Our Favorite Dishes of the Year in the DC Area

"Before his hit Palestinian and Levantine restaurants Albi and Yellow, chef Michael Rafidi worked in French kitchens. He'd always loved escargots with maître d' butter-why not put them on hummus? "That's where the concept kind of started, bringing a couple different worlds together," Rafidi says of La' Shukran, his French-meets-Middle Eastern bistro/bar in Union Market. The clever combination of silky chickpea dip topped with smoky snails and herby, arak-spiked butter is now a signature on the menu. Swipe it up with sesame-crusted bread."

"Come for the caipirinhas and vinyl vibes, stay for the Brazilian bar snacks at this lively Adams Morgan spot. In particular, no bite is more alluring than these crispy tapioca squares with creamy, mochi-like centers made with Brazilian Canastra cow's-milk cheese-ideal for dipping in a sweet-spicy guava sauce. Pair the dish with the Romeu e Julieta, a rum-and-sherry cocktail infused with guava and cream cheese."

"Served on gleaming polished metal trays, the eponymous baek ban (rice-based set meals) at this Chantilly spot have as many variations as chef/owner Young Sun Han has recipes for banchan, traditional Korean side dishes. Alongside a main dish of smoky-sweet bulgogi, you might end up with cubed radish kimchi, an omelet sandwiched by whole perilla leaves, dried anchovies glazed with soy sauce, potato-apple salad, or sweet-potato-starch noodles stir-fried in sesame oil. The permutations are endless-and wonderful."

A selection of restaurants offers inventive small plates that blend culinary traditions with bold flavors and textures. La' Shukran pairs silky hummus with smoky escargots and herby, arak-spiked maître d' butter, served with sesame-crusted bread. Cana presents crispy tapioca squares with creamy Canastra cheese centers and a sweet-spicy guava dipping sauce, complemented by rum-and-sherry cocktails. Baek Ban serves baek ban rice meals accompanied by numerous banchan, including kimchi, perilla-wrapped omelet, glazed anchovies, and sweet-potato-starch noodles. Bar del Monte offers rustic lamb arrosticini brushed with chili oil and lemon as a prelude to pizza. Each dish emphasizes texture, seasoning, and cross-cultural influence.

Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.