Dining in Georgetown

After I wrote a post about one of my favorite Georgetown restaurants, Sequoia,  in my brother’s graduation recap  I received an email asking for other recommendations that were more reasonably priced.  Half way  through writing the response I received another email asking for spots closer to the actual school.  Well, two requests is more than enough inspiration for a blog post.  After four years of living in the Georgetown neighborhood I have tried almost every spot and in the two years since I moved away most of them are still going strong.  And since there is no real fair way of listing them, here they are in alphabetical order:

Baked & Wired – 1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW – In an area that is famous for Georgetown Cupcake true natives tend to lean towards more local spots and Baked & Wired was my favorite cupcake spot when I was at school.

Booeymonger – 3265 Prospect St NW –  Booey’s is one of two deli/sandwich shops within a few blocks of the Georgetown front gates and in order to decide whether you prefer Booey’s or Wisey’s you need to try both!  The specialty sandwiches are great and the price for a pitcher of beer cannot be beat.  Having pitchers at Booey’s (below) is a definitely must.

Cafe la Ruche – 1039 31st St NW – I happened upon this cute outdoor French spot my junior year when, during move-in, making a dinner reservation had slipped my mind.   My family and I ate on the outdoor patio and with the large portions left very content with our meals.

Farmers Fishers Bakers – 3000 K St NW – Brunch.  Oh my goodness, brunch.  When I went to D.C. last year to celebrate my birthday at the end of September my friend Liz took me here.  I was wowed.  It was not open when I was in school and I am so jealous of all of those who get to enjoy FFB on a regular basis.  The brunch buffet was so tasty it that I would rank it in my top five ever.

Mai Thai – 3251 Prospect St NW –  My family went here after my brother graduated college last month and their Pad Thai was as good as I remember.  Offering a mix of Asian, Sushi, and Thai cuisines I have been to more birthday dinners here than I can count and there is something for everyone!  

Paolo’s Ristorante– 1303 Wisconsin Ave NW – My parents hosted my surprise 21st birthday at Paulo’s and they were sweet enough to have the tortellini rose on the special menu.  I order this cheese tortellini, mushroom confit, prosciutto, sun-dried tomato pasta with rosé sauce and pesto every time I dine at Paolo’s.  This hot spot is known for its European and Italian cuisine as well as their pizza, but the breadsticks are straight from heaven.

Peacock  Cafe – 3251 Prospect St NW – Let me start off by saying I am biased because I used to work here but the food is fantastic.  I do not think I made it through a shift without one the hot rolls and when I was not working the tomato bisque, roasted Faroe Island Scottish salmon, and skinny Peacock fries were deadly.  Plus, the co-owners Shahab and chef Maziar were just the best to work for!

Pizzeria Paradiso –  3282 M St NW – This Italian pizza place is only two blocks from a Domino’s chain but the two are worlds apart.  Go ahead and sit inside with the windows open on to M Street on a nice day and order a specialty pizza. It is a real treat.  My favorite is the Quattro Formaggi  with prosciutto and when they ask, have them pre-cook the prosciutto, it makes a big difference!

Sequoia -3000 K St NW – The restaurant that inspired this post offers unparalleled views of the Potomac River and delicious seafood.  Choosing between the dining room with its floor to ceiling windows and the outdoor deck is almost as hard as choosing what to order. I honestly have never had a bad dish here and usually choose the fresh fish of the day.

Sweetgreen –  3333 M St NW – I have a special place in my heart for Sweetgreen as the three founders Nicolas, Nathaniel, and Jonathan went to Georgetown and came back to speak in my advertising class.  The salad shop that started on M Street is now in 10 major cities and I always love seeing what the seasonal salad of the month will be.  Plus, they have delicious tart fro-yo. 

Thunder Burger – 3056 M St NW – In two words – great burgers.  They have interesting combinations and stealing straight from their website (because I was drawing a blank on what to say other than great burgers), “mouth-watering juicy and generously sized signature burgers”.  According to my friends, they also have good beer.

The Tombs – 1226 36th St NW – This is THE Georgetown bar and we’re all very proud of it. They offer amazing burgers and french onion soup and I definitely recommend the warm brownie for dessert.

T Sweet’s (Thomas Sweet) – 3214 P St Northwest – If Obama treks up the hill to Georgetown to get ice cream here you better believe it is good.  And this goes against almost every bone in my body but skip the soft serve and reduced fat items and go straight for the caloric heaven that is their homemade flavors.  You too will have to walk up the hill to get it but it is worth it!

Wisey’s (Wisemiller’s Grocery & Deli) – 1236 36th St NW – There are two locations but ask any Georgetown kid and he’ll tell you the real one is a block from the Georgetown front gates.  After eating dozens of sandwiches and taking too many trips to the famed delicatessen to count I can say with absolute certainty that the Chicken Madness is the best thing on the menu and that you would be remiss not to pair it with one of their homemade Oreo cookies – unreal!

And I could not finish a recap on dining in Georgetown without saying rest in peace to two of our favorite late night pizza spots that have closed over the years, Philly P and Tuscany.  There was also a great Italian place called Paparazzi where I took my family for dinner and friends for my birthday but, unfortunately, they shut their doors as well.

One thing I do pride myself on about my blog is that I always tell the truth.  That is why eateries that may top my former classmates’ lists I have deliberately chosen not to include are 1789, Cafe Milano, and Morton’s Steakhouse – the food is good but to me, it is not worth the high price points –  they are tasty but I believe you can dine at more reasonable prices elsewhere.

Have you been to the Georgetown neighborhood of D.C.?

Where did you eat?