Geranio 724 King St., Alexandria. AE, CB, D, MC, V. No reservations. Closed Sun. But it is now furnished with basket tables from Ethiopia and folk art on the walls, along with the original booths. L daily ex Sun, D daily. MC, V. Reservations accepted. 333-6440. Full bar service. Full bar service. A dollop of cold spinach sparked with sesame seeds and soy sauce, a few fresh plump crab chunks marinated with cucumbers in vinegar, a small still life of not-fresh-enough sashimi and a five- or six-inch chunk of superb, unctuous eel with a sesame-lemon-dressed salad recently provided two people with an austere meal for nearly $30. In either case, the quality is as impressive as the variety.As for dinner, Tung Bor emphasizes fresh fish and seafood, and one is wise to follow suit. Aux Beaux Champs 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. It remains intact after fears of losing the chef to the tug of France, this brilliant little restaurant hidden under the Watergate. L $3.50-$7, D $4-$14. Closed Sun. Ben's Chili Bowl. Price $$$$$. In warm weather the tables spill over to an outdoor cafe. L, D $4-$5.50. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. Well known chefs like Mike Isabella plan to debut new concept restaurants here as well. No credit cards. Full bar service. Some of the dishes are superb, the crusty lamb filet with brown sauce heavily scented by garlic, the crayfish or fresh shrimp in chive cream. Closed Mon. To your right is a bar bathed in a golden glow of blond wood and hanging glasswar. Appetizers include savory German variations on charcuterie: air-dried beef, head cheese, Westphalian ham and tangy vinegary meat, cheese or herring salads. Open daily. If the noodles are too thick and the musels dry, they are minor notes in a generally satisfying meal. L daily ex Sun, D daily. Closed Sun. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPpened to restaurants in the '80s, consider that the first restaurant I reviewed in 1980 was French-American and the last in 1989 was Italian-American . L, D daily. Full bar service. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted for five or more only. Vegetables are interesting choices but variable productions, the zucchini a good bet. And at dinner, the charcoal-grilled skewered meats are the stars of the menu, particularly shish kebab or kufta kebab. Cheek by jowl to McDonald's on a fast-food highway is a lone white house that encloses an Italian restaurant of character, the kind that, small as it is, uses 20 pounds of garlic a week and butchers its own veal. AE, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. The other dishes on the menu, most of which are designated delicacies or specialities, tend to be very mildly seasoned, so you might want to urge the kitchen to loosen up a bit. Open daily. Start with crabmeat or smoked salmon or something similarly restrained. If You Grew Up In The '80s, Then You'll Remember These Restaurant Full bar service. Full bar service. Full bar service. Children's prices. Closed Mon. Full bar service. Open daily. L $3-$6, D $3-$7.50. Fish filets are moist and, thankfully, unadorned. Full bar service. Cantina is cozy and intimate, but the least stylish-looking northern Italian restaurant downtown. There is competent service and an occasional hug from the mama of the house. Dynasty 6852 Old Dominion Dr., McLean. Old Ebbitt Grill. Full bar service. Thai Room 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. Those who really know the Palm, though, recognize lunch as an unheralded bargain. Certainly order peppery Szechuan dishes. dFull bar service. La Maree 1919 I St. NW. The new prices imply a culinary consistency and a level of service that do not actually exist here. Drink homemade ginger beer or more familiar beer or wine. Full bar service.Children's meals. D daily. AE, MC, V. Reservations suggested. And soak up a lot of atmosphere for very little money. Children's prices. Marianna's 1806 King St., Alexandria. The food is pretty good, particularly soups and pastries, the latter served from an imposing array on a rolling cart. Cafe Lafayette 105 N. Alfred St., Alexandria. Parking in front and rear. The menu is small, with California contemporary touches on its Italian base. Full bar service. Bennigan's (Closed in 2008) See more '80s . Street parking. La Mancha 5515 Cherokee Ave., Alexandria. D daily. Aluisi 9867 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, Va. 759-4921. L $2.85-$4.50, D $3.95-$8.50. Closed Sat, Sun. The