We all agree on the old saw: “An empty stomach is a poor advisor.” To wit, the grilling of pollsters by politicians, the courting of media by lobbyists and the glad-handing of everyone by lawyers happens at a few select D.C. restaurants. “D.C. has a special feel and it is power. Here are the people who make the decisions that affect millions of lives. It’s the real deal.” says Hani Roustoum, director of restaurants for Four Seasons. Check out the most power restaurants in Washington.
1. Seasons Restaurant: Graced frequently by VIPs, Seasons is tucked inside the Four Seasons Hotel. While lunch and dinner are popular, it’s first thing in the morning when the room is filled with the whispers of tomorrow’s headlines. Look for regulars like Mayor Adrien Fenty, Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice. They come for oatmeal and berries and chef Doug Anderson’s four-part breakfast “sampler.”
2. Willard Room: The Willard Room sets the gold standard for formality and discretion in the nation’s capital. A few feet away from the hotel lobby that inspired the term “lobbyist,” the Willard Room boasts a classical American menu and an inspired wine list assembled by one of the city’s best sommeliers, Caterina Abbruzzetti.
3. The Prime Rib: The Prime Rib remains a dimly lit pantheon to red meat and whispered deals. This is classic D.C. power dining, with oak-lined walls, live piano music and dry martinis that are pure American supper club. The eponymous entree is a whopping piece of aged grass-fed beef that, like the power lunch itself, is not for weaklings.
4. Charlie Palmer Steak: Since 2003, Charlie Palmer’s eponymous steakhouse, and its cellar of 10,000 exclusively American wines, have been the toast of Capitol Hill. The restaurant hosts the majority of signature fundraisers on their rooftop terrace, where the mini-burger is the suits’ choice of canapé.
5. BLT Steak: The name of Laurent Tourendel’s sleek spot on I Street promises a beefy evening. Still, icy platters laden with shellfish are a popular draw for K Street’s master spinners. The combination of American casual and Continental bistro draws an attractive crowd who dig the spare look. Despite the updates, this is a steakhouse unafraid of the classics. So chill the oysters, sear the steak and keep the spinach creamed.
6. Nathan’s: Restaurateur and journalist Carol Joynt welcomes bold-faced names at Nathan’s for a power lunch with a twist. Once every few weeks in September through June, Joynt hosts the Q&A Café; with past guests such as Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, it might also be called “Eat the Press.” Reserve in advance for a $30 lunch where insiders answer questions from Joynt and the audience.
7. The Westend Bistro: French classics and Chesapeake favorites blend seamlessly at chef Eric Ripert’s new outpost in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in midtown. There are no two ways about it: Here, the crab cakes are king. The Westend Bistro is surprisingly intimate. This is the place to toss a tie over your shoulder and bite into a burger. You won’t be alone. Senator Harry Reid is a frequent guest, as is Matt Lauer when he’s in town.
8. The Source by Wolfgang Puck: Chef Wolfgang Puck is serious about serving the nation’s movers-and-shakers. To wit, his brother Klaus is in charge of operations. Find young power brokers enjoying Puck’s signature pizzas at the bar and look for the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid enjoying refined pan-Asian in the formal dining rooms upstairs. Fittingly for newsmakers, the restaurant hovers inside the Newseum, a museum for the history of news.
9. Cafe Milano: After 8 p.m., Washington drops all formalities and loosens its ties at Franco Nuschese’s Italian trattoria where across-the-aisle diners from Newt Gingrich to Michelle Obama indulge in antipasti, light pastas and grilled fish. Incidentally, the Georgetown restaurant also serves as the celebrity hub when films are being shot on location, or stars with political causes exchange the Hollywood Hills for Capitol Hill.
10. The Palm: For more than 35 years Tommy Jacomo has been serving lobsters to lobbyists—and then some—at the Palm. If the Hill is one ring of the federal circus, and media and law are the others: Jacomo is the Barnum. His crackle and wit keep the show going on. Ask for his recommendations when making your reservation. If it’s pure business, he’ll advise you sit in the back; if it’s a celebration, he’ll save you a window seat. It is rumored more than 200,000 lawyers call greater Washington D.C. their home. If so, Jacomo must have seated each one at least once.
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