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Dining

The dining scene in the Washington - Baltimore area is pretty decent.  Here are some of the restaurants I've visited (Franchises excluded!) 

Restaurant Type Location $ Comments
2941 American Falls Church $$$$ The wine list is overpriced, but the atmosphere and the food are good.
Fish Market American Alexandria $$ Good seafood in family friendly setting.
Kilroy's American Springfield $ Our favorite bar food restaurant.
Restaurant Eve American Alexandria $$$$ Do the tasting menu.
Hunan West Chinese Springfield $ Best Chinese food close to our house (and delivers!)
Mark's Duck House Chinese Falls Church $ Good duck made in house and dim sum at lunch.
Peking Gourmet Chinese Falls Church $$ Try the Jeo-Yan shrimp.
Cuban Corner Cuban Rockville $ Best Cuban in metro area.
Meskerem Ethiopian Washington D.C. $ One of many Ethiopian choices in Adams Morgan.
Bistro Bistro French Shirlington $$$ Nice Sunday brunch.
Bistro123 French Vienna $$$ Last time I ate there the food was too salty.
La Bergerie French Alexandria $$$ Pleasant evening with our "dining club"  but unremarkable otherwise.  Beware of French Restaurants where nobody is French.
La Fourchette French Washington D.C. $$ Adams Morgan, elicits few strong opinions.
L'Auberge Chez François French Great Falls $$$$ A very fine restaurant with an Alsacian bend.  I really like the food and the location, and the rustic feel of the place.
Le Tire Bouchon French Fairfax $$ A pleasant evening, serviceable food.
Angie's Greek Fairfax $ This family restaurant is close to us and serves "homemade" Greek and Italian.
Black Olive Greek Baltimore $$$ I really like this restaurant in Baltimore's Greek row.
Ollie's Trolley Hamburgers Washington D.C. $ Best fries in the business.
Aroma Indian Shirlington $ My coworkers love the butter chicken.
Bombay Bistro Indian Fairfax $ There are some spicy choices that will challenge you!
Bombay Club Indian Washington D.C. $$ Fancy Indian.  Also a "dining club" excursion.
Minerva Indian Fairfax $ Bold tastes at low prices.
Raaga Indian Falls Church $ Close to work, lunch buffet.
Alpine Italian Arlington $$$ Nice Italian in Arlington.
Argia's Italian Falls Church $$ Family friendly, informal, pleasant.
Da Domenico Italian McLean $$$ Good Italian in McLean, you may get an aria as a treat.
Extra Virgin Italian Shirlington $$$ The name of the restaurant caused problems when I got my credit card bill.
Italian Store Italian Arlington $ Not really a restaurant (no seating) but great subs and best pizza in metro area.
Sabatino's Italian Baltimore $$ The house dressing on the salad is memorable.
Villa Bella Italian Springfield $$ Close to home, and you gotta eat Italian.  Also, not bad.
Kawata Japanese Fairfax $$ A sushi choice close to home.
Sho-Chiku Japanese Centreville $$ Close to my previous workplace, we liked that all you can eat sushi lunch.
Cho's Garden Korean Fairfax $$ My wife really liked this place.
Woo Lae Oak Korean Arlington $$ Nice "dining group" outing, and fun place as well.
El Faro Mexican Washington D.C. $$ Adams Morgan, fun to be upstairs.
Guapos Mexican Shirlington $$ Cool lunch buffet.
La Tolteca Mexican Fairfax $ I like the authenticity and family friendly.
Picante The Real Taco Mexican Chantilly $$ Good Mexican.
Rio Bravo Mexican Arlington $$ Tex-Mex, commercial, but not bad.
Taqueria el Poblano Mexican Arlington $$ Original twists on standards, like duck tacos.
Layalina Middle East Falls Church $$$ Nice collection of hummus mazza ( try pomegranate).
Marrakesh Middle East Washington D.C. $$$ Multi course, all your hands can eat, cash only.
El Majahual Peruvian Falls Church $$ Close to work, modest setting, great taste.
Kam Po Peruvian Falls Church $$ Peruvian Chinese.  This may sound strange if you're not from Peru, but there is a huge Chinese influence on Peruvian cuisine that they call "Chaufa."
Machu Picchu  Peruvian Falls Church $$ Good Pisco Sours.
Russia House Russian Herndon $$$$ Heavily French influenced and very good.  My suggestion:  add some Georgian wines and Armenian Cognac to the wine list, I was expecting to see them.
B. Smith's Southern Washington D.C. $$$ I really like southern cooking and would generally recommend this place, but…you can be too sophisticated for you own good sometimes.
Georgia Brown Southern Washington D.C. $$$ This restaurant is a reputation restaurant, the food was dissapointingly bland.
Jaleo Spanish Washington D.C. $$ Tapas and Sangria, life is good.
Taberna del Alabardero Spanish Washington D.C. $$$ Fun atmosphere, good food.
La Tasca Spanish Arlington $$ We went there on a Wednesday for lunch, all you can eat tapas.  We ate like pigs, between 3 guys we had all the tapas on the menu.
Tapas  Spanish Alexandria $$$ Just go to Jaleo instead.
Duangrat's Thai Falls Church $$$ "Whitified" Thai (also referred to as "Round-Eyes" food).
Rabieng Thai Falls Church $$ My favorite Thai close to work.
Shirlington T.H.A.I. Thai Shirlington $$ Shirlington, busy, noisy, serviceable.
Tara Thai Thai Vienna $$ Saucy selections.
Thai Basil Thai Chantilly $$ Nice but out of the way.
Four Sisters Vietnamese Falls Church $$ Nice!  (with Borat accent).
Little Viet Gardens Vietnamese Clarendon $$ Good Viet grilled items and fun atmosphere.