meat and fish are apt to be bony. T. Gregory's 2915 M St. NW. The restaurant is open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. $1.69 $1.99 . At least there is always a creditable cold smoked chicken garnished with fresh fruits if nothing else tempts you. Street parking or nearby lots. At lunch, a noisy bustle accompanies plats du jour -- a two-week cycle of menus plus daily specials -- with carafes of wine. Full bar service. Full bar service. Viet Nam Bistro has grasscloth walls and lacy bamboo hanging lamps. The fare is fair these days, though the pastries are more buttery, more delicate, more professional than ever. 785-0734. AE, MC, V. No reservations. Main courses should include at least one house specialty, perhaps grilled prok with rice cakes or grilled shrimp on sugar cane. 466-4264. Hunan Garden 2104 Viers Mill Rd., Rockville. This is a friendly little restaurant with a representative choice of Vietnamese foods and, for the less adventurous, French dishes and even omelets. Online Menu of Tom Sarris Orleans House, Arlington, VA Embrace music at the 14th Annual D.C. Record Fair L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily, Closed Sun. Parking in rear. Quick, wholesome All-American food could not be a better bargain than at Sholl's. AE, CB, MC, V. Reservations suggested. 13. SE. Open daily. And, while it serves the usual range of Italian dishes -- veal parmesan, chicken cacciatore, lasagna, spaghetti and such -- its central feature is unique pizza. Trattu 1823 Jefferson Pl. L daily ex Sun, D daily. And, obviously, it becomes addictive. Full bar service. Hickory-smoked slabs of meat, cafeteria lines and Formica are as American as the Stars and Stripes, so if you are looking for something to categorize as an American restaurant, try O'Brien's. Jean-Louis The Watergate Hotel, 2650 Virginia Ave., NW. Intrigue has a small menu, just a few fish, three veals and four steaks. 333-4187. And the prices have climbed so that a hamburger (accompanied though it may be by excellent potatoes and unusual salads can cost nearly $6. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. L $3.25-$5, D $5-$9. L, D daily. 273-8812. While Le Rendez-Vous serves Thai, Korean, Indonesian and Chinese food, it is, like Germaine's, primarily a Vietnamese restaurant. That flounder stuffed with creamy, slightly piquant lump crabmeat is nothing short of ideal, however, as is the Crisfield Special -- just the crabmeat mixture, and lots of it. If small increments can be said to raise Washington's dining level, add to them that the Szechuan has a new carpet. Le Jardin 1113 23rd St. NW. Jun 3, 2015. o The Upstairs Maid 1992 Chain Bridge Rd., Tysons Corner. In addition to the menu, which stretches from whole broiled fish to bouillabaisse, a blackboard in front announces daily seafood specials. Even the wine list is particularly well chosen. 965-1789. And along with everyday salads, sandwiches, pasta concoctions and meats stewed or grilled are surprises: skewered beef hearts or a salad with filament-thin enok mushrooms. I will try to get to them next year. Start with fried samosas or pakoras to dip into tart, aromatic tamarind chutney. MC, V. No reservations. 244-5933. Closed Mon. And nearly surrounding you are tiny marble tables set with bottles holding daisies and readers absorbed in books and salads, surrounded by a haze of chatter. In our lobby, you'll be drawn to the soft amber glow of The Next Whisky Bar, considered by many to have the best whisky bar menu and design in D.C. Outside in the garden, experience our terrace designed for groups to enjoy drinks and tapas. L, D $2.25-$9. And the service is as elegant as the food. Closed Sun. AE, MC, V. No reservations. No reservations.Street parking. But if something very homey, like veal stuffed with seasoned bread crumbs and braised in a brown sauce, is on the menu, you have hit a good night. Jean-Pierre 1835 K St. NW. cFull bar service. No credit cards. L $3.95-$10, D $7.50-$14.95. Street parking and nearby lot. Washington has many elegant restaurants, but most of those serving good food in luxurious surrounding are either French or Italian. SE. With improvements in that arena and Szechuan's talent in playing with fire, this is Chinatown's best bet. 546-8300. 