Although the menu has resisted change -- and faddism -- for years, the infusion of new talent and nouvelle cuisine in Washington's other restaurants has spurred Rive Gauche on to better efforts. A star on the menu is la bourride, a creamy, potent fish soup under a puff pastry crust. One introduction to this white-washed, beamed and timbered inn is a good look at the impressive kitchen cadre through a front window. Open daily. Focus on main dishes, avoid the often inept grilled skewered meats, and you should enjoy an evening of pan-Asian delight. L $3.75-$8.95, D $5.595-$17.95. Children's prices. A restaurant more significant for what it didn't do than what it did. It sounds exactly like Tom Sariss Orleans House. The dishes are colorful and bulging in the right places. D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. McDonald's can fold up its golden arches when it comes to competing with Sholl's cafeterias, where a full dinner with fresh fruits and fresh vegetables and homemade pies and puddings wil cost less than $4. Free parking after 6 p.m. at 18th & M Sts. Full bar service. Open daily. L, D $1.25-$8. L $3.25-$4.35, D $4.25-$20. L,D $5.75-$7.25. Street parking. L $3.50-$9.50, D $4-$12. No-smoking section. But a change of chefs has brought overcooked chicken, indiffernet sauces. The few steaks have stiff competition in the thick calf's liver steak, the rack of lamb and the grilled fish or squab. Wine service is neglectful. 525-42439 L $6-$10.50,, D $12.50-$25. L, D daily. L $10.95-$14.95, D $18. D $9.95-$14.95. Order small bowls of stewed chicken, lamb or beef, either mildly spiced with cumin, cinnamon and the like, or hotly peppered with red pepper paste; spoon mounds of the meats and side dishes of braised cabbage and green beans and carrots in between, then start tearing and scooping. Closed Sun. Children's prices. Full bar service.Children's prices. AE, CB, D MC, V. Reservations suggested. Parking lots. Sauces are thin and translucent, the meat sauces golden. Mikado 4707 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 223-6666. Closed Sun. Main courses should include at least one house specialty, perhaps grilled prok with rice cakes or grilled shrimp on sugar cane. Open daily. Parking lot. Flickr/Lenka Reznicek. Clyde's/Tysons Corner 8332 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. It serves these elaborate pasta dishes in whimsically decorated little dining rooms and an outdoor cafe and embellishes the menu with daily meat and seafood specials: veal with amaretto, mushrooms and shallots; fish or squid with lemon butter. Soups are fine, and the "egg souffle florentine" is an unusual slice of souffle on spinach and mushrooms with a rich, nutmeg-scented cheese sauce. 767-1095. No credit cards. Valet parking for dinner only. Pre-1980 RESTAURANT SCENE Atlantic City New Jersey NJ G8202 in United States > New Jersey > Atlantic City Ends Tonight: Up to 75% Off Postcards Save Now United States Africa Asia & Middle East Australia & Oceania Canada Europe Latin & South America Worldwide (Other) More Categories Open daily. Nora is a sophisticated return to old-fashioned home cooking, with dishes from here and there but ingredients only from impeccable sources that raise their meats without chemicals. Characters on the walls and characters serving the food, green and white checked tablecloths, those set the hale and hearty scene. The signs this year are good at Chez Grand Mere, its two small rooms sweetly decorated in Victorian lace and leaded glass, Tiffany lamps and distressed wood beams against brick. Street parking or nearby lots. Concentrate on vegetables -- white beans, fried zucchini -- and accompany your meal with white pizza, even red if you like. Closed Mon. Ae, cb, d, mc, V. Reservations required. This is a restaurant of solid culinary satisfaction rather than thrills. Hugo's Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW. Eskimo Nell's 815 N. Stafford St. Arlington. Dining 1980 - The Washington Post 296-8075. 443 Seventh Street, NW. Full bar service. AE, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested, required on wekends. And, obviously, it becomes addictive. . Now there are tablecloths, but otherwise the fanciest fixture at Los Planes de Renderos is the tape deck on the bar, playing Latin music. Children's prices. 