Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Oh there are waaaaay too many.

You HAVE to go to Zaytinya. Greek/Lebanese/Turkish small plates. 9th and G, NW near the Verizon Center and Chinatown. The young and hip go there for cocktails and mezza, and to be seen. I go there to laugh in the face of pretention and stuff my face with little morsels of goodness. The seared scallops with dill yoghurt, imam biyaldi, and grilled octopus (if they have it) are all mind-blowing.

You're also a stumble away from Georgia Brown's and damn fine elevated-southern cuisine. You can quickly get to the Bombay Club for delicious Indian food. The Ethiopian cab drivers will tell you to go to Dukem on U Street (11th I think), NW -- Live Ethiopian music and dancing on Wednesdays.

Straights of Malaya on 18th at R is a tasty bit of southeast Asia. Pasta Mia on Columbia just north of 18th Street in Adam's Morgan is worth waiting in line for a huge plate of pasta and some delectable sauces. Just a bit further up 18th street (across the Duke Ellington Bridge and almost to Connecticut Ave.) is the Afghan Grill. Around the corner from that on Connecticut is Lebanese Taverna.

Dear sweet jebus, get in touch. I'll be thinking about all the fabulous places in DC for a week because of this. Helps that I'll be there for a few days over the holidays and get there for work once a month.

Zaytinya was my first thought, but if you have $$$$$, get thee to Citronelle (I haven't been able to yet)! Also: Blue Duck Tavern, Central (a bit overrated imo but still very good--do NOT skip the brussels sprouts or gougieres), Palena (THE best roast chicken you'll get anywhere, esp for about $12) and Grapeseed in Bethesda, Black Market (?) in Garrett Park, and...and...a zillion other places. DC has definitely become a serious food town!
Nothing against Serious Eats, but also get reading the articles and live chats from Tom Sietsema of the Wash Post (all in archives). He really knows what he's talking about when it comes to DC dining!

2Amys - pizza in Cleveland Park on Macomb Street. start with the suppli a telefono, continue with the Pizza Margherita or Ripieno calzone, then finish with one of their homemade ice creams

Zaytinya - 'nuff said

Jaleo - tapas in Penn Quarter (or Bethesda)

Palena - modern american in Cleveland Park on Connecticut Avenue. Sit in the "cafe" section for cheaper food

Cactus Cantina - tex-mex in Cleveland Park on Macomb Street. Pretty much everything's good, but I recommend the fajtas (or anything that comes with the hot-off-the-press flour tortillas)

Faryab - afghan in Bethesda. I recommend the vegetarian eggplant dish

Kinkeads - seafood downtown

Blacksalt - seafood in Palisades on MacArthur Blvd.

Malaysia Kopitiam - Malaysian by Dupont Circle. I got an awesome noodle dish with mixed seafood and really fat, short noodles

Equinox - modern, local ingredients near the Kennedy Center

Rosa Mexicana - mexican (surprise) in Penn Quarter. They make the guacamole tableside! really great fresh corn tortillas. I had delicious ceviche and a yummy vegetarian chile relleno

Aditya - indian in Georgetown. Everything's great, but I usually get the dal and the onion kulcha bread. Two of my friends always get the lamb korma

Zed's - ethiopian in Georgetown. Everythings great, but I love the yellow split peas, the red lentils, and the green beans

Rock Creek - "healthy" modern american in Bethesda or Friendship Heights. My friend's mom owns this very successful restaurant, which is amazingly secretly healthy! Aside from the facts that bread is only served if you want it and theres a page of nutrition facts in the very back of the menu, one could eat an entire three course meal here without realizing its healthiness (and consuming less than 600 calories total)

I second Rosa Mexicana, some real classy Mexican food there. I think Jaleo is getting a bit too overrated, the service is getting worse as the hype increases. If your willing to get out to Rockville, Joe's Noodle House is probably the best Chinese/Taiwanese food this side of the Pacific. If your down with the Jose Andres I would suggest his other restaurant down the street from Jaleo, the name escapes me (Oyamel i believe), a little pricey but the ceviche was very good last time I was there and they have some nice authentic chocolate mole's and other non-taco-quesadilla-burrito fare.

