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Tyler Cowen on ethnic dining
Currently, what are you favorite places to eat in the D.C. metro area?
I love Thai X-ing (DC), Meaza (Baileys Crossroad), Nava Thai (Wheaton), Hong Kong Palace (Falls Church), China Star (Fairfax), Bombay Indian (Silver Spring) and Angeethi (Herndon), plus just about everything Vietnamese in Eden Center (Falls Church). The 9th Street Ethiopian row is very good as well, and also Zenenbech, up on Florida/U/5th or so. Those places are very good and I can eat at them more or less without limit. There aren't many places around as good as those.
Here is much more.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on October 8, 2008 at 07:07 PM in Food and Drink | Permalink
Comments
I know but I won't tell. It's already taken so long to be seated there these days...
Posted by: Yan Li at Oct 8, 2008 7:16:41 PM
Anyone have any recommendations for west L.A.?
Posted by: burger flipper at Oct 8, 2008 7:26:35 PM
definitely agree with you on the Vietnamese food in Eden Center.
oooh, and Attilla's on Columbia pike. (Turkish)
Posted by: pants at Oct 8, 2008 8:27:50 PM
Tex-Mex at Lauriol Plaza on 18th near Florida...Bill Clinton ate there so it must be good! www.lauriolplaza.com
Posted by: grisjuan at Oct 8, 2008 8:49:07 PM
If I might, humbly, suggest the Evening Star Cafe on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria? On one level it is a neighborhood restaurant, but the food is incredibly good for the (sane) level prices charged. The chef is good enough to have guested at the White House.
Posted by: apikoros at Oct 8, 2008 9:07:15 PM
OK, here is one that I don't see much conflict of interest:
My past summer fav: crawfish from Sea Side Crab House.
A tip on ordering: if you are going alone, do not order 4 lbs of crawfish in one go. They'll give you less plus some crawfish will turn cold before you eat them. Order pound by pound so it'll taste good to the last drop.
Posted by: Yan Li at Oct 8, 2008 9:11:49 PM
Thai-Xing is a great restaurant. I moved from DC to SF last November, though. Did they ever move into their bigger space near 930 Club?
As for Zenenbech, it was decent, but it was no Madjet (on U St. between 11th and 13th). Most Ethiopians in DC that I met, when you asked them for a recommendation, would always tell you Dukem (which basically sucks, but it a popular place for white people who want to appear hip). However, when you ask them what they think of Madjet, basically all of them admit to it being their favorite. The Lamb Tibs on top of Shuro is pure heaven on a plate. Admittedly, it's also a heart attack on a plate, but I'd still rate that dish over almost any other dish in any other cuisine. Amazing. And the owner of Madjet is an incredible work horse. Guy is basically their from sun up to sun down, preparing the best Ethiopian food in the city.
Man, I miss Ethiopian food in DC. SF just doesn't compare.
Posted by: kyle at Oct 8, 2008 9:32:35 PM
grisjuan- the food at lauriol is good but it doesn't blow me away. the margaritas do blow me away, on the other hand :)...Lauriol is always very crowded and kind of a long walk from the metro, so if i just wanted tex mex and no liquid assets, i'd head somewhere else.
Posted by: pants at Oct 8, 2008 9:42:01 PM
Try Pillin in Falls Church for Thai. Excellent food at reasonable prices.
Posted by: Mike B. at Oct 8, 2008 10:28:39 PM
Nava Thai is wonderful.
I however am a sucker for a burger and fries, and have fallen in love with both Z-Burger in Tenley town and The Burger Joint in Bethesda. Ethnic food of a different strain, I suppose. Maybe not. But its soooooo good.
Posted by: Peter at Oct 8, 2008 11:46:50 PM
the Casa Blanca Moroccan restaurant was superb last time I was there.
Posted by: landivar at Oct 9, 2008 12:37:03 AM
I wish I could relate to this.
Posted by: Andrew at Oct 9, 2008 4:03:46 AM
Being rabid Thai fans, my wife and I love the places near our condo in the west end of Alexandria. Thai Lemon Grass on Van Dorn (http://washingtondc.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?restaurantid=23804), just south of Edsel Road, has without a doubt the best Pad Thai we've eaten in NoVa. Order it at least medium spicy. And Galae Thai at Hoffman Center across the street from Eisenhower Metro Station (http://www.regentthai.com/galae/) has some awesome food too. All of the basil and pepper dishes are incredible, especially the duck and the shrimp dishes.
Posted by: BigJimInDC at Oct 9, 2008 10:23:13 AM
Sounds like I have some new places to try out.
Have you ever been to Rangoli in South Riding, Charcoal Kabob in Herndon (not too far from Angeethi) or Pho Bistro in Centreville or Ashburn?
Posted by: David Peterson at Oct 9, 2008 10:48:45 AM
People on Yelp will not shut up about the L street Bulgogi cart. Unfortunately i've never been because it's only open during the day and I work in VA.
Are Italian sandwiches considered ethnic food? Mangialardo and Sons on Penn SE is actually amazing, but no one talks about it because the Italian Store (which is also amazing) is so close by in Arlington. Mangialardo and Sons, however, is also only open during the day.
And my favorite place to eat in all of the DC area: El Charrito Caminante. Tyler suggested the goat, but get their torta instead. Mind blowing. Just the right acidity.
Posted by: KRM at Oct 9, 2008 11:23:01 AM
When I lived in Arlington I went to all of Tyler's recommendations with much frequency and much joy. Now I live in Baltimore.. and I cook at home.
Why is it that the food is so much worse here?
Posted by: Zac G at Oct 9, 2008 12:17:34 PM
Zac G, why don't you consider switching to an all-blue-crab diet, for half a year at least? You couldn't have been better located.
Posted by: at Oct 9, 2008 12:45:42 PM
Tex-Mex at Lauriol Plaza on 18th near Florida...
You have got to be kidding. Atrocious. It is a meat market. And you must work there or do PR for them since you stuck in the URL..
AVOID this place if you are intersted in good food. Chipoltle is better. Really.
Posted by: fish on a bicycle at Oct 9, 2008 6:54:52 PM
And if you don't believe me, go read Tyler's comments about Lauriol Plaza.
http://www.tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/2006/05/lauriol_plaza.php
And the place has only gotten worse since....
Posted by: fish on a bicycle at Oct 9, 2008 7:00:41 PM
When I lived in DC I was a big fan of Pizza Shack in Adam's Morgan (that's ethnic right?). But I'm a picky eater without all of Tyler's exotic tastes. I probably couldn't find a thing I would eat at half the places he mentions...
The place next door to Irish Times (the Dubliner?) was pretty good too.
Posted by: Doug at Oct 9, 2008 8:46:02 PM