638-2260, Ext. . Apple Tree 1220 19th St. NW. L daily ex Sat, D daily. No credit cards. L $2.25-$3.95, D $4-$179 Open daily. Pre-1980 RESTAURANT SCENE Atlantic City New Jersey NJ G8202 Oxtail soup, in contrast, is disappointing. Chez Grand Mere 3057 M St. NW. Sadly if you grew up in DC in the 80s, you may remember the fact that it wasn't really a safe city. The Big Cheese 3139 M St. NW. Seafood dishes are the most intriguing; crystal shrimp are soaked in ice water to crisp them, then cooked just until translucent. From Duke Zeibert's to . Full bar service. Childrens prices. Zachary's 6238 Old Dominion Dr., McLean. Ae, d, mc, v. Reservations suggested. Full bar service. $6 $3.25-$5.95, D $7.25-$15. Open daily. L, D daily. In the morning, the coffee-and-croissant crowd gradually readies itself for work. Just remember pizza. Full bar service. MC, V. No reservations. No-smoking section. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. The Wharf 119 King St., Alexandria. Full bar service. Full bar service. Full bar service. L daily, D daily ex Sun. Ben's Chili Bowl, which opened in 1958, looks like a relic on the yuppified stretch of U Street once known as Black Broadway. L, D daily. L $3.95-$8.75, D $3.95-$14. D $2.95-$8.95. L $4.65-$5.95, D $5.50-$16.95. L $4.95-$8.95, D $7.50-$13.25. You can put together a reasonable meal with good homemade soup and a pastry-crushed entree or salad. MC,V. The few wines also are extremely good values. Full bar service. A comment to a waiter that he brought the wrong vintage of wine was answered with, "Vintages don't matter." The spumoni tastes like sherbet, but you can find a midnight-dark and moist chocolate cake and service that is winning even when the kitchen is irritatingly slow. China Garden serves fine Cantonese food, stretching from congee to seafood in fried taro baskets. It is always, however, a pretty little Italian restaurant, white with touches of pink, and lovely, flossy little arrangements of flowers on the table. 659-2388. II Nido 4712 Wisconsin Ave. NW 363-2672. The liver pate is smooth and subtly peppered. And the superb brioche with anchovy butter and desserts such as creamy, puckery lemon tart on a paper-thin crunch of shell fill remaining crevices. Full bar service. When one reviews the range of Washington restaurants every year, it is no surprise that the situation remains pretty stable -- a few get better and a few get worse, many open and just as many close. Comus Inn 23900 Old Hundred Rd., Comus, Md. There are only a few pastas from which to choose, but you should start with the spinach-stuffed agnolotti in cream sauce. Bethesda Square. L $3.50-$4.95, D $3.95-$5.50. L $1.75-$5.25, D $1.95-$6.95. Full bar service. L $2.95-$6.95, D $6.50-$11.95. Closed Sun. Children's prices. Closed Mon. Fitzgerald's DC Closed Sun. 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Open daily. L $3.45-$4.95, D $3.45-$9.95. The more inventive a dish, the less likely its success. L $8.25-$11.25, D $8.80-$16.50. Skip to the inside pages for appetizers, particularly for shrimp toast and cold sour cabbage flavored with chili peppers and sesame oil. Maxine's 2519 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. D daily. L, D $2.25-$8.50. Closed Sun. L $4.25-$7.50, d $7-$19. F. Scott's 1232 36th St. NW. Full bar service. Street parking. 20 reviews. Le Lion d'Or is as prone to human foibles as any restuarant, but it remains a pace-setter and the most mature of Washington's top three French restaurants. Central to Ethiopian dining are giant, pale, thin pancakes, sour from their fermented batter, which serve as tablecloth and utensil -- you eat with your hands by scooping meats and vegetables with pieces of pancake. On the dinner menu, anonymous mixtures and mismatched combinations range from broccoli with apples, walnuts and mushrooms under a veil of cheese at an overpriced $7 to mock quiche, lasagna, curry and Mexican casserole. NW. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. L, D daily. L $2.75-$5, D $3.50-$7. Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C. - Facebook In fact, from subtle rabbit pate to assorted sublime sherbets arranged like a bouquet, my most recent meal was fine, save the flown-in-from-France St. Pierre fish, which lost a lot through jet lag. Children's prices. Full bar service. Make Restaurant Reservations. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Platters are handsomely decorated. San Francisco East Co. 4871 Cordell Ave., Bethesda.986-8566. AE, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Much of the food is the familiar pub level: large portions of fairly tasteless ingredients. 