I don’t really love eating with my hands but if I’m at Madjet, then yes, I love it.  Madjet is a little Ethiopian restaurant just a few doors down from the popular Dukem, which I’ll pass by any day to get to Madjet.  This little owner operated restaurant is a hangout for the locals, typically has a soccer game on the TV and serves some of the best beef tips I’ve ever had.  If you walk in and it is crowded, give it a few minutes as the tables turn pretty quickly.  If you walk in and it is empty, give it a few minutes as it will be at capacity.

I typically don’t go to Ethiopian restaurants without an expert and for that I turn to my good friend Zewdi.  She speaks the language, knows what is hot and what is really hot on the menu (which is important to some), and she makes the best Doro I’ve had the pleasure of eating.  She is herself an expert of this fantastic cuisine.

On my most recent trip, I went with 4 other friends.  The 5 of us split some beef tips, the vegetarian platter, and one of my favorites, Kitfo.  Kitfo is sometimes raw and sometimes lightly cooked steak tartar seasoned with spicy chili powder and herbed butter sauce.    We all ate happily (with our hands), shared some great conversation and when the check came fought over who should pay the $45.00 bill.

If you are in Washington DC, in the U Street Corridor and don’t want to eat another half smoked from Ben’s Chili Bowl, walk down another block a few doors past Dukem and have a great, inexpensive meal at Majet.

Majet Beef Tips - Photo courtesy of Julia Brault

I’ve never been a huge fan of fish with the exception of sushi due to a fish bone swallowing incident in my youth.  As I mature, albeit slowly, I am starting to accept and enjoy fish with some level of frequency.  Seafood fans who visit or live in Washington DC and the surrounding area need to take the time to visit Hook at 3241 M St, NW in the heart of Georgetown.  Their concept is simply, treat each guest like they are the only diners in the restaurant and provide quality ingredients with creativity.  Like their Tuna Tar-tare wrapped in a crisp Parmesan crusted wafer, which I couldn’t get enough of or the sea food combination platter with lobster, oysters, prawns, and muscles which come with 3 sauces for dipping.  Trust me and try the vinaigrette with everything on the combination platter.  The fried foods can be a bit oily and with my New Years resolution to eat better, I opted to pass on anything fried.  I was in luck because their calamari is grilled and you can taste the smoky charred flavor in every bite and this calamari was not chewy like you’d find on a buffet somewhere in Maryland.  If you are eating light and need to have a helping of greens, don’t pass up on the Arugula salad with prosciutto and healthy sleeves of Parmesan reggiano.  For the sweet tooth try the cinnamon sugar coated doughnuts which went well with both Kettle One and Tonic or bubbly.  Voted one of the best desserts in Washington DC is the Lingonberry Linzertorte, which is an ice cream that when eaten has a taste of teleggio cheese an the torte provides a hint of port giving you a cheese and wine flavor.  I thought this dish could have been on Iron Chef America for its creativity an who doesn’t love ice cream?  This is an excellent finish to a seafood feast, go there and pamper yourself.  And I forgot to mention the cost is in the realm of acceptablity. 

If visiting the Washington DC area and looking for a place to have your next meal or looking for a special occasion location to enjoy life with family and friends, look to the Washington Posts 2009 Fall Dining Guide by Tom Sietsema. This is the 10th version of an extremely popular guide for navigating the DC area restaurant scene.  Browse by cuisine, location, price, rating, or look back on past highlights.