Dining in DC

[JuliettetheBrit]

Hi,

I'm a British student, interning in DC for a semester. This post is an introduction and a question. I live with other students, and I'm unpaid, so most of my dining is on the cheap end of things. Recently I discovered Taqueria Distrito Federal, which I loved. I live and work on the Hill, so I'm familiar with that area particularly, and the bars of Adams Morgan and Georgetown

My real question is, my family are coming for a week-parents, aunt and uncle, and my two sisters. Generally, we will eat pretty much anything, although my youngest sister isn't a fan of fish. So I'm looking for some recommendations. I don't want to take them to the priciest places in DC, but, the exchange rate is pretty good so I guess $50 wont be a big deal. We won't want Chinese, and probably not Italian, but apart from that other suggestions are good, especially those near the Cherry Blossoms!

I have been reading lots of the reviews to get some ideas, so thank you.

Juliette

[RaisaB]

Hi Juliette! Can you clarify, do you mean $50 per person or $50 for the entire meal? Hey, I used to eat ramien noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in college, so you can never be sure about budget.

[lackadaisi]

Central is pretty close to the mall and really good, fun, and it is possible to do it for $50/person; it is the place to be right now. A little longer walk is Corduroy, which despite its location (on the second floor of a hotel), is a truly amazing place. Also, if you plan on spending any time at the mall looking at museums, the Mitsitam cafe at the American Indian Museum is good. Zaytinya or Jaleo are also good options for either lunch or dinner - or just a drink, and may be a little less expensive than either Central or Corduroy (which are both reasonable themselves).

Hope you have a great time!

[rkduggins]

I must second the nomination of Mitsitam in the American Indian Museum. The food is a great representation of American Indian foods, it's delicious and its a great value. Note that they are only open until 5 PM, so factor that in to your plans.

[JuliettetheBrit]

I meant $50/head, which is only £25 a person in the UK. My parents will be paying for my two sisters and I (they are 16 and 20, by the way), so somewhere like Komi is out. Having heard raves about Central, I have booked a table, and I'm very excited. I should add at this point that I am a commiteed foodie, and love to spend my days writing and thinking about food, and planning what to cook or eat, hence my interest in the site.

Thank you for the tip on the Mitisam, that area is a tough one to eat it, in my experience. Last time I went to the monuments I walked to the fishmarket at the waterfront for crabcakes for lunch, because I tend to avoid museum places-the air and space is horrific!

We wont have a car, but most places in the city are metro accessible, so that's not a problem. I'm really just interested in people's opinions, any advice is great!