Dining (November 2011)

Instantly upon gazing at its menu, you’ll adore Adour — “Cuisine designed with wine in mind.”

The restaurant — as is true of the food it serves — is meant to be taken in and savored. Everything, from its three-course menu to its relatively isolated location (1201 N. Royal St. in Alexandria), gives the impression that it is a place to take one’s time.

The Pour House, located at 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, is a popular tavern frequented on the weekdays by those meeting friends after work and on the weekends to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers or Florida Gators.

For Alonso Roche, creating the perfect hot dog is something of an art form — and he’s creating masterpieces at the recently opened Bold Bite Dogs & Fries in Bethesda, Md. Roche co-owns the new eatery with his brother, Alvaro.

Its name rolls off the tongue with ease: Burger, Tap and Shake. The Foggy Bottom corner restaurant is home to tasty shakes, multiple varieties of beer on tap and burgers ground on the premises.

Le Bon Cafe, 210 2nd St. SE — This café is right next to the Library of Congress and just a five-minute walk from the House side of the Capitol.

Not long ago, the District’s Southwest waterfront was an underdeveloped neighborhood with little to no dining options.

With Congress’s approval rating at 9 percent, it is no wonder “Dirty Politics” is one of the most popular themed drinks at Charlie Palmer Steak.

With a name like Bar Pilar (1833 14th St. NW), you might expect typical bar bites of nachos and mozzarella sticks. But this bar does not have your typical snacks — rather, it has miniaturized fine dining into small plates of delicious flavor.