But I answered it anyway in the form of an email from a woman who found me on the dating website that drove me to blog in the first place. At some point, I am sure that I will write about the intellectual laziness that inspires one line emails, but this is not that moment. Her query “So, what are some of your favorite restaurants?”
Favorite as applied to anything subjective is so overly broad that it no longer has meaning not to mention cliché. I hate clichés as much as I detest low hanging fruit, yet in the spirit of courtesy and knowing that a good blog post might be derived, I answered with the following:
Favorite restaurant is a loaded term. Favorite is conditional – favorite for what occasion? Favorite by definition implies familiarity – how can any reasonable person call a variable entity a favorite without multiple visits to ensure consistency? Favorite is a very different question than best and favorite does not account for price point. So, given the aforementioned givens, my favorite restaurants in DC…
Favorite for a first date that won’t think I am a pretentious ass for going someplace nice on a first date – Mendocino Grille
Favorite for a first date that need be dissuaded of the belief that I am a pretentious ass and therefore must be taken someplace with really good food but with more of an edge and not terribly pricey – Granville Moore’s
Favorite place for Muscles and Fries and Belgian Beer – Granville Moore’s
Favorite for a second date or a really good steak – the bar at Capitol Grille
Favorite after a craptacular day and I need a culinary hug – Cashion’s Eat Place
Favorite for a dive burger and a surprising but exceptional scotch collection but only if I am in and out before the “flip-cup” playing hordes arrive – Adams Mill Bar & Grill
Favorite for a gourmet burger and well made Manhattan – Palena
Favorite for seafood when I am in the mood to hang with the beautiful people – Hook
Favorite crab shack – Cantler’s (if you can find the place, be sure to leave a trail of breadcrumbs to guide you home)
Favorite for BBQ that is actually worthy of the drive to Richmond – Buzz and Ned’s
Favorite for a gastronomic journey that is as good as the most famous / most expensive places but not that famous and not terribly expensive – Komi
Favorite for egoless cooking that is absurdly, consistently, very, very good – Corduroy
Favorite place that will get me to crass (typo but I’m keeping it) a moat into Virginia (really the only place) – Restaurant Eve
Favorite Wine bar that I adore despite its own popularity therefore making this choice a bit cliché – Cork
Favorite Pizza – Coppi’s (2 Amy’s would have been in the running if it weren’t for all of the three feet high Petri dishes running around the place and making quite a racket)
Favorite Dive Bar – Tune Inn (all the accountants and lawyers have ruined the Raven)
I agree re: Raven. Totally ruined. I have not visited ONE place on this list. And I call myself a foodie…
if i ever get around to writing something about myself on this blog, you would know that I spent seven years as gm of a couple of restaurants. part of my job was
eating at other restaurantsevaluating the competition on the boss’s nickle.p.s. if you ever want help with wine, feel free to ask.
sooo fake