965-1789. Parking lots nearby. Tripadvisor #29 . AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Siddhartha 1412 New York Ave., NW. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted for five or more only. 675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. 965-2350. Washington D.C. Shamrock Stroll (March 18) History Tour Pub Crawl of Washington, D.C. Visit the Embassy of Ireland; Explore St. Patrick's Catholic Church in D.C. Eat out at an Irish pub The Dubliner; Duffy's Irish Pub; Kelly's Irish Times; Kirwan's on the Wharf; 17. 362-8200. 998-5115. Children's prices. Viet Nam Bistro 1836 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. Open daily. 227 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Soup at 75 cents -- sometimes good, sometimes not -- and a very good simple salad at the same price fill out a meal of mountainous portions of superlative chicken or shrimp salad, hash or omelets or chopped steak with irresistible homemade potato chips called Palm fries. Parking lot. Mamma Desta's restaurant is an experience. L daily ex Sat, D daily. Closed Sun. Free parking in adjacent lot after 4 p.m. Full bar service. At lunch, a noisy bustle accompanies plats du jour -- a two-week cycle of menus plus daily specials -- with carafes of wine. L, D daily. The restaurant serves light snacks and full dinners, in quiet leisure or late night disco. No credit cards. Auto Services. L, D daily. Valet parking. Full bar service. These Classic D.C. Restaurants and Bars Are Still Worth a Visit Casba 2100 & St. NW. AE, V. Reservations accepted for four or more only. Free parking lot. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Esplanade Restaurant Menu Hyatt Regency Hotels Red Cherries 1980's at the best online prices at eBay! Open daily. Quick, wholesome All-American food could not be a better bargain than at Sholl's. MC, V. Reservations accpted. L $2.50-$2.95, D $3.50-$6.50. 452-1915. The tacos and enchiladas grin blandly for fear of offending. Parking lot. Full bar service. And, while it serves the usual range of Italian dishes -- veal parmesan, chicken cacciatore, lasagna, spaghetti and such -- its central feature is unique pizza. The Wharf 119 King St., Alexandria. The new prices imply a culinary consistency and a level of service that do not actually exist here. Closed Sun. 770-7888. Parking lot next door. 223-1823. Full bar service. a mug of beer, a cup of too-sweet but fairly good chili fill out a meal that is nofrills and priced accordingly. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. No reservations. L $3.95-$4.50, D $4.25-$8.95. Open daily. L, D $1.95-$4.95. Closed Sun. Children's prices. Ben's Chili Bowl, which opened in 1958, looks like a relic on the yuppified stretch of U Street once known as Black Broadway. Annabelle - Washington - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Children's prices. Children's prices. The brownies, the chocolate chip cookies (from the Capitol Hill branch's carryout market), the macadamia nut roll, the chicken and green bean and seafood salads would win on any first ballot. L, D $1.50-$4.95. L daily ex Sat, D daily. Ae, cb, d, MC, V. Reservations suggested. L $6.50-$13.95, D $11-$17.95. Jean-Pierre 1835 K St. NW. But more delicate dishes have been made clumsily; fettucine with caviar is cotton-candy pink from a strange tasteless stuff that is meant as red caviar, and veal has been pasty on the surface and cooked dry, immersed in a lumpy sauce. The kitchen's unique character blooms at dinner. Full bar service. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. L $3.25-$5.25, D $5.25-$17.95. L daily ex Sat, D daily. 4611 Laverock Pl NW # 1, Washington, DC 20007 is an apartment unit listed for rent at /mo. 998-6616. The puff pastry is a nut-brown crunch sometimes filled with sole mousse and belon oysters from Maine, dollops of caviar in its cream sauce. Twigs Capital Hilton, 16th and K Sts. The chiles that once brought tears to the eyes have been held in reserve. Nothing changes at Mama Ayesha's Calvert Cafe, not the 10-entree Arabic menu that averages $5, not the dashing corps of waiters, not the unadorned dining rooms, not the Arabic background music, not Mama Ayesha herself greeting the world from her rear booth. Fish filets are moist and, thankfully, unadorned. L $2.25-$4.95, D $3.25-$8.25. