The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.

"As a surge of Greek restaurants continue to open in D.C., Cava group’s contemporary ode to the idyllic Mediterranean country continues to impress Pike & Rose diners two years in. Aris Tsekouras helms the kitchen after years cooking in upscale kitchens in Greece, bringing a passion for homemade breads and tangy cheeses. A year-round bounty of fresh vegetables are celebrated on the table, as seen in a gem-hued beet salad accompanied by yogurt, pickled blackberries, smoked walnuts, carob, and basil. Other lunch and dinner highlights include slow-roasted lamb neck kleftiko, cheese pie, grilled octopus, beef tartare, stone crab bucatini, and portobello mushroom souvlaki. Kick off weekend brunch with a crowd-pleasing mezze plate of smoked salmon, soft-boiled organic eggs, sourdough Koulouri bread, tarama cream, and smoked trout roe." - Tierney Plumb, Eater Staff