I am sure that I will end up returning at some point because that Deshilada is really good!

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Does anyone know of a bar near the convention center that can hold about 20 people for a Friday afternoon happy hour? It would be right around 5 pm in late June. I've been to the Old Dominion located at the convention center, and the bar area isn't really all that big. I would prefer to avoid RFD. Any thoughts?

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Does anyone know of a bar near the convention center that can hold about 20 people for a Friday afternoon happy hour? It would be right around 5 pm in late June. I've been to the Old Dominion located at the convention center, and the bar area isn't really all that big. I would prefer to avoid RFD. Any thoughts?

You might consider Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza - my former employer had a going away party for some departing employers there last year, and it worked out pretty well. There was a fairly big bar area that was empty except for us (though I don't think our function was on a Friday), and the restaurant provided free pizza (they'd put out a couple of pies at a time and then make more, in different kinds, as we went through it). The pizza was not the best I've ever had, but you can't beat free. There very well could have been drink specials too.

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... while the conference is in town (June 21-27, with most of the programs happening on the 23-26),

If it's ALA, I am at the same conference! Went to Zaytinya on Saturday for lunch. Loved it! The cod fried in beer batter was excellent, as was my beef loin with pistachio and pepper sauce. Might try A.V. Ristorante for lunch on Monday. What are you up to? PM if interested in lunch.

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For the fifth time in 4 years I've joined groups of out of towners for dinner while they attended a set of meetings at the DC Convention Center.  In all cases one of the out of towners chose the restaurant, or did so with a different person's assistance.   In all cases restaurants were chosen more or less convenient to hotels ranging from around 16th and K on the West to about 7th Street to the East.   The dining groups have ranged in size from as small as 5 to as large as 14 (I believe).

To date we have been to Carmine's (twice), McCormick and Schmicks, Old Ebbitt, and this year Legal SeaFoods.   They are all okay.  None are great.  Of the five experiences I think Old Ebbitt was the worst imho.

Carmine's in both cases ended up being relatively inexpensive, completely unforgettable from a food perspective, but tremendously accommodating for a large group.

Compared to current sea food choices, McCormick and Schmicks was passable and I'd rate Legal SeaFoods as a little better.  BTW:   Legal SeaFoods on 7th Street, across from the Verizon Center was like Times Square--Packed on the street and inside (as was Old Ebbitt inside.)

Some of the visitors have been repeat.  Some are "major foodies" or at least "minor foodies".  Frankly all of the visitors can afford better meals.  In the last experience the bill was paid with one person's card, and somebody from each couple kept surreptitiously giving him probably between $150 to more for each couple.  Nobody winced.   ;)

Some of these folks will be back to the Convention Center again with some of their professional cohorts.   Even if they don't ask me early on for suggestions I'd like to at least forward to them a set of better choices.

Any better suggestions???

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You don't say how large the groups tend to be, but Corduroy is across the street from the Convention Center and has some private dining space.

+1 I live in the neighborhood and Corduroy cannot be topped for its proximity to the Convention Center and Tom Power's really great cooking. However, there are also a few other choices that are better option than the ones you listed, Daveo.

Proof -- If I were in your shoes, I would always be pushing to go to Proof. Every. Single. Time.

Baby Wale -- Maybe not ideal for a business dinner but this place is a lot of fun and the food is really good.

Table -- Solid, sometimes even great food, though I have experienced iffy service there.

Thally -- I want to like this place a lot more than I do but the food is good, if nothing to write home about. I like the cozy atmosphere and there's an area in the back that can be used for semi-private dining.

Alba Osteria -- I have only been here once and had a decent meal though service was an absolute cluster. That was when they first opened so hopefully the issues have been worked out by now. Still, better than Carmines.

Eat the Rich -- Great for a smaller group of seafood lovers. If people are willing to go down to Gallery Place or over to the Metro Center area for mediocre to less than mediocre food, they should be willing to go up the road for some serious and seriously good fare.

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@Pat, @Tujague @eatruneat   thank you thank you thank you.  I'm going to copy these (and other suggestions) and just send them to people I know coming to meetings at the convention center.

BTW:  the dinner groups can vary in size from year to year and even if they are during a single set of meetings over more than one day.  Differing numbers of people will get together and dine out.

...and a 2nd btw:  I noticed from an earlier thread by Porcupine that a group at the convention center wanted Italian.   They ended up taking metro to Dino's.

I'm mostly looking for suggestions in walking distance around the convention center.  They don't have to be fancy.  I know a lot of those folks would thoroughly enjoy Full Kee by example.

