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DC has a lot of upscale restaurants. But based on another thread, it seems many people think the DC restaurant scene is not as much ethnic driven.
By contrast, NOVA and the Maryland suburbs are full of lots of different kinds of ethnic restaurants. So, is it typical for people living in DC to head to the suburbs to get their fix of ethnic variety in foods?
DC itself is the best for Ethiopian, and the Salvadorean food is good too, but yeah most of the best Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Indian, etc is in the burbs.
Most of my friends in DC don't have cars so they pretty much never go to the suburbs. Most ethnic places aren't near a metro so it would just be too much of a hassle for them. I have a car so I frequently do seek out the ethnic places in Virginia or Maryland.
I agree with that. For whatever reason, it seems that DC just doesn't have the variety and scope of cheap ethnic places that you can find in the burbs.
For the first few years I lived here, I thought DC's restaurants were pretty mediocre. I think in recent years, the quality and diversity of restaurants have exploded. I find it a little suspect at this point that suburbs would offer a more diverse or concentrated stock of restaurants.
I am currently renovating my kitchen, so I am eating out a ton.
Ethiopian - I live right by little ethiopia, not sure which one I like the best, but I probably go to Dukem the most.
Thai - I think Beau Thai is the best, but a lot of people swear by Thai Xing, which is my second favorite.
Chinese - Mei Wah is great chinese food.
Greek - Greek Spot is almost a weekly cheap eats place for me.
Lebanese - Neyla is one of my all time favorite restaurants. I just let the chef send out what he wants.
Indian - Naan and Beyond is an awesome quick lunch place for me, but Bombay is about as good as sit-down indian food gets.
I could go on, but The only thing I can't really find is a Mexican restaurant I like.
Depends on the cuisine. Thai, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese and Mexican/Salvadorean has gotten a little bit better in DC proper and the close-in suburbs over the years. But if I want good Korean, Indian, and Chinese, I find myself heading out to 'burbs like Annandale, Fairfax or Rockville. Chinese places in DC are just dreadful
The Washingtonian recently published its annual list of the 100 best "Cheap Eats" in the region. About 22 were in DC; most were in VA and MD. The highest concentration of best "Cheap Eats" in DC seemed to be in either Little Ethiopia/U Street or along H Street. All the Chinese, Korean, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Indian, Peruvian and Afghan places selected were in the suburbs. DC tended to have more American, burger/sandwich and Ethiopian places. It's a very different profile when the magazine focuses on high-end restaurants.
I'm going with a simple "no no and NO". I don't live in the city but my social life revolves around the District and its residents, and I must say that I've never known anyone to say "Hey Terrence let's go to Virginia for dinner". Most seem to have a fear of crossing the Potomac.
Coincidentally enough I have a friend from the city who is temporarily working out my way so we're meeting for dinner and drinks. An ethnic restaurant isn't on the list. Probably gonna go with a chain near Fair Oaks Mall. I honestly don't know any good ethnic places. Yeah there's Annandale but I'm not a big Korean fan.
For the first few years I lived here, I thought DC's restaurants were pretty mediocre. I think in recent years, the quality and diversity of restaurants have exploded. I find it a little suspect at this point that suburbs would offer a more diverse or concentrated stock of restaurants.
I am currently renovating my kitchen, so I am eating out a ton.
Ethiopian - I live right by little ethiopia, not sure which one I like the best, but I probably go to Dukem the most. Thai - I think Beau Thai is the best, but a lot of people swear by Thai Xing, which is my second favorite.
Chinese - Mei Wah is great chinese food.
Greek - Greek Spot is almost a weekly cheap eats place for me.
Lebanese - Neyla is one of my all time favorite restaurants. I just let the chef send out what he wants.
Indian - Naan and Beyond is an awesome quick lunch place for me, but Bombay is about as good as sit-down indian food gets.
I could go on, but The only thing I can't really find is a Mexican restaurant I like.
Beau Thai is heavenly. Add Rasika to this, even though it's pretty expensive.
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