The menu also lists simple grills -- steaks, lamb chops, pork chops -- and a couple of fish dishes. Closed Mon. Full bar service. Street parking. Chez Juliette 1047 West Broad St., Falls Church. 770-7888. This is a spirited restaurant, but sometimes spirits get most of the attention. Full bar service. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPpened to restaurants in the '80s, consider that the first restaurant I reviewed in 1980 was French-American and the last in 1989 was Italian-American . The good news is that Bacchus now serves Lebanese food at lunch as well as dinner. Stuffed grape leaves here are sweet and sour, pretty and unique. Rosy walls and violin music, caviar with bliny and vodka with strawberries -- such are the touches that set the Serbian Crown apart from the crowd of Washington's elegant restaurants. Full bar service. 659-1211. Appetizers can be superb, particularly the snails and the carpaccio, or even the daily mixed hor d'oeuvre. MC, V. No reservations. Sometimes fresh shellfish emerges in a creamy garlic sauce as a "special apetizer." 667-1022. Kings Landing 121 S. Union St., Alexandria. 568-3400. Private party facilities. 337-4536. Bistro Francais 3124 M St. NW. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. D $5.95-$12.50.D daily. Valet parking for dinner. Make Restaurant Reservations. Maxime 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Nothing sounds irresistible, although the list of daily specials ventures into several fresh fish. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted, suggested on weekends. And the kitchen can produce superb fried foods, fine light sauces and aromatic pasta fillings, so I cannot understand why it settles for pallid sauces and pasty-coated veal with sludgy lemon sauce or vegetables cooked to a mush. Tomato sauces are thick and meaty, though a touch too sweet; they succeed better than spaghetti alla carbonara, which is greasy and short on egg, cheese and seasoning. Tung Bor $11154 Georgia Ave., Wheaton. L $2.25-$4.95, D $3.25-$8.25. 436 11th St NW Harrington Hotel. AE, MC, V. One hour free parking, Washington; mall parking lot, Falls Church. Draw your orders particularly from the list of daily specials and hope they include Germaine's new glazed chicken with carmel sauce.Even if it is not on the menu, ask for pine cone fish, scored and lightly fried filet of sea trout. Closed Mon. Valet parking. Parking garage. L $2.85-$4.50, D $3.95-$8.50. L, D daily. The smoked salmon is hard sliced and excellent, equivalent to what many restaurants charge double for. L $2.25-$3.75, D $3.50-$17. Intrigue has a small menu, just a few fish, three veals and four steaks. a mug of beer, a cup of too-sweet but fairly good chili fill out a meal that is nofrills and priced accordingly. Full bar service. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Full bar service. But dishes that are meant to be robust -- chicken cacciatore, braciole, herbed roast veal -- are as good as Washington has to offer. Closed Sun. L'Auberge Chez Francois 332 Springvale Rd., Great Falls, Va. 759-3800. MC, V.Reservations suggested. James III 12000 Old Georgetown Rd., Rockville. The stronghold of McDonald's, Pizza Hut , Burger King, and other giants of the '80s made the competition stiff. Bennigan's (Closed in 2008) See more '80s . There are things these two vibrant, plush anthologies of the American casual-eating classics do better than anybody else in town. Full bar service. L $3.25-$5.50, D $3.25-$7.50. Closed Mon. Closed Mon. Falls Landing 774 Walker Rd., Great Falls, Va. 759-4650. 338-0900. and have played host to former presidents, foreign dignitaries, and a wealth of other impactful figures. AE, CB, D, MC, V. $7Reservations suggested on weekends. And vegetables are crisp-cooked, meats and seafoods moist and tender. But not always. Flickr/Steve Fernie. 365-2425. And wonder how they do it for the price. L $5.75-$12.50, D $10.25-$21. L $4.25-$6.95, D $4.75-$15.50. Except for the salad bar, the Golden Temple is a textbook case of a very good restaurant being allowed slip into ruin. Linen HOTEL SCENE Washington DC AE1522. Blaise Gherardi de Parata (1909-1978), a native of Corsica, had come to the United States in 1949 and opened Rive Gauche in 1956. The Sherry Cafe 2116 F St. NW. Open daily. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Szechuan 615 I St. NW. The menu attempts to meet every desire, from pheasant terrine to bacon cheeseburger, from London broil to chicken tarragon salad. Desserts are outstanding, none better than the chocolate mousse cheesecake in a nutty crust. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Plata Grande 4060 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville. Full bar service. Commercial parking lots or street. L $3.95-$4.50, D $4.25-$8.95. L $3.95-$8.50, D $5.75-$11. Full bar service. L $2.50-$7, D $6.50-$15. No credit cards. It has also been a forerunner in prices, the first to charge $10 for what tasted like packaged linguine with clams, $18.50 for a bottle of Blue Nun. But the menu is still nearly all Chinese, except for a few Vietnamese appetizers. L daily ex Sun, D daily. Even indoors, this century-old inn is an idyll of working fireplaces and dark heavy beams. L $3.75-$5.25, D $4.25-$13.95. Usually the pastas are homemade, delicate, delicious.You can get an excellent meal at Tiberio, fresh fish and pale veal and seafoods in buttery cream sauces, and even richer tarts and cakes for dessert. 