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. L $2.50-$6.50, D $5.75-$11.75. The big disappointment at Harvey's is likely to be dishes with lobster in them, so stick to crab. Intrigue has a small menu, just a few fish, three veals and four steaks. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. II Nido is handsome as an Italian film star and propped with interesting dishes like fregnacce and other handmade pastas. Mama's 1901 N. Ft. Myer Dr., Arlington. Phone +1 202-347-4800. AE, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Full bar service. $1.69 $1.99 . L $3.75-$9.75, D $6.50-$14.95. Full bar service. Unused Pre-1980 CARSON'S RESTAURANT Largo Florida FL M8853. Le Rendez-Vous serves very good Asian food, with more attention and flourish than turns up in most of Washington's Asian restaurants. Children's prices. Full bar service. D daily. Full bar service. Les Ambassadeurs 1310 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tom Sarris Orleans House. Chesapeake Bay Seafood Houses Check local phone directories for locations. Even the traditional sauces -- dark, resonant mole and smooth, piquant salsa verde -- are unusually good. Closed Sun. Full bar service. Springfield. 342-0444. Full bar service. The fixed-price menus are expensive, nearly as high for lunch as for dinner, and the food can be glorious or slightly awry. In the 1970s the restaurant industry and the custom of eating in restaurants grew rapidly. AE, MC, V. Reservations required. L daily ex Sat, D daily. Children's prices. Harvey's also serves excellent drinks, and has a wine list both extensive and educational, heavily weighed towards California, though the cellar does not live up to the list. Open daily. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted. But it emphasizes light suppers for after the theater. La Miche has expanded and is suffering from growing pains, though it is still the best French restaurant I have found in the Maryland suburbs. L daily ex Sat, D daily.Closed Sun. 347-5560. The House of Hunan is an exceptional addition to Washington's hundreds of Chinese restaurants, and Vincenzo's, once the kinks are ironed out, is aiming for the top among Italian restaurants. The bar is stacked the Clyde's canned chili; even as it comes from the kitchen it is too sweet, decent but not star quality. And it contains less familiar items you should try, like stuffed cornmeal cakes called pupusas. AE, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted, suggested on weekends. L $3.25-$4.25, D $3.95-10.95. Full bar service. Full bar service. El Sombrero 5401 Lee Hwy. L $2.95-$5.75, D $5.45-12.50. Parking lots and street parking. I am trying to remember a restaurant my parents took me to on visits to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? L, D daily. Full bar service. Full bar service. In other words, this is a typical inexpensive ethnic restaurant, in this case Vietnamese and French. L daily ex Sun, D daily. The Fishery has quickly become a sought-after eating place adorned with long necklaces of prospective diners awaiting tables. 836-7010. Sunset 920 11th St. Valet parking. Parking in rear. 559-8558. A downstairs brick-lined bar and an outdoor cafe offer simple red beans and rice, gumbos and the like. L $3.95-$6.95, D $6.25-$9.95. The most interestng dishes are likely to be on the printed list of daily specials, and Le Bagatelle deserves praise for actually printing the list rather than leaving it to the captain to recite for the diners to memorize. Full bar service. Luigi's of Bethesda 4919 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda. The Washington, DC of the 1980s and '90s was a dramatically different place than the Washington, DC of 2017. On the menu -- which seems to have the bulk of a phone book -- are some excellent dishes and some not so good; the cream of crab soup is memorable, seafoods often excel, and the rack of lamb is impeccable. The food -- which includes dishes such as sausages with lentils, pot au feu and cassoulet -- is endearing if not spectacular. 0.2 km from Warner Theatre. Despite the menu's spiel about its carefully selected and naturally aged beef, the meat on the plate is just ordinary, the roast beef average in tenderness and flavor, overcooked; and the house specialty of marinated sirloin tough and vinegary, though properly seared and cooked rare. Parking lots. Or the noodle turnovers can be fried, with the yogurt on the side. Lombardy Cafe 2019 I St. NW. AE, MC, V. Reservations suggested. In the six months during which I visit restaurants -- at least once a day -- for the Fall Dining Guide, I must arbitrarily leave out some that are as important or agreeable as many that are included. 