Recs for Toronto chowhounds

[oohlala]

I will be traveling down to Washington DC for 3 days with my family over x'mas holiday. Did a quick search on the board and OpenTable for potential restos but couldn't narrow down the options. I am looking for restaurants (or food) that are,

1. unique food to washington area if any
2. American cuisine (still baffled by the category, need confirmation of authentic places)
3. mid-price ($40 before tax & tips, excluding drinks), exceptional home cooking style restos

Please feel free to list your favorites. BTW, are there any specific type of cuisine that is done especially well in the area???

Thanks in advance!

[MrsWheatie]

TO my hometown :-)

DC does Ethiopian food well, search the board for specific recs. You should try a crabcake at Market Lunch as mselectra suggested. For an interesting slice of DC visit Ben's Chili Bowl. For "american" cuisine I agree with PS7s and for a bit more $ Corduroy.

[mselectra]

I thought Toronto might have good Ethiopian too?

I also love Cashion's Eat Place, in the "American" category, and Creme is a really good idea. Both would get you away from the more touristy areas near the Mall.

ETA: Oh and, I haven't been, but Founding Farmers might be perfect for what you're looking for. The menu does have lots of classic American dishes, anyway. I think it's gotten good reviews.

[oohlala]

Thanx a lot for the suggestions!
Yes, there are a number of ethiopion establishments here in Toronto, but the quality seems to be inconsistent.

Are most of the recommendations along the metro line? I forgot to mention that we will not have a car......

[ChewFun]

Yes, they are all Metro accessible.

[mselectra]

I think it's crazy when visitors try to use a car here. You're in good shape. You'll be able to Metro, and if the weather gets bad or whatever, you should be able to get taxis to and from all these places -- the parts of DC you'll be in are pretty compact actually. If you were really ambitious you could take some long walks and get just about everywhere. I also suggest you check out the Criculator bus.

RE: Ethiopian -- it's very DC, but be sure to check recs here and stick to the area around 9th and U. There are some places far past their prime that people still get steered to and then regret it.

[ChewFun]

You want to have a crab cake. No recommendations on where to go for that, however. American cuisine and Canadian cuisine (non-region specific) are identical. You won't notice anything new.

[mselectra]

Market Lunch at Eastern Market for the crabcake. That's where you'll get the "authentic" DC experience, in any case. And Mitsitam, the cafeteria at Museum of American Indian. Neither are for dinner or for sit-down service, but they're all-American.

[dcfoodie13]

For the price range, I would recommend PS7s, Creme, Central, Proof, or Blue Duck Tavern.