922-9050. At dinner, the scene is quieter, slightly more formal. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. Washington needs more serious seafood restaurants that serve really fresh fish and cook it properly. . Luigi's of Bethesda 4919 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda. L daily ex Sun, D daily. Closed Sun. Parking lot at mall. Parking lot. 360-7880. Ethiopian 2000 S St. NW. MC, V. Reservations accepted. Street parking. Street parking. The House of Hunan is an exceptional addition to Washington's hundreds of Chinese restaurants, and Vincenzo's, once the kinks are ironed out, is aiming for the top among Italian restaurants. Lamb has been badly trimmed and smothered in thick unsavory sauce. The Magic Pan 5252 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Lombardy Cafe 2019 I St. NW. Full bar service. Children's prices. Ae, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. Open daily. 5825 Seminary Rd. But more delicate dishes have been made clumsily; fettucine with caviar is cotton-candy pink from a strange tasteless stuff that is meant as red caviar, and veal has been pasty on the surface and cooked dry, immersed in a lumpy sauce. 14. Open daily. Children's prices. L, D daily. Closed Sun. Open daily. When it opened -- to much fanfare among old India hands -- it was a rather expensive restaurant. 763-6553. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. There is competent service and an occasional hug from the mama of the house. Children's prices. No resrvations. Parking lot. Mikado 4707 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 549-4010. L $4.25-$7.50, d $7-$19. L daily ex Sat, D daily. L, D $6.75-$14.75. L $8.25-$11.95, D $11.75-$17.50. No mousse in town is as light as Le Pavillon's chicken liver mousse with lobster, truffles and red and green peppers. AE, MC, V. No reservations. No-smoking section. All this, and the prices are low, servings large and menu extensive. L daily ex Sun, D daily. Indulge in the Best Restaurants in D.C. L $2-$4.45, D $4.45-$10.95. AE, MC, V. No reservations. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. And the staf does sing a rousing version of "Happy Birthday." The waitress recites a long list of specials, from softshell crabs in season (very good) to salmon (fair) to marinated rabbit (powerfully marinated) to roast or sauteed veal. It is contemporary and gregarious, the menu running the usual gamut of burgers and salads, plus a long page of entrees -- steak, omelets, quiches, shrimp. Skip to the inside pages for appetizers, particularly for shrimp toast and cold sour cabbage flavored with chili peppers and sesame oil. You might wish there were more than three shrimp, but you must admit they are good. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. The signs this year are good at Chez Grand Mere, its two small rooms sweetly decorated in Victorian lace and leaded glass, Tiffany lamps and distressed wood beams against brick. AE, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested, required on wekends. Children's prices. Closed Mon. Open daily. The Washington, DC of the 1980s and '90s was a dramatically different place than the Washington, DC of 2017. 770-5020. Ae, cb, d, mc, v. Reservations suggested. Closed Sun. AE, D, MC, V. No reservations. Crisfield 8012 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Parking in buildng. Full bar service. Sunset is an in-town roard-house, a corner joint under the freeway with paneling and booths, sparkling beer signs and beeping pinball machines. Reservations suggested. Sushi and sashimi are the mainstays, and they are as fresh as you are likely to find in Washington. 244-2037.L, D $2.95-$8.50. The 1,000 sq. Valet parking. No wonder Germaine's has become a Washington landmark. And most of the oven cooking or simmering -- stuffed vegetables, baked kibbe, wet couscous -- is overcooked and no better than average. Not only was the food -- from muddy-looking fish soup to greasy and tasteless short ribs -- unappealing, but it was rather expensive. Children's meals. Full bar service. Full bar service. L $3.25-$8.50, D $8.90-$14.80. 589-1306. Certainly order peppery Szechuan dishes. 