965-1185. L $2.75-$4.50, D $5.25-$7.75. 296-7112. Children's prices. Open daily. No smoking section. 971-4200. Full bar service. L daily ex Sat, D daily ex Sun. And even more important, increasingly restaurants are serving seafood that is fresh rather than frozen, and cooking it properly. Full bar service. Pueblo Joe's looks like the kind of place you would like to go while on vacation. Children's prices. 360-7880. No-smoking section. 338-3121. Open daily. L $3.45-$6.95, D $8.45-$13.95. This photo was taken after he resigned and was leaving the White House. The food, too, remains authentic and straightforward, with a few especially good dishes. 652-9514. Children's prices. Children's prices. Prices are generally around two digits for entrees, but this is Indian food of particular character, where the interplay of aromas and tastes takes precedence over heat. 232-4768. 737-2101. Full bar service. Full bar service. Marianna's 1806 King St., Alexandria. The Washington, DC of the 1980s and '90s was a dramatically different place than the Washington, DC of 2017. Full bar service. But the chef understands the intricacies of seasoning, from soups to sherbets. 10. Full bar service. Full bar service. Carlos Gardel 1759 Columbia Rd. Full bar service. L $3.95-$7.95, D $6.95-$15.75. Parking in commercial lots and on street. The hummos special, topped with ground beef and almonds, was not a prettily arranged or as tangy. 833-3846. Elaborate preparations at Le Bagatelle are least likely to please, except for desserts. Bennigan's (Closed in 2008) See more '80s . Ben's Chili Bowl. Full bar service. Best Restaurants in Staten Island, New York. No reservations.Street parking. 258-9670. 451-7356. No credit cards. Reservations accepted. Tien Yuen 1612 16th St. NW. Open daily. The Far Inn (Club Soda) The Fireplace. AE, DC, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Fio's The Woodner, 3636 16th St. NW. Children's prices. It has quietly and gradually become a fine restaurant, its cuisine stably settled among those French restaurants just below La Pavillon, Le Lion d'Or and Jean-Louis, keeping company with Jean-Pierre, Le Bagatelle, Dominique's and Rive Gauche on its good days. 589-6868. L daily ex Sat, D daily. The Washington Palm 1225 19th St. NW. Ae, CB, CC, D, MC,V. L daily ex Sat, D daily. Blackie's House of Beef 1217 22nd St. NW. The restaurant: Iron Gate (1734 N St, NW) Year first opened: 1923. SE. And though the menu still offers only main courses, no appetizers or desserts, you can drink everything from imported German beer to homemade honey wine in individual jugs, and even Perrier or Sprite. L, D $2.50-$6. AE, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Street parking. Full bar service. 13. L, D daily. No reservations. Closed Sun. Full bar service. Open daily. There are only a few pastas from which to choose, but you should start with the spinach-stuffed agnolotti in cream sauce. Hu Nan 4660 Kenmore Ave., Alexandria. O'Brien's Pit Barbecue 1314 E Gude Dr., Rockville. Le Gaulois 2133 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Closed Sun. 1970er Jahre Montpelier Restaurant Lounge Men Madison Hotel The cooking at Nora is better than ever, the soups dense with flavor, the lunchtime picadillo sweetly spiced with cumin, onions and peppers. Tacos and enchiladas form only a small part of the menu, which is an extensive list of brilliantly colored and subtly flavored dishes. Connected to a seafood market, The Fishery gets the best. AE, CB, CC, D, MC, V. Reservations accepted. Parking lots nearby. Roundtable 4859 Wisconsin Ave., NW. L $3.50-$7, D $4-$14. AE, MC, V. Reservations accepted for five or more only. L $5.75-$12.50, D $10.25-$21. Hours & Location. Closed Sun. Worse, fried dishes, particularly appetizers, may be grease-sodden and bland. Geranio 724 King St., Alexandria. Commercial parking lots. The Eatery White Flint Mall, Bethesda. The sauce is more sharp than sweet and plenty hot. CB, MC, V. Reservations suggested. In the Washington Post, January 7, 1982, there is an account of the unfathomably named Richard Hamilton Herrud Houghton III. Street parking. 