1980s BOSTON SEAFOOD COMPANY Restaurant Menu - Washington DC & St Louis | Collectibles, Paper, Menus | eBay! Washington, DC. Main dish possibilities are grilled fish or shrimp -- charcoal grilled -- sauteed bay scallops, seafood stews with wine, herbs and tomatoes; or some variation of fritto misto, beautifully fried. The menu has remained small and interesting -- with oysters poached in orange butter and scallops or chicken livers served in boats of croissant or brioche as appetizers, and one-person souffles available for dessert -- and a mimeographed (thank goodness) list of appealing daily specials is included. The daily specials are usually the best dishes to order, for they use the season's first basil for pesto and the freshest fish for cold marinated appetizers, and on occasion offer inventions like the quail with fruit and sage stuffing and mushroom sauce. 256-1111. AE, MC, V. One hour free parking, Washington; mall parking lot, Falls Church. Street parking or nearby lots. The Washington Palm 1225 19th St. NW. Open daily. Old Angler's has its standards, but they need to be applied to the kitchen. Sauces are lighter, dishes imaginatively arranged, flavors more pronounced with the use of fresh herbs. L, D $4.95-$5.95. The cha goi, Vietnamese spring rolls, however, are excellent, and you can do well with shrimp with a curry sauce that includes peanuts and coconut, or beef ground, firmly packed -- too firmly -- and wrapped in aromatic leaves before grilling. Full bar service. In an era that values light eating, Ikado's high prices for small portions detract little from its agreeability. But nobody is keeping a careful eye on the ingredients, for the scallops have been bitterly fishy, the pork dark and strong. Open daily. L, D daily. Full bar service. Parking lot. Children's meals. SE. 337-0730. Full bar service. Long a favorite of mine for its refreshing, serene dining room and fresh, inventive food, the Big Cheese has expanded to a lush upstairs dining room full of exotic colorful fabrics and glorious watercolor prints and raised its prices while slipping in quality. L $3.95-$5.95, D $6.95-$12.95. Vegetables (which do not, by the way, accompany the shrimp) are also good, whether fresh green beans or potato baked with a sprinkle of salt and no foil wrapper. Parking lot. But the chef understands the intricacies of seasoning, from soups to sherbets. Beer and wine only. Open daily. MC, V. No reservations. Parking lot. Goldon Booeymonger 1701 20th St. NW. Full bar service. . Closed Mon. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. No reservations. The Tiki Room. L daily, D daily ex Sat. Clam clhowder is unorthodox, white but not creamy, heavily herbed, very good if you are not a traditionalist. China Inn 631 H St. NW. Beer and wine only. The Georgetown branch is cluttered with tile tables in the garden-bright dining room. Children's prices. 971-4200. Reservations accepted. L daily ex Sat, D daily. 654-2575. Domino's Pizza. La Fourchette 2429 18th St. NW. Genji 2816 Graham Rd., Falls Church. Closed Sun. Closed Sun. 532-9290. Ae, cb, d, mc, v. Reservations required. L,D $3.50-$7.95. Now that it has a liquor license, Foggy Bottom Cafe has matured into a bright, tasteful gathering place for the neighborhood and for diners on their way to or from the Kennedy Center. There is a good restaurant at Ocean ix, but it is hidden among a lot of mistakes. Unfortunately, the kitchen also thinks that some important qualities don't matter. Hunan of Capitol Hill 201 D St. NE. Drink with it a simple wine, for most are agreeable and well under $10. The chili is dull and bland, with little more than a splinter of meat among the beans. Closed Mon, Tues. MC, V. Reservations suggested. Ae, mc, v. Reservations suggested. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. Parking in shopping center lot. Some of the grand entree adventures are fresh baby duckling with cassis, crayfish, roasted loin of veal with fresh wild mushrooms, saddle fo rabbit. There are flaws: snails with too-strong, too-thick green peppercorn sauce, mussels with garlic butter but no character. Closed Sun.AE, MC, V. Reservations requested. 836-3200. Early to mid 1980s Restaurant - Washington DC Forum Ocean ix offers a wide variety of fresh fish whole and in filets, but service is harrassed. Full bar service. The dishes are colorful and bulging in the right places. Parking in rear. Parking lot. Closed Sun. Dining 1980 - The Washington Post L $4-$10.50, D $8.50-$13.50. China Paradise 138-A Maple Ave. W., Vienna. Watergate Dining Room and Terrace 2650 Virginia Ave., NW.