965-1789. Best of the menu, though, are appetizers, the tiny fried spicy turnovers, empanaditas, and an attractive do-it-yourself individual taco bar known as antojitos de Montezuma. L daily ex Sat, D daily.Closed Sun. Closed Sun. Children's prices. Only about a half-dozen main courses are available, half of them fish or seafood and generally reliable. Open daily. L daily ex Sat, D daily. Trader Vic's Capital Hilton, 16th and K Sts. Closed Sun. Most of the eateries will possess deep roots in DC's growing restaurant scene. The Big Cheese 3139 M St. NW. The hummos special, topped with ground beef and almonds, was not a prettily arranged or as tangy. You can wade through a lot o sushi -- and a lot o money -- without batting an eye, or carefully monitor your intake and have had a light, rapid and invigorating lunch in an exquisite setting at a modest price. La Pagode 924 W. Broad St., Falls Church. Open daily. Parking lots nearby. Full bar service. The room has been redone in bright glazed tiles on a white tile background, floors and walls, and the effect is at least startling. Kramerbooks brasserie is an all-day place, a kind of Reader's Digest Condensed Books version of the Champs Elysees. Free parking in Alfred St. lot for dinner. The space is profligate, the service elaborate and capable. Open daily. Full bar service. Parking in building. L,D daily. Full bar service. While there certainly is nothing fancy, it is among the last of a breed. Lately, a filet of salmon under a creamy tangle of shredded leeks was simply delicious. Parking lot and street parking. No credit cards. It is all right, sometimes very good (as in the case of the delicate mousseline of salmon) and sometimes very bad (as with the $21 lobster meat, dry and tough, in a rosy sauce that tasted of little other than a burned base). The fixed-price menus are expensive, nearly as high for lunch as for dinner, and the food can be glorious or slightly awry. But I found no dish that meets any desire. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily, Closed Sun. Lang Lin 1331 University Blvd. Dominique 1900 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Open daily. Full bar service. Several dishes -- not just desserts -- are too sweet. L, D $1.95-$4.50. No smoking section. AE, D, V. Reservations suggested. Valent parking for dinner. mChildren's prices. Closed Sun. L $3.95-$5.50, D $5.25-$9.95. Wine service is neglectful. And incidentally, at least at the original Georgetown location, it is incidental that people eat. The dozen dishes run the gamut from Mideast (humos, a delicious rendition) to Deep South (barbecued spare-ribs, oversweetened but not bad). L $6-$9, D $9.75-$13. Lake Anne Inn 1617 Washington Plaza, Reston. Secretly enclosed behind a large wooden fence, entering the restaurant reveals a warm outdoor lounge with firepits and fairy lights that . And soak up a lot of atmosphere for very little money. Gadsby's Tavern 138 N. Royal St., Alexandria. AE, DC, MC, V. Reservations suggested. December 31, 1989. W., Wheaton. SE. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Trader Vic's. The Polynesian-themed restaurant was in Seattle's Washington Plaza Hotel (now the Westin) and capitalized on the tiki-fad of the 1950s and 1960s. Geranio 724 King St., Alexandria. No-smoking section. The "special salad" is an exaggeration not worth the extra expense. Children's prices. 572-4402. Unfortunately, the kitchen also thinks that some important qualities don't matter. On the lunch and dinner menus are exotic and familiar -- squid and shrimp, chili-black bean sauces and simple soy-ginger sauce -- with all the subtle contrasts of color, texture and flavor that characterize true Contonese food.Service is likely to be abrupt and indifferent, but the kitchen is what counts here. Da Vinci 2514L St., NW. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Open daily. Closed Mon. Street parking. Street parking. 933-3687. L, D daily. L $2.95-$5.95, D $4.95-$15.95. The liver pate is smooth and subtly peppered. L $1.75-$6, D $5.95-$24.95. Street parking. Long a favorite of mine for its refreshing, serene dining room and fresh, inventive food, the Big Cheese has expanded to a lush upstairs dining room full of exotic colorful fabrics and glorious watercolor prints and raised its prices while slipping in quality. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. L $3.25-$4.95, D $3.95-$6.95. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. And dessert crepes or Grand Marnier-soaked oranges make wonderful bargain-priced endings. After the last chord, the crowdwho had paid a few bucks to see acts like Fugazi, Soulside, or 9353spilled out into the dark, nearly deserted streets. Full bar service. If you choose carefully, this can be one of the best meal bargins in the city, even among the non-alcoholic beverages. No credit cards. Street parking. Closed Mon. Parking lots across the street and street parking. Children's prices. Children's prices Omar Khayyam 112 N. St. Asaph St., Alexandria. L $3.75-$6, D $4.95-$12. Full bar service. Full bar service. No-smoking section. The variety is appealing, from hors d'oeuvre plates that are fresh vegetable salads and tiny bits of pate, sardines and the like, to moist bluefish in nantua sauce to cassoulet or just a rib eye steak with french fries. Open daily. L $4.25-$7.95, D$6.95-$10.95. Open daily. Open daily. 528-4300. The setting is of rustic, rough wood and tablecloths, the serive spirited and eager, then nonexistent. Eddie Leonard's 7947 New Hampshire Ave. Langley Park. Cantina is cozy and intimate, but the least stylish-looking northern Italian restaurant downtown. L daily ex Sat, D daily. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Pizza with Duck Sausage wins quick stardom. Tandoor 3316 M St. NW. Clyde's is a series of attractive stage sets for playing out the Georgetown breakfast, the Georgetown brunch, the George-after-dark. It is too small to justify lethargic, surly service such as I found. 