Try Hank's Oyster bar Q St NW. Also try Thaiphoon, next door to Ruth's Chris on Connecticut just out of Dupont circle

Don't know if you're willing to drive a bit, but I had a blast visiting the Eden Center in Falls Church, VA. It's a Vietnamese market that offers homemade pastry, sandwiches, bubble drinks, and the most delicious vegetarian treats I have ever tasted. I made a trip to try the much-talked-about homemade tofu shop and loved not only everything they sold, but lots of the other shops' delicacies. It's a fun couple-hour strolling and eating experience. I highly recommend it. Anyone else go?

By the way, if you do want to go, simply google Eden Center + DC + Falls Church (or some variation) and you'll find all the info. you need.

Some of my favorites:

Dino - really good Italian. Lots of small plates and a killer wine list.

Mandalay- Out in silver spring.Serve Burmese food which is a fun mix of Chinese, Indina. and Thai cuisine The salads there are awesome. The food is really cheap, last time I was there it was two people who orded soup or salad, main meals and desert and the bill was 36 dollars.

E Pollo Rico- Peruvian Chicken and no much else. Very cheap (they only take cash) and the line is usually around the block. In Wheaton MD.

Colorado Kitchen- pretty controversial amongst DC diners, some love it, some don't. I think this place is fantastic, a Tiny diner that serves a combination fancy food and comfort food. Also does a killer brunch on sundays where the wait for a table can take upwards of 90 minutes but the homeade doughnuts are worth it. (colorado ave NW)

Tiffin - my favorite indian place on Unverity BLVD in Langely MD. Has a delicious buffet. Makes lots of awesome vegetarian dishes. Sister resteraunt Udupi Palace is all vegetarian and also good.

for more recomendations I'd join up www.donrockwell.com, great board for serious DC eaters.

OOOPS...forgot to add my strong second to missjess's mention of Tiffin/Udupi Palace. For our adult children, visiting mom and dad has to include at least one meal at our favorite Indian restaurant...ever...Tiffin. We have many vegetarian friends/family...either place is a 'can't miss'. Check out the Sari Palace and Indian/Pakistani grocery story in the same strip mall.

Stephanie: First, welcome to the area! Second, I have to repeat: join Donrockwell, NOW!: http://www.donrockwell.com/

The forum was launched by a well-informed, articulate wit w a sharp tongue, off-color sense of humor and more than an iota of humanity. He writes about wine and offers personal reviews of restaurants, that is, a type of culinary institution he frequents more than grocery stores though many of the DR community are home cooks, too.

Note the discussion board's section devoted to restaurants and dining where you'll find a great range of experienced opinions regarding high to low establishments in D.C. proper as well as nearby VA and MD. Sheer volume of posts will offer more than you might get here, especially when the feedback is specific and detailed. However brief, the comment "sucks ventworm nut" urges you to stay clear.

Respectfully as possible, I question some of the recommendations here including places that inspire enthusiastic "Hear! Hear!"'s; your personal tastes may differ.

National recognition conforms to local opinion in the following list:

TOP THREE
Citronelle--Michel Richard has won just about every award and his sommelier, Mark Slater, James Beardian ribbon and metal, too. Very, very pricey. Imaginative. Elegant. Original.
CityZen--Usually given 2nd place status, but it's hard to think of this as anything but first-class. Kitchen is run by Thomas Keller-trained Eric Riebold who's made a name of his own. Set you back a few hundreds apiece, too.
Komi--Also given the nod for the reasons suggested above: the cult of the chef. Very different type of place: tiny, therefore hard to get into at times. Not as costly. When critic from LA Times came to town and dined out with a dear, long-time friend and fellow critic, this is the third of the three places they visited. I've already told you the other two.

Palena and Vidailla are usually given spaces 4 & 5, especially now that Fabio Trabocchi is transplanted in NYC. However, there are lots and lots of other wonderful places including some of the ones that get nods here, e.g. Blue Duck. Jose´ Andres is our link to El Bulli, cf. Cafe Atlantico and Minibar for that side of the chef along w truly gifted talent he's trained here in D.C. Ethiopian's perhaps the one expatriate cuisine associated w the city and up there w Dukem is Etete. Cashion's Eat Place mentioned yet? New Heights? Hook? Restaurant Eve?

Florida Avenue Grill for great soul breakfasts. Country ham, grits, fried apples, the whole deal!