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I suggest taking a look at the dining guide, as there are so many suggestions that it is impossible to list.  There is absolutely no reason at all to be going to any of the places that you mentioned.  They are ridiculous choices that could be had at any mall in the country, why would anyone do that?

For italian, try Tortino, Casa Luca, Bibiana.  If you want cheap salvadorean with a tiny group, El Rinconcito.  For amazing bar food, Passenger.  With flaming drinks, Hogo.  For more intimate groups, Eat the Rich or Mockingbird Hill.  For beer lovers, Right Proper.  For brunch, Cedar or Poste.  For cozy, Thally.  For hip, Table.  For super hip, Rogue 24.  For fancy, Corduroy.  For casual crowds showing up at different times, Baby Wale.  For smoke lovers, Del Campo. For coffee, vigilante or La Colombe. Seriously, I could go on and on, and that is without even venturing to 14th Street or the east side of Mount Vernon Square.  This neighborhood is amazing, please stop going to Legal Seafoods.

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I suggest taking a look at the dining guide, as there are so many suggestions that it is impossible to list.  There is absolutely no reason at all to be going to any of the places that you mentioned.  They are ridiculous choices that could be had at any mall in the country, why would anyone do that? ......

  This neighborhood is amazing, please stop going to Legal Seafoods.

 

I agree.  Great choices.  thank you.

...and it is because of the legal seafoods and mccormick and schmicks....I figured there would be a far healthier, more vibrant, more knowledgeable list of places to eat and dine, far beyond my suggestions.....that would come out of this forum.

And there has been...and its only a couple of hours....

As I learn, months in advance, of different old friends, colleagues or family attending a conference at the Convention Center with their colleagues....I'm going to cut and paste from these lists and send this to them.

The out of towners like to coordinate among themselves and tend to choose and make choices to dine from afar.  It turns out that I don't normally make the reservations as they speak or email with one another before tying down choices.

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To help out-of-town visitors who come across this thread, I added the following text to the first post:

To make this clear for out-of-town visitors, there was an "old" Convention Center, and there is a "new" Convention Center. *IN THEORY ONLY* every post on this thread was written after the new convention center opened, and should therefore pertain to the new one, and not the old one, but double check to be sure - here are descriptions of the old, and the new:
 
Washington Convention Center (The Old Convention Center): This was located at 909 H Street NW, to the northwest of Verizon Center. Opening in 1982, it was 800,000 square feet, making it the fourth-largest convention center in the United States. However, by 1997, it was only the thirtieth-largest, as other cities poured money into competing for convention dollars. Plans were made for a newer, more modern facility, and on Dec 18, 2004 - 5 months before this website opened - it was imploded. Nevertheless, to show you how large this was, it's boundaries were: H Street NW on the South, New York Avenue NW on the North, 11th Street NW on the West, and 9th Street NW on the East.
 
Walter E. Washington Convention Center (The New Convention Center) This is located at 801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, north of Mount Vernon Square. Opening in 2003 - the year before this website opened - it is 2,300,000 square feet, with 703,000 square feet of exhibit space. It's boundaries are: Mount Vernon Place on the South, N Street NW on the North, 9th Street NW on the West, and 7th Street NW on the East - just a five-minute walk from where the old convention center was.

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/bump/

I'm looking for a few lunch options near the Convention Center in July. Tom Power's places aren't open for lunch. My list already has Smoked & Stacked, but always looking for more choices. Extra points for tabs less than $35, please.

Any suggestions?

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19 minutes ago, Lydia R said:

/bump/

I'm looking for a few lunch options near the Convention Center in July. Tom Power's places aren't open for lunch. My list already has Smoked & Stacked, but always looking for more choices. Extra points for tabs less than $35, please.

Any suggestions?

All Purpose and Unconventional Diner are my go to lunch spots,  both easily under $35.  Buttercream Bakery for dessert.  

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Shouk, at 6th and K, is pretty close the Convention Center and is great.  Capital Burger just opened too but I haven't been yet.   Chercher does a delicious lunch at cheap prices and it isn't crowded.  Ditto for El Sol on 11th Street and M.

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If I wanted to be reintroduced to the best burger in the region I’d walk over to Hell Burger on K between 4th and 5th.   Haven’t tried one of his qlb smaller burgers.  The larger ones are still at the exceptional top of the heap in Burger world.

Very great quality meat; what cuts does he use???  The burgers reflect quality beefiness plus the grease that flavors a thick burger at medium rare—tasty and juicy!!

It is the sparest and barest of joints.  Think down a notch from Pho 75 presence.  OTOH Think South Jersey shore away from the fancy places

I also give bonus points for the milk shakes

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