Where to eat in D.C area - modest budget (SUMMARY)

Someone wrote:
> My wife and I along with some friends are going to be in Washington D.C.
> in a few weeks for a week long vacation. We are planning on only 1
> big-time-dress-up-dinner while we are there and are looking for
> suggestions for the rest of the week. Basically we are open to
> suggestions for places where slacks and sportshirt are ok, the food is
> good and the prices reasonable. We will be staying in a motel just
> outside the N.W. District and we're just familiar enough with the area
> to get totally lost in about 20 minutes :)
>
> All suggestions welcome, either here or in Email. Many thanks to those
> with some input.
>
> And if the Armands in Georgetown (Near the Zebra?) is still open, I
> ALREADY have plans for a meatball sub for lunch during the week :) :)

My thanks to those who were kind enough to Email some suggestions. Following is a summary of suggestions I received, mostly in Email. Hopefully these folks don't mind their Email being broadcast to the net :) In case anyone is headed to D.C.  in the near future some of these suggestions might be helpful to you as well:

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From: [email removed] (Jonathan Schachter)

   Northwest is definitely the part of the District you want to check out.
Jump on the Metro and go to Dupont Circle.  There are an infinite number of excellent, but reasonably priced restaurants around there.  They just sort of fall into your lap.

  I just ate in a Jamaican place there and had curried goat.  $11
entree, included salad, bread.  Big portion, excellent service.  Their cheaper entrees were $8--10.

   In another foray there, about a year ago, I went to an Indonesian place.
Lots of Italian, African, Hispanic, restaurants.  Whatever your heart desires.

   Wisconsin Ave. has apparently become a real gourmet ghetto, but i didn't
go there this trip.  that's a bit closer to Georgetown.

   Chinatown is very easy to get to (it's right on the Metro).  The neighborhodd
is not incredibly safe, but the Dim Sum is very good.

   My favorite weirdo place in D.C. is a Mexican/Thai restaurant.  When you
walk in, there's a sign pointing left for Mexican, right for Thai (or the other way around).  they even have a two-sided business card!  This is right across from the old Marine barracks.  closest Metro is probably Capitol South, but be careful in that part of town.
       -- jon

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From: RICHARD KERSHENBAUM

There's a wealth of relatively inexpensive, informal restaurants in the Adams-Morgan neigborhood.  This area is well known for its Ethiopian food; Meskerem is probably the best, Red Sea is the most well-known.  There are also Chinese and Thai places, and Indian, plus lots of Salvadoran and other Latin-american cuisines.

To get to Adams-Morgan, take the Metro to DuPont Circle, picking up a transfer at the station where you board the train.  At DuPont Circle, take the Mount Pleasant (43?) bus; it's free with your transfer.  You may need to ask someone which corner this bus stops at, but it's very close to the subway exit.  Get off the bus around 20th and Columbia Rd. and explore.

Have fun!
--
                              --- Richard

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From: [email removed] (M. Maisack)

try Nakeyssa on SWisconsin (Persian)

besides, during the day (assuming you do some
sightseeing, check into the post-office tower
(free ride to the top, view over DC)
which has  a lot of ethnic snacks inside.

Michael

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From: [email removed] (George Cross)

Hi,

You didn't say if you had a car or not.  Some of the best places are off the metro and not accessible unless you have a car.  I moved up here 6 months ago. If you like Thai food, Duangrat's in Falls Church is worth it and one of the things I miss most about DC.  Is about 2 miles from the E Falls Church metro and would run you about $70 for two people for a whole meal, but is really worth it. When you get there, look through inexpensive eats in back pages of Washingtonian magazine.  Moderate places near downtown:

Chinese: China Inn, Mr. Yung's, Hunan of Chinatown.  Mr. Yung's has Dim Sum,
   all in Chinatown.

Afghan: Bamiyan on M Street or Kabul Caravan up by zoo off Connecticut.

General Asian: Asian Grill, P street, near Dupont Circle.

Ethiopian: Most are good, but Zed's on M street in Georgetown near Key
  bridge very good.

Indian: Madurai on M street (vegetarian).

Mexican: Enriquettas (not TexMex) M Street Gtown, next to Biograph movie.

Pizza: Geppetto's, M street in Georgetown, esp Pizza Bianca.  Armand's good, all over city.

  --George

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From: [email removed] (Brenda Obusek)

Well, if you guys are into southwestern food, there's a new place called Red Sage that ALL THE RAGE right now, it's supposed to be fabulous! If you can get ahold of yesterday's Washington Post, there's a review in the magazine. If you can't, let me know and I can fax you a copy. I also recommend the Austin Grill in Georgetown for the same type of food.