Restaurant Week begins this week

Don’t forget that this coming week is the 2008 Winter Restaurant Week. With over 175 restaurants participating in this event, check to see if your favorite restaurant is participating and head on over there for a fixed-price three course meal. Lunch will run you $20.08 per person and dinner for about $30.08. Worried about not having space for you when you get to the restaurant? Book your spot ahead of time by going to OpenTable. Most of the restaurants on the Restaurant Week website have links to the OpenTable page so you’ll be able to make your reservations quickly, easily, and for free.

Now you may think that Restaurant Week is just a bogus holiday that the folks at DC want just to hit up some restaurants…you might want to rethink it. It’s definitely not a holiday, but more a celebration of the cultural diversity in the types of cuisine that exists in the city. Many other cities have Restaurant Week celebrations and it’s just a great excuse to meet up with your friends, have some good food, and enjoy a great time. So make your reservations today and Bon Appetit!

Dining is easy in DC with OpenTable

The folks over at the Washington, DC tourism office have put together a cool display of restaurants in the city that are part of the OpenTable network that you might be interested if you’re planning on going to visit in the near future. With this site, you can check out the different types of cuisine going on in the city, see if there’s any availability when you want to eat, and look at where it is on a map in relation to your hotel, your convention, or where you’ll be with your friends and/or family.

Travel + Leisure magazine has called DC “one of the most exciting restaurant cities on the Eastern Seaboard…” Check out the listing and see how internationalized it is – there’s definitely something for everyone and will easily soothe your appetite.

Still looking for somewhere to go for Thanksgiving?

If you happen to be in DC on Thursday and need a place to eat, there are a few exquisite places that you may want to try: Charlie Palmer’s Steak, Hyatt Regency Washington, and IndeBleu. Obviously there are a few, but these are the latest ones to probably announce their Thanksgiving specials…

From 2-8pm on Thanksgiving day, enjoy a three-course dinner at Charlie Palmer’s Steak and is a special prix fixe menu that’ll leave you fully satisfied. The special feast includes Sweet Curried Cheese Pumpkin Soup with Maine Lobster Dumplings, Maple Glazed Pumpkin Seeds and Pumpkin Seed Oil; Roasted Red Bourbon Turkey, Braised Leg Meat with Confit Giblet Gravy and Traditional Bread Stuffing; Spiced Venison Loin with sweet potato gnocchi, roasted porcinis and sage-infused venison natural, along with a selection of yummy fall desserts. $68/person (excluding alcohol, tax, and gratuity). Make your reservations today.

Not your cup of tea, then head over to the Hyatt Regency Washington for a “smorgasbord” of your Thanksgiving favorites. Open from 1-8pm, enjoy a wide variety of some of the best DC has to offer. First, warm up with a bowl of Pumpkin Bisque or Chicken with Wild Rice Soup. Guests will then savor hand-carved Roast Turkey with giblet gravy and cranberry sauce, Smithfield Ham and Prime Rib with horseradish cream, along with an assortment of savory side items like bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and candied sweet potatoes. Top off your feast with a tasty slice of homemade apple, bourbon-pecan or cherry pie. Reservations are requested and cost $35/adult and $29/seniors with children 5-12 paying $17.50.

Lastly, IndeBleu has a traditional menu just for the Thanksgiving holiday. Served “family-style” from noon-9pm, savory treats include: two hearty servings of Heritage Turkey – one coriander-cumin spiced breast and one pomegranate butter braised thigh. On the side, try the Rosemary-Apricot Naan with cranberry-jalapeno chutney; Heirloom Pumpkin Soup with coconut, pear and cilantro oil; and of course, Whipped Potatoes made with mustard seed butter and the Samosas with giblet stuffing. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Upside-Down Apple Halva Cake with chai yogurt sauce. Reservations cost $35/person, but $55/wine paring.