My parents are coming to town this weekend, and I’m looking for a good restaurant for dinner on Friday night. Last time they were here, we ate at Founding Farmers, which was very well received. We’re pretty open to a variety of cuisines, and it can be a little pricey but not too extravagant. I work by Farragut West and live in Crystal City, so pretty much anything in the south half of DC and anywhere in Arlington is fair game. Any recommendations? Thanks!
I have plenty of recommendations! First off, again, there’s always Micah’s mother’s excellent guide to eating the District with parents. You’ve already eaten at Founding Farmers, but she offers some other options as well. For your specific question, though, there are a dozen other places that would be great: here are my top four picks.
If you want to stay near Crystal City, Jaleo has a fantastic reputation, and is owned by probably DC’s most popular chef, Jose Andres. I haven’t been there myself but I’ve heard great things, and I really like his Mexican restaurant Oyamel in Penn Quarter. Jaleo is a Spanish restaurant with lots of tapas choices, and should be delicious and a lot of fun.
If you’re venturing into the south half of DC (and by south half I assume you mean the south half of NW), there are a ton of good options. If you can still get a reservation, Graffiato in Chinatown has some awesome Italian-American food. Fiola, right by the Archives metro, is also supposed to have great Italian food, although it’s definitely pricier and might stretch your budget.
If you’re willing to drive (assuming you or your parents have a car) slightly farther into DC, though, my first choice would be Boundary Road on H Street in NE. It’s only a 10 minute drive from the Crystal City metro, so it’s not too far a hike, and it’s a nice restaurant with fantastic, interesting American food without being too fancy or pretentious seeming (and not exorbitantly priced). Plus, Obama took some supporters there a few months ago, so you can tell your parents you’re taking them somewhere the President ate, which is bound to get you some bonus points.
I hope this helps! Let me know which you choose!
