Let’s face it – there is not too much food variety on Route One. There are your typical pizza places, like Ratsie’s, Vito’s and Ledo’s. There are the usual chain restaurants like Chipotle, Boston Market, Potbelly’s, Five Guys and Jimmy John’s. There is also a fair share of Asian cuisine: Panda, Hanami, and now Shanghai Café under the View II.
As much as I love any restaurant that is pizza, burger, Tex-Mex, or Asian food related, sometimes I feel like I have eaten at every place in College Park at least once. For a special occasion like a birthday dinner, I want to try something new and special outside the realms of College Park.
But where is there to go?
Collegiettes, I have done the restaurant searching for you. The nation’s capital, about a 15-20 minute metro ride, is a city filled with fun, diverse eating options. Whether you are planning a date to celebrate your one-year anniversary with your boyfriend, or you are looking for a new girl’s-night-out spot, these five restaurants will offer a change-up from College Park’s selection.
1. Instead of Hanami, try…Chinatown Express
The name Chinatown Express sounds like an average, take-out Chinese place around the corner. But the restaurant is actually a D.C. Chinatown favorite. There is a quaint feel to the restaurant: the window looking into the building shows chefs making noodles and dumplings.
Alessia Lora, a sophomore human services major at Stevenson University, is a Washington D.C. area native that raves about Chinatown Express. “It looks like a hole in the wall place, but you would be surprised about how good it is,” Lora said. “I liked my chicken fried rice, it was very tasty, and the noodles tasted homemade and fresh.”
Chinatown Express is actually known for their noodle dishes, and has even been written up in the New York Times and Washingtonian. This restaurant is also easy on the college budget.
2. Instead of Chipotle try…Jaleo
Jaleo is a Spanish tapas restaurant that is currently a D.C. hot spot. The owner of Jaleo, José Andrés, is a D.C. celebrity that has been on famous food shows like Top Chef and has competed against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America. For those of you who do not know what tapas are, it is a type of finger food from Spain. Tapas can range from a small portion of vegetables to a thin slice of fish. A tapas restaurant like Jaleo is great for large groups of people because you can order a number of tapas dishes and share them. If you are a drinker, try Jaleo’s Classic Sangria – red wine sangria with brandy, apples, and lemon juice. ¡Muy delicioso!
3. Instead of Ledo Pizza, try…Matchbox
Matchbox, which calls itself a “vintage pizza bistro,” has the typical cheese and pepperoni pizza on the menu. But the restaurant also offers unique pizzas like sweet sopresatta and wild mushroom, prosciutto white, sausage and sundried tomato and my personal favorite, the Q special. This variation has marinated chicken, portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella cheese.
While the main courses are tasty, the appetizers are also something to take a look at as well. The first time I went to this restaurant, my waitress highly recommended the 3.6.9 mini burgers. I decided to take her advice – after all, the waitress knew far more about the food here than I did.
A friend and me split 3 mini burgers (you can choose 3, 6, or 9 burgers, but the more you order, the higher the price). We were surprised that a simple dish could taste so good. The burgers also come with onion straws, which are onion-like French fries.
4. Instead of Noodles and Co., try…Carmine’s
Carmine’s is an Italian family-style restaurant that originated in New York City and expanded into Washington D.C. a few years ago. The lunch menu includes a variety of heros, including portabello, Italian cheese steak, fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, and veal cutlet.
In contrast, the dinner menu has a never-ending list of pasta dishes: rigatoni, ravioli, manicotti, penne alle vodka, and lasagna are just a few of the many meals. “Carmine’s has amazing Italian food, but the portions are big,” Lora said. “I would definitely split with a friend the veal and penne with red sauce, it was so good.”
5. Instead of Yogiberry, try…Georgetown Cupcake
While Georgetown Cupcake is more of a bakery than a restaurant, I feel like it would be a sin not to include it on this list of food places in the district. Georgetown Cupcake has garnered national attention on TLC’s DC Cupcakes. There is usually a long line that trails outside of the door, but I guarantee you it is worth the wait.
Along with the typical cupcake choices such as red velvet, chocolate and vanilla, this bakery also sells “special” cupcakes like cinnamon, honey banana, toffee crunch, and lava fudge. The special cupcakes vary by season.
If you go on Georgetown Cupcake’s website, there is a weekly menu posted of what cupcakes they will sell. INSIDER TIP: Before your trip here, check out Georgetown Cupcake’s twitter. Every day they tweet about a secret cupcake that is not on the menu. The first hundred people per location that order this “secret” cupcake get it for free!
So are you bored in College Park? Hungry? Get out your metro card out and head to D.C.!