In the six months during which I visit restaurants - at least once a day - for the Fall Dining Guide, I must arbitrarily leave out some that are as important or agreeable as many that are included. If you want to know why I have not evaluated Le Provencal or El Bodegon or the Blue Nile or whichever of your favorites is missing, the answer is that there is no good answer. With so many good new restaurants, it is obvious why some old favorites have missed being reviewed this year. There now is more than one answer to, "Where is a good seafood restaurant?" And even more important, increasingly restaurants are serving seafood that is fresh rather than frozen, and cooking it properly. And the price range is tightening, with less difference than ever between the average checks of modest and grand restaurants.Įating trends move slowly, but in Washington they are continuing steadily towards seafoods and away from red meats. With costs of everything rising more rapidly than menus can be reprinted, the profit margin is narrowing. Empty tables are seen for the first time in some restaurants. These ambitious projects are all the more remarkable for coming when Washington's restaurants are feeling, belatedly, the economic pinch. We have even added an outstanding new American restaurant - a grill room at last - T. The House of Hunan is an exceptional addition to Washington's hundreds of Chinese restaurants, and Vincenzo's, once the kinks are ironed out, is aiming for the top among Italian restaurants. But two other major cuisines have contributed restaurants that deserve to be at the top of anyone's dining list. Jean-Louis alone has settled Washington more firmly in the list of cities for serious eating, even drawing respectful attention from the culinary Olympus - France. But always there are enough improvements to keep one believing that Washington is constantly becoming a better and better eating city. When one reviews the range of Washington restaurants every year, it is no surprise that the situation remains pretty stable - a few get better and a few get worse, many open and just as many close. It still has nearly half a dozen Ethiopian restaurants but none from Scandinavia. It still has some of best the French restaurants in the country - and some of the worst. Washington still has about 5,000 restaurants. Richman is restaurant critic of The Washington Post. Richman Assisted Carole Sugarman Phyllis C.
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