Vidalia

Description:

• Chef R. J. Cooper tied with Palena chef Frank Ruta for the James Beard Foundation's 2007 award as the best chef for the Mid-Atlantic region, and both the restaurant and its chefs frequently win prestigious culinary awards. You'll understand why when you dine here. Vidalia's cuisine marries tastes of various regions of the South, with an emphasis on New Orleans. Featured dishes might include a roasted young pig with braised savoy cabbage or rockfish filé with succotash and turnip greens. A signature entree is scrumptious sautéed shrimp on a mound of creamed grits and caramelized onions with tasso ham in a cilantro butter sauce. Corn bread and biscuits with apple butter are served at every meal. Vidalia is known for its lemon chess pie and pecan pie, but always check out alternatives, which might be an apple napoleon or caramel cake. Vidalia offers an extensive wine list; at least 30 are offered by the glass, in both 3-ounce and 6-ounce pours.

  If you're hesitant to dine at a restaurant that's down a flight of steps from the street, your doubts will vanish as soon as you enter Vidalia's tiered dining room. There's a party going on down here. Arrive between 5 and 7pm weeknights and you'll get in on the extremely popular wine tastings in the cozy wine bar. The chef sends out little canapés, like miniature BLTs; and both the wine tastings and the hors d'oeuvres are complimentary!

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

The Washingtonian

•  Top 100 Restaurant 2008
•  Top 100 Restaurant 2009

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2009