Today, D.C. finds itself with a new group discount program to clog the inbox and tempt the credit card. OpenTable, the popular online restaurant reservations website, has brought its Spotlight in D.C. after having piloting it in six other major cities. more ›

Another Feb. 14, another snowstorm in Washington. If you’d prefer to stay in for Valentine’s Day, you are not alone, especially in this weather. more ›

Take advantage of the final days of summer by treating yourself to a pork sandwich and side of broccoli rabe at the Galileo Grill this Tuesday and Wednesday between 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Chef Roberto Donna will also feature pork sausage or chicken sandwiches, cold carrot and tomato soup, and an onion, pancetta, and cheese quiche. As fall nears and the restaurant prepares to close for renovations, this may be your last chance to indulge in one of the city’s most delicious lunch options. more ›

Even as the stores sport back to school sales (which depress us, even now), summer lingers on your friends the -ists. This week's collection of links provides some of the best, worst, and oddest bits of summer fun. So, bring your laptop up onto the roof, make yourself an umbrella drink or ten, and enjoy this week's choice posts from across the Gothamist network. Torontoist (where it's 75 degrees F as of this writing)... more ›

I want to love Charlie Palmer Steak. The restaurant's absolutely genial namesake chef is responsible for several outstanding restaurants around the country -- among them the Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, Calif. and Aureole in New York City and Las Vegas. Young executive chef Bryan Voltaggio is a tremendous talent whose kitchen turns out consistently tasty, season-conscious, non-traditional steakhouse fare. The main dining room offers a stunning view of the Capitol. Not only is its all-American wine list among the very best in town, the spot doesn't charge a corkage fee if you bring in an American wine. And Charlie Palmer Steak is one of the few high-end D.C. restaurants that features a Restaurant Week-style promotion year-round with its three-course lunch menu for $20.06. more ›

Amid alcohol, music, rain, and a little glam rock style, the 2006 Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington awards -- a/k/a the RAMMYs -- were handed out last night at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Woodley Park. Fabio Trabocchi's Maestro took home the Best Picture equivalent by winning the award for top Fine Dining Restaurant in the D.C. area, while tapas king Jose Andres earned Chef of the Year honors. Among the other victors were... more ›

Food. Iceland. End of Feburary. Plug it all into Google and you get the Reykjavik Food and Fun Festival, Feb. 22 to 25, in which "world-acclaimed chefs" compete to make wonderful dishes out of native Icelandic ingredients. Of the 12 competitors, four are Washingtonians, including chefs from 1789, Charlie Palmer Steak house, Cafe Saint-Ex and Kaz Sushi Bistro. As for the mayor and his wife, they'll likely have more to do than just cheer on the hometown chefs. The food festival coincides with the Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival, Feb. 23 to 26, an annual celebration of the growing light after a long dark winter.

http://restaurants.washingtoncitypaper.com/hungry.php?week=20050610">came to the same conclusions about Leopold's, and Sietsema and Kliman aren't alone. We haven't been to Leopold's, but the deafening cry of "don't expect good service!" is enough to make us want to take a pass-- and the Kafe's Craigslist ad doesn't help much. The caps give us a headache. more ›

FROSTBURG, Md. -- From the DCist mobile command center on I-68, we present to you our picks for stuff you should do this weekend. (Actually, we did this early this morning, we think we'll be around Frostburg around lunchtime. But wouldn't it be cool if we did have a mobile command center? C'mon Jake, can you spare a few pennies for that? We promise we won't take it on any joyrides ...) Anyhow, with Catherine... more ›

Charlie Palmer Steak has already received serious accolades from the Washington press (three stars from Tom Sietsema and one of the D.C. area's 100 best restaurants from the Washingtonian, for example) but the "very expensive" price point can often put people off. The restaurant's $20.05 lunch menu, which gives you a choice of an appetizer, an entrées (from a list of two), and a dessert at Restaurant Week prices is one easy way to enjoy the restaurant's meals without breaking the bank. But after debuting their new line of wines -- custom created to compliment Charlie Palmer's cuisine -- CPS announced a better (if significantly more expensive) offer. For the rest of April, they're offering a five course tasting menu for $115. Note that Charlie Palmer typically offers entrées in the $25-$35 range, which makes the tasting menu a little less attractive. That is, until you get to the kicker: the price is not only inclusive of wine, but the final course features Wagyu, the super expensive beyond-prime beef that often costs over $100 a pound. Normally, Wagyu entrées at CPS costs above $40, making the price of the April prix-fixe menu extremely attractive. more ›

After weeks of teasing, the participants in the next restaurant week have finally been announced. And the list is good -- though DCist noticed a few disappointments. We were hoping to dine at Corduroy, Firefly, or maybe even Belga Cafe, but none of those restaurants made the list. There are, however, some great alternatives. The trinity of Ten Penh, DC Coast, and Ceiba are all participating, as are Charlie Palmer Steak, Zola, and over a hundred more restaurants in D.C. and Northern Virginia. Reserve a table now -- as the restaurants are sure to fill up quickly. And whatever you do, please note whether or not you're dining at a participating restaurant. eGullet poster "Mark Sommelier" recounts the following horror story:

Last year a table of 4 came in, rang up a check over $500 and then wanted to argue when the check came that they should pay $30.04 for dinner. Showing them the list of participating restaurants that DID NOT include ours didn't help. This has happened every year since RW started.

DCist recently saw "The Manchurian Candidate" and saw some startling similarities to Washington in the movie and Washington in reality. First off, our recent terror warning with checkpoints leading to Capitol Hill seems to fit in with the theme of the movie. more ›