966-8285. Harry's Restaurant. Parking in shopping center lot. AE, CC, MC, V. Reservations suggested. The room has solid, dark wood paneling with angular English carving, an imposing stone fireplace, mirrors and leaded glass. The Spaghetti Market 6347 Rolling Rd., West Springfield. Capucine 1645 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Full bar service. 321-9440. Street parking. Full bar service. Starbucks. Closed Sun. Barring my encounters with indifferent appetizers and luncheon specials that were steamtable mush, the food is fine. Underground parking. Fish is often a hightlight, and while the memu offers few surprises, familiar dishes are done uncommonly well. Armand's Chicago Pizzeria 4231 Wisconsin Ave. NW. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. Beer and wine only. L, D daily. D $4.75-$7.45. AE, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Parking in adjacent lot. AE. Street parking. Courtesy of Wikimedia/Oliver F. Atkins. Full bar service. Parking lot across the street. Rafters at Landmark 2 S. Whiting St., Alexandria. Full bar service. Open daily. 821-1976. But then one returns to the question of the food. L $3.10-$4.90, D $3.10-$8.95. Ae, cb, d, MC, V. Reservations suggested. But it is a restaurant where they smile a lot while they blunder. Most unusual among the appetizers are crispy shrimp balls and vegetable curl, the smoky diced bits to be wrapped in letturce. Even his early dishes have improved, notably the thin, rare slices of duck breast with a dark, tart lime sauce. Closed SUN. Bamiyan's main peculiarity is that full course dinners cost more than they do a la carte. L $3.50-10, D $4-$12. The seats are plush and comfortable; most intriguing are the curved booths set like caves in the walls with tube lights and spotlights on dimmers. And it serves French haute cuisine that is at least correct if not always exciting. No reservations. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Best Vegetarian Restaurants in New York City. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Full bar service. 223-3780. The dining room is distinctively African, with grassy wall coverings and artifacts, woven fans hanging from the back of each ladderback chair. Full bar service. AE, CB, CC, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Vegetables are interesting choices but variable productions, the zucchini a good bet. It sounds exactly like Tom Sariss Orleans House. The chili is dull and bland, with little more than a splinter of meat among the beans. La Mancha 5515 Cherokee Ave., Alexandria. Restaurants. Arrangements of bamboo poles suggest huts and gardens. The Eatery White Flint Mall, Bethesda. Closed Sun. New York City. AE, DC, MC V. Reservations suggested. Stret parking. Setting aside the question of food for a moment, let us consider the unique grandeur of the Four Seasons Hotel's restaurant, Aux Beaux Champs. Yaldizlar 2605 24th St., NW. Noteworthy also is the wine list, extensive though pricey, and the wine specials on the daily menu. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. Full bar service. With so many good new restaurants, it is obvious why some old favorites have missed being reviewed this year. Closed Sun. Full bar service. Patent Pending National Portrait Gallery, 9th and G Sts. The best surprises at J. R.'s are the crab-stuffed mushroom appetizer and the enormous a la caret baked potato without foil wrapping. L daily ex Sat, D daily. The close seating makes a hectic environment, but both the room and service are colorful and attractive. Flight Table 10108 Greenbelt Rd., Lanham. Open daily. Phone +1 202-347-4800. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. a. Clyde's is much more than a restaurant. Full bar service. Reservations accepted. L, D daily. Le Consulat 2015 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Parking in front. Valet parking, free at dinner. Full bar service at dinner, beer and wine only at lunch. Parking garage. 333-2565. McDonald's can fold up its golden arches when it comes to competing with Sholl's cafeterias, where a full dinner with fresh fruits and fresh vegetables and homemade pies and puddings wil cost less than $4. Full bar service. Open daily. 8130 Watson St., Tysons Corner. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Parking in adjacent lot. The place looks a cross between a home and a community center, with red oilcloth on the tables and unframed pictures on the walls. Full bar service. L $3.50-$4.95, D $3.95-$5.50. Since the selection changes seasonally, it is tricky to try to recommend dishes, but one day's mussels in mustard sauce combined expected flavors in a hauntingly good dish. Full bar service. Street parking. Street parking or adjacent garage. Planning family trip with adult children in July. 836-4422. 893-3390. 965-2684. O'Brien's Pit Barbecue 1314 E Gude Dr., Rockville. Parking lot. L $3-$5.50, D $3.75-$11.50. 393-0131. L daily ex Sat, D daily. Full bar service. L $5.95-$8.75, D $8.95-$15.95. The legendary hamburgers are rarely terrific, though they could be if they didn't taste of burned grill scrapings.