Recommendations to eat well and stay on my diet in D.C. Fish ? Italian ? greek ?

[MDR123]

I need to stay on my diet which is working well ... and to need to take out clients this week in D.C. any recommendations where me and my foodie clients will all be pleased ? Thanks !

[hamster]

When I was dieting and at my birthday dinner at Central, I had a lovely simply prepared fish entree. Central is pretty great.

[Indy 67]

"... need to stay on my diet which is working well..." Ditto. I've been very, very successful at Tosca.

In the appetizer category, I rotate among three offerings: red pepper soup with crab timbale, mixed green salad with balsamic dressing, and Pink Snapper crudo, Tuscan style.

For my entree, I order among the simple grilled fish choices. Sometimes, I order an appetizer-sized portion of their delicious charred octopus typically offered as an entree. These simply grilled fish dishes are accompanied by a simple steamed vegetable and a starch; I've been able to request two green vegetables instead.

Some folks think the atmosphere at Tosca is quite sterile, but the food is so delicious and the service so polished and responsive that this compensates for the understated ambiance. We probably eat there once a month.

[hill food]

good words so far. skip Italian in DC (said with a few careful exceptions) mostly it's just either insanely expensive or decidedly louche. sad really. hit an Jose Andres place when in doubt. usu. lots of veg and pesc friendly things mostly done in olive oil. more exciting things may be found elsewhere but it is safe for most restrictions (ok maybe not Kosher or Halal but otherwise).

Kellari is quite good. been to both the NYC and DC spots. I like to go look at the collection of live things at the raw bar. and a pleasant room.

[woodleyparkhound]

Black Salt for seafood would work well.

[DanielK]

Black Salt is definitely the best seafood around.

If you need to stay downtown, Kellari Taverna is a Greek seafood restaurant. Very good, if a little on the pricy side.

[Indy 67]

I adore Black Salt, but I thought of one more strike against it: the retail counter at the front of the store. If Tosca takes a hit for its institutional ambiance, Black Salt really takes a hit for the fact that diners have to walk throught the retail fish counter before getting to the dining room.

That wouldn't be my first choice for a client dinner.

[Just Visiting]

To me, walking through the fish market is not a negative. Not with the gorgeous fish they sell at Black Salt. I guess it would depend on the client. A foodie would be impressed and excited at what they would see at the retail counter.

However, don't assume that because it is fish that the meal will be compatible with a diet, particularly if your diet is a calorie/fat cutting diet. Not unless you order the fish broiled plain with no sauce of any kind, the veggies steamed with no sauce of any kind, skip the bread and dessert.

[ktmoomau]

Blacksalt is actually really good with special diets, even last minute. I go there a lot and have very specific dietary needs they are good at accommodating. And they will do simple grilled fish- anything in their market, it's on the menu. Just fyi.

All the Jose Andres places are particularly good with special diets too.