Taste of Bethesda and Taste of Georgetown: a How to Eat Guide
Two of the area’s biggest and best “Taste of …” events complement each other over the next two weekends. With Taste of Bethesda this Saturday afternoon and Taste of Georgetown a week later, foodies will have a chance to eat their way through two of the area's fanciest neighborhoods this month. But both events make it easy to leave disappointed if not approached properly. Handle them well, and you should be able to string together a hearty and sophisticated tasting menu for less than $20. DCist’s strategy for a successful Taste: be discriminating with your tickets, hit up Bethesda later in the day, and get to Georgetown early.
Taste of Bethesda
Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Woodmont Triangle)
We’ve often heard the claim that there are more restaurants per capita in Bethesda than any other city in the nation, or it’s second only to San Francisco or something like that. Unfortunately, it’s also known for having a lot of “just OK” restaurants. And some of the best (see Black’s Bar & Kitchen, Faryab, Grapeseed, Persimmon) won’t even join in Saturday’s fun. But there are 50 participating restaurants signed up for the 20th Annual “ToB” and it is indeed the biggest festival of its kind in our area.
Our best piece of advice is to canvas the joint just before the 4 p.m. witching hour to score some heavily discounted plates. Divino Lounge’s Argentinean grill is the best thing going. Don’t pass up their steak and sausage, and use one of your “last tickets” of the day on their paella. Then spend another “last ticket” on a heaping plate of Indian. Passage to India may be the most lauded restaurant on the ToB’s list, but their portions of chicken makhani may be less generous than those of Haandi, Saveur, and Shangri-La.
Monte Carlo’s onion torte is always a winner, but they won’t last, so you’ll have to pay full price. And use common sense in deciding what to avoid. You can get better and cheaper sushi from a supermarket, so don’t waste $4 on 3 pieces of cucumber maki. Tasting tickets run 4 for $5, tastes cost 1-4 tickets. Visit the ToB web site for full list of who’s cooking what.
Taste of Georgetown
Saturday, Oct. 10, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Wisconsin btwn K and M)
My only successful visit to Taste of Georgetown was when I got there for the 11 a.m. opening and could only stay for an hour. I more or less had the street to myself. Come midday, and expect incredibly long lines for anything good. Last year, organizers had to issue refunds on demand after too many restaurants had run out of food long before closing time.
ToG is on the pricier side as far as these things go. Each item costs one ticket, and tickets are 5 for $20 or 1 for $5. But restaurants here are generally higher caliber than Bethesda’s, so dispatch a $20 and zone in on five best bets. Bourbon Steak and Hook easily top our list, and we’re interested in giving newly opened Morso a try. What else? Crispy duck confit with cranberry and fennel compote from 1789. Chocolate covered bacon lollipops from Agraria Farmers & Fishers. Mie & Yu’s Chesapeake blue crab & tofu sweet and sour soup, crepes from Café Bonaparte. Lobster rolls, truffled mac & cheese, sliders, ribs, and crabcakes also hit the mark on Wisconsin Avenue.
Also notable is ToG’s wine pavilion, where $10 will get you onto the lawn of Grace Church for all you can sip - a sweet deal. Only one winery—Virginia’s Tarara Winery—will be pouring. They’ll be joined by three widely distributed brewers (Flying Dog, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams), Green Mountain Beverage of Woodchuck fame, and more wine from Potomac Wine and Spirits. Not exactly revelatory tastes, but enough for you to get your drink on.
After you’ve worked up a second appetite, perhaps a few more tasting tickets are in order. Good luck finding a navigable line. And happy eating.