Ben's Chili Bowl is the most iconic of all the restaurants in DC. So when it reopened after 10 months of remodeling, it is news. So much so that the mayor DC proclaimed the reopening day, May 1st, as Ben's Chili Bowl Day.
City Dogs
I was in Richmond, Virginia doing some site seeing. Needing somewhere to eat lunch, I was driving around and passed a brightly painted building. Realizing it was a restaurant, I turned back. The restaurant turned out to be City Dogs, home to the best hot dogs in the city!
Mussel Bar & Grille
I was running an errand on a Saturday morning and decided to have lunch in nearby Bethesda, Maryland. Not too many places were open. But the Mussel Bar and Grille was and they even had a DC restaurant week special. It's a fantastic Belgian restaurant.
Figmor Cafe & Eatery
One of the most popular breakfast spots in the Buffalo region can be found in the town of North Tonawanda. Located in the heart of the city, Figmor Cafe & Eatery serves all the classics in comfort and style.
StoneBridge Grille
I was on a road trip looking for a place to eat. I decided to take the exit right before the Maryland line with Pennsylvania, on Interstate 83. I quickly found a nearby bar and grill that turned out to be first rate: the StoneBridge Grill.
DC Restaurant Closures 2025
2025 was a bad year for restaurants in DC, as a record number of restaurants closed. Here are the places I will miss.
Questa Lasagna’s Cannoli Cheesecake
I first wrote about Questa Lasagna back in 2018. An Italian restaurant in Mount Morris, New York, it makes fresh pasta every day. Over the years, I've occasionally returned there when I was able and it has never disappointed. Recently, I had a Cannoli cheesecake that was so good I had to write about it.
Overwinter Coffee
On a cold winter day, I was in the mood for some hot chocolate. A quick web search pointed me to a nearby ice cream parlor. When I arrived, I found out that they had hot chocolate flavored ice cream, but not the beverage itself. The clerk recommended a coffee shop a block away. I can't comment on their coffee, but Overwinter Coffee has fabulous hot chocolate.
Supra goes to Georgia
Supra, my favorite restaurant in Washington DC, regularly arranges trips to the Eastern European country of Georgia, whose cuisine inspired the restaurant. This past fall, I went on one of these trips. It was a whirlwind of a tour; we traveled throughout the country and sampled each regions food and wine.
Stella Point Grille
I was near Rockville running an errand. Finishing up in the early evening, I needed a place to eat dinner. A quick search turned up Stella Point Grille, a restaurant bar in Kensington that was exactly what I was looking for!
Jim's Dining Guides 