The smell of fall is in the air and Leo’s is serving decent food for a change—it can only mean that Parents’ Weekend is right around the corner. While your parents are sure to bombard you with an endless assault of questions about school, the only one that really matters is, “Where do you want to eat tonight, honey?” If you play your cards right, hopefully you can land yourself a few meals out at some of D.C.’s tastiest joints.
If you’re in the mood for a little French, Bistrot Lepic on Wisconsin Ave. serves up authentic French cuisine from authentic French people. If you know the language, show off the fruits of your parents’ investment with a little “Merci beaucoup” or “Je voudrais” when ordering their delicious braised veal cheeks—osso-bucco style—or roasted rack of lamb with mashed potatoes so tasty you’ll forget about the seven or so sticks of butter used to make it. If you’re a daring diner, some of their best dishes are the crispy boneless pig’s feet and the veal kidneys with dijon mustard.
For those who want to skip the foreign business and fantasize about their future lives working on the Hill, there’s The Capital Grille Downtown that serves up steaks thicker than your Organic Chemistry book. Capital Grille is typically D.C., home to Senators, Representatives and the lobbyists trying to schmooze them. While upscale dress is expected, you shouldn’t dress too nicely—Rep. Foley may still be around.
For a trendier experience, try Zaytinya, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant whose head chef, José Andrés, is so good he’s slated to appear in the upcoming season of Iron Chef America. A notch above the rest, Zaytinya serves mezze, which are small plates of food meant to be shared to make a meal fit for socializing. The trick here is to order a lot of mezze from ground lamb in pita to aglaia kremezi-style crab cakes with roasted garlic yogurt. Dining in D.C. doesn’t get much better.
Above all, make sure to wrinkle the forehead and work the eyebrows for the full puppy dog effect. You can even practice on your roomate a couple days before your parents arrive so as to avoid looking threatening. And when leaving the table at gastronomical cloud nine, be sure to shrug off the waiter’s raised umbrageous eyebrow and ask for a doggy bag to bring a little bit of escape with you back to reality—it’s a long wait until Thanksgiving.
Bistrot Lepic; 1736 Wisconsin Ave NW (202) 333-0111; depending on wine and courses, $30-$45 per person.
Capital Grille; 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (202) 737-6200; it’s not cheap.
Zaytinya; 701 9th St. NW corner of 9th and G St. (202) 638-6969; reservations are only taken before 6:30. Each mezze ranges from about $4-$10 and are generous portions given the price.
