Dining out

Another great holiday option is Old Ebbitt’s brunch, with plenty of options to suit everyone in your family or group of friends. The Breakfast Club is for those who are very hungry. It includes a ham- and bacon-stuffed French toast sandwich with Vermont maple syrup and it comes served with fresh fruit. If you’re up for a more festive meal, try their pumpkin French toast, served with pecan butter, Vermont maple syrup and sausage.

{mosads}If you’d rather visit Old Ebbitt for dinner, the trout parmesan comes highly recommended. The parmesan crusted rainbow trout is flash-fried and topped with hollandaise sauce, roasted potatoes and green beans. Old Ebbitt also has an excellent array of sandwiches and salads for the healthier among us. Noteworthy selections include the Atlantic salmon salad and the F Street sandwich, made with smoked turkey, coleslaw, muenster cheese and crispy fried onions on a sesame seed bun with mango barbecue sauce.

If you suffer from an intense sweet tooth, Old Ebbitt has you covered. Their Bourbon Walnut Pie with chocolate cookie batter, walnut and bourbon is served warm with vanilla ice cream. The restaurant also serves traditional pumpkin and pecan pie for the holidays.

Old Angler’s Inn

Not far beyond the District lines, the Old Angler’s Inn is a cozy Maryland retreat from the cold weather the holiday season brings. Take the time to decide on that perfect Christmas gift inside by the fireplace on a worn-in couch, or outside by the roaring fire pit with a stiff drink in hand. Though the weather on the night we happened to visit was not ideal, the patio and tent set up out back would be inviting during warmer periods.

The combination of poinsettias illuminated by flickering candles and a rustic old-home ambiance invokes the sense that we’re sitting at a relative’s, waiting for that holiday dinner to come through the kitchen door.

Old Angler’s prides themselves on their fresh seafood, and oysters are a great first course. Served with cocktail sauce and horseradish, they’re served iced on a half shell, almost overshadowing the rest of the meal. Calamari is also a fine selection, served with sweet-hot chili in an almond sauce.

For a main course, we recommend the pan-roasted halibut; We’d like to imagine the well-seasoned dish, served in a saffron sauce, was one that formerpresident and loyal patron Theodore Roosevelt would have enjoyed.

If you’re feeling carnivorous, veal chop is a delicious choice. Presented with with morel mushrooms and polenta, it will leave you satisfied with your decision. 

1789 Restaurant

A Georgetown institution, 1789 Restaurant offers the fancy without the pretentious. The cottage-inn feel, aged wood accents, and and candle-lit tables set a warm environment for diners, while the men’s jacket requirement and formally dressed staff indicate you haven’t mistakenly wandered into The Tombs. The staff is supremely attentive and at one point it felt as though a half-dozen attendants had been assigned to our table. 

The endive and apple salad with a Marisa dressing is a delicious beginning to the meal. Served with applewood smoked bacon and candied walnuts, this first course is difficult to pass up for those looking to start with a salad.  For those looking for something sightly heavier, the pumpkin gnocchi is a delicious seasonal and festive starter, served with ham, arugula, and shavings of Serena cheese.

For those interested in locally caught sea fare, the Chesapeake Bay rockfish is a great choice, as it is paired with grits, spicy greens, and fresh shrimp.

The rack of lamb has been a staple of the menu and with good reason. The succulent and tender dish is prepared with white beans, roast heirloom carrots, baby arugula and braised lamb shoulder.

The modestly sized dishes should leave you with plenty of room for dessert, and we suggest you indulge. Make sure to take in the holiday spirit by way of white poinsettias and hand-crafted wreaths while you try the pumpkin soufflé cheesecake accompanied by a butterscotch sauce and dried cherries. But it was the chocolate glazed gingerbread with creamy vanilla ice cream that caused our bellies to blissfully distend.

The Willard Room

Located in the Willard InterContinental, The Willard Room Restaurant will wow you with their substance as well as style. The Willard Room is arguably one of the most beautiful dining rooms downtown, with noticeable extravagance among the details. The illustrious decor includes intricate wood paneling and grandiose columns and beams, as well as propinquity to landmarks including the White House and the Washington Monument. 

The Willard Room offers meat and seafood options that will appeal to most any palate. To start, try the house smoked organic salmon with warm buckwheat blinis as an appetizer, or for the salad-inclined, the Caesar Salad is a great option, with white anchovies, garlic croutons and Parmesan cheese, all prepared table-side.

For those inclined to dine on seafood, the seared Maine lobster is a sure bet, presented with red pepper, lobster ravioli and bouillon. The black angus prime rib is also an attractive option and includes fresh mushrooms, pommes cocottes with a wonderful pepper sauce.

Additionally, the Willard Room will be offering New Year’s Eve accommodations in style with dining and dancing all night. They promise that their “seven-course menu will not soon be forgotten.”