627837 Sun Jun 14 12:11:16 -0700 2009 8 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 4771977 A group of folks I know is trying to plan a dinner for a week from tonight (so no places that need reservations months in advance, ok?) in DC. We are actually staying at the Gaylord "National Convention Center" across the river but will have few chances to leave that venue and actually get out on the town....and since many of us are stuck there for a week those chances are welcome...SOOOO....Moderately priced but definitely with a bar, good for a group of around eight to ten, and accessible by public transportation or a moderate taxi ride. There is a water taxi shuttle from the Gaylord to the Watergate Hotel, so something accessible to the Watergate would be ideal..... So far the group has come up with a bunch of chain suggestions, so I thought I would jump in here and try and help out. This is a very diverse group from around the country (Some have very chowish tendencies, some definitely do not), and other than Italian I'm a little leary to give ethnic suggestions. Seafood would be great, however.... Sun Jun 14 12:11:16 -0700 2009 10290 janetofreno 1 4772412 From the watergate you can walk to Georgetown. I'd avoid the waterfront places, awful and expensive. In georgetown proper there is Hook (sustainable seafood) Tackle Box (casual seafood), Clyde's (a local chain with a fun bar and decent to better american offerings). All these rec's are on M street, one of the main Georgetown thorofares. There is also a water taxi from the Gaylord to Old Town Alexandria, a much shorter ride. Old Town options abound. I recently had a great meal at Jackson's 21, american food and a fun bar. Search this board for Georgetown or Old Town and you should have a ton of choices. Sun Jun 14 16:03:44 -0700 2009 4771977 93908 anchor 2 4776408 Agreed on the above and I will add J. Paul's. There are two locations (M. Street Georgetown and the Inner Harbor in Baltimore) so I guess it is a two-link chain. Moderate prices, great bar and killer "jeans and t-shirts" seafood. Malpeque and Blue Point oysters on the half shell, Mahi fish tacos, crab cake sliders and the best spiced shrimp I have had in DC are on the menu along with a lot of the bar/restaurant regulars. They also have a great (non-traditional warning in advance for all the critics) pressed Cuban sandwich featuring smoked pulled pork instead of cutlets. I spend my money there so I will stand by the rec. Mon Jun 15 21:19:12 -0700 2009 4772412 18385 CDouglas 1 4772580 If you take the water taxi to Old Town, you can also try Overwood (200 block N. Lee Street, just two blocks from the docks -- good American), Union Street Public House (at Kign & Union) American pub grub and a usually lively bar), Jackson's 21 is right on King Street about 4 blocks up from the river. There's a free trolley that runs the length of King Street, so it's easy to get all the Old Town places. Oh, if there are women in the group and you do decide to come to Old Town Alexandria, warn them that high heels are dangerous to wear! It's all uneven brick sidewalks here. Sun Jun 14 17:25:30 -0700 2009 4771977 50613 weezycom 2 4773080 btw, I can't seem to find a "Jackson's 21" in Alexandria...are you sure you don't mean "Jackson's 20"??? Sun Jun 14 21:39:27 -0700 2009 4772580 10290 janetofreno 3 4776214 Its Jackson 20, actually, and is quite good. Neat wine list - they have 20 bottles that are $20, in addition to other wines and specialty drinks (try the Honeysuckle). Majestic is also quite good, but is a bit of a hike from the waterfront (trolley would be good for this) and reservations can be difficult, especially for a group, so that one might be out. Overwood is also good. Decent casual bar food places in Old Town: O'Connells (bar, not sit down dinner), Union Street Public House, Pat Troys (which also usually has fun live music on weekends), Chadwicks Avoid the Fish Market, Il Porto, Austin Grill Mon Jun 15 19:42:46 -0700 2009 4773080 97325 MDoodle 4 4780203 We made a reservation for Jackson 20....which I feel lucky to get: our group expanded to closer to 16, and with Sunday being Father's Day and all.....I had to settle for a less than optimal time. I'll report back; it sounds like a good place for our mix of folks..... Tue Jun 16 23:57:36 -0700 2009 4776214 10290 janetofreno 1 4772710 I'd definitely throw in Ray's but with a thought toward the group's political leanings. The burger outlet - Ray's Hell - was the recent focus of an Obama outing. The steakhouse is still in toddler-hood but famous as hell for the best steaks at good (fair outside the midwest) price. Sun Jun 14 18:22:06 -0700 2009 4771977 11368 Dennis S 1 4823514 Report back: Had dinner at Jackson's 20...good suggestion. It was not crowded or noisy as I feared it might be, and the "20 at $20" wine list was a hit. The rest of the meeting people kept coming up to me and saying "I hear you found a good restaurant with a twenty dollar wine list..." Thanks, hounds!! Everyone enjoyed it, and afterwards we stopped at Doc's ice cream as we were walking back...recommended! Actually, that was one of the better meals I had this trip. The Gaylord is like a cruise ship....too self-contained for my taste. All the restaurants have similar-tasting food..with the exception of the Old Hickory Steakhouse, which is very good but very pricey. (We had a group dinner there one night). If you find yourself stuck at a meeting there, I definitely recommend the water taxi to Old Town. It is a very pleasant, relaxing way to spend an evening. As for other places to eat nearby: the Mexican restaurant (Rosa Mexicana) a block or two from the Gaylord has good guacamole made tableside, but if you want any punch at all you'll have to ask for "extra spicey" We ordered medium and could not taste any heat. Their margaritas are pretty good. We ate at Ketchup (across the street from Rosa Mexicana) one night: the drinks are better than the food. (I highly recommend the "Dazed and Confused" ; two left me just that....:-) All of the different ketchups are interesting, but again, their "spicey" is dummed down for tourists (or maybe I've been on the west coast too long...). Unfortunately, we had major service issues at Ketchup...ended up having to talk with the manager (who was very nice and made it right, to his credit....). I didn't eat there myself, but several of my friends raved about the Chinese place that is across the street from the Gaylord. Actually, the menu looks a little more like Asian fusion, but it advertises itself as "Chinese." The outdoor bar there is way cool...... Wed Jul 01 22:51:18 -0700 2009 4771977 10290 janetofreno