Best DC Cuisine: 2 Restaurants Make The New York Times List

WASHINGTON, DC — Just a month after the 2021 Michelin Guide was released, the New York Times released its own restaurant list of "The 50 places in America we're most excited about right now."

They found two D.C. restaurants that were a taste above other establishments in the United States.

"The Food desk dispatched critics, reporters and editors around the country to find the 50 most vibrant and delicious restaurants in 2021," the New York Times explained. "They're not ranked, but together they reflect the rich mosaic of American dining."

Here are the D.C. choices, along with their reviews:

Cane

Tuck into a table in the vibrant and narrow dining room at Cane, and you’ll immediately see a painting of Barack Obama digging into doubles, a popular Trinidadian street food of fried bread piled with curried chickpeas. Order some of those for the table before you do much else. The chef Peter Prime’s celebrated jerk wings — pleasantly spicy and quelled by the accompanying tamarind mayo — make for equally superb snacking. Entrees like the rich and tender grilled oxtails and the flaky deep-fried whole snapper are fit for a celebration, capable of brightening even the most mundane Thursday evening on H Street.

Thip Khao

Pin the menu to a wall, throw a few darts and place your order: You can’t go wrong with any combination of dishes at Thip Khao. But to optimize the experience at Seng Luangrath’s beloved Lao restaurant — the first of its kind in the nation’s capital — go with a group of friends or one hungry (and ambitious) partner. The siin, a crispy, slightly sweet beef jerky, is more tender than the word “jerky” tends to imply and should top your list as it tops the menu, which lists dishes loosely by size instead of categorizing them. The nam tok, a hearty, herb-showered salad of grilled pork shoulder dotted with a tangy and fiery fermented chile sauce, should not fall far behind. Don’t forget the kua mee, thin rice noodles wok-fried in a fish sauce caramel, a staple of the cuisine, and, depending on your appetite, a to-go box.

Read the full story with all 50 U.S. restaurants in The New York Times.

ALSO SEE: The 2021 Washington, DC Michelin Guide.