544-5411. There is no change expected, thank goodness, in the food. Ae, cb, d, mc, v. Reservations suggested.Parking lot. Lotus Inn 2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. No credit cards. There now is more than one answer to, "Where is a good seafood restaurant?" Bacchus is a charming little place, with brick walls and tile tables. E., Landley Park. Nothing changes at Szechuan & Hunan -- fortuantely. AE, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Children's prices. 337-7750. Service swings wildly from a great show of pulling out your chair to surly response to requests. Courtesy of Wikimedia/Oliver F. Atkins. With costs of everything rising more rapidly than menus can be reprinted, the profit margin is narrowing. No alcoholic beverages. The food is rustic and homespun. The menu has remained small and interesting -- with oysters poached in orange butter and scallops or chicken livers served in boats of croissant or brioche as appetizers, and one-person souffles available for dessert -- and a mimeographed (thank goodness) list of appealing daily specials is included. 861-8447. 337-3600. No credit cards. You may also like: Zip codes with the most expensive homes in . Closed Sun. L $4.25-$6.95, D $5.95-$11.95. Children's prices. San Francisco East Co. 4871 Cordell Ave., Bethesda.986-8566. 337-2436. L, D daily. Bailey's Crossroads. Skip the fettucine alfredo and finish with one of this town's really good cannoli. The ingredients at 219 are excellent -- big lumps of crabmeat, fresh fish -- but the kitchen is just competent rather than talented, so that overseasoning or overthickening are common. No credit cards. The Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., From Laotian Cuisine to Steakhouses | Cond Nast Traveler. L $3.25-$8.95, D $5.95-$11.95. Others are good but without special character -- the snapper too chewy, the rillettes bland, the veal excessively pounded, the raspberry souffle lacking perfume. Add to your plastic plate the homemade but not sensational potato salad and coleslaw, inconsequential baked beans of "texas toast." Arlington, VA 22209 (Map & Directions) (703) 524-2929. It still has some . AE, CB, MC, V. Reservations suggested. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-115187862', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Washington DC in my youth. Open daily. More. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. Yenching Palace 3524 Connecticut Ave., NW. Parking lot. Tabard Inn 1739 N St. NW. Private party facilities. 547-9626. L $2.50-$3.25, D $7.50-$9. It is several restaurants scattered from Columbia to Tysons Corner; it is a Washington institution and live museum of American pub culture; it is Georgetown's longest running mixer. 589-0048. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested.Street parking and commercial lots. Children's prices. L daily ex Sat, D daily. MC, V. No reservations. This two-story green and white pub with sidewalk cafe is lively, usually fun if you don't consider noise and fun mutually exclusive. Closed Mon. You might wonder how this can be considered a decent restaurant, unless you were clever enough to order shrimp de jonghe, jumbo shrimp firm and moist, in a garlic and shallot flecked butter sauce. Washington's long-gone restaurants, from Duke Zeibert's to Rive Gauche Flagship Restaurant Seafood Menu Washington DC 1980's A large 4 page dinner menu from the Flagship Restaurant in Washington DC Circa early 1980's. Measures about 8 3/4" x 13 3/4" when closed. 1982 Having introduced nouvelle cuisine at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, Chef Wolfgang Puck presents "California cuisine" to patrons of his new chic-casual Sunset Strip restaurant, Spago. Full bar service. L $4.25-$6.75, D $7.25-$13. Vegetables are carved into tiny perfect batons and placed precisely on the plates. In all, Harvey's seems tired in the face of energetic new seafood restaruants in town. Parking in rear. One night the specials alone included two kinds of crayfish, lamb with ginger, veal with cepes, lotte with tarragon and softshell crabs. Chez Grand Mere 3057 M St. NW. Parking in front. Open daily. L daily, D daily ex Sat. 543-5005. emily in paris savoir office. 779-1234. 301/432-6155. Clyde's is a series of attractive stage sets for playing out the Georgetown breakfast, the Georgetown brunch, the George-after-dark. 244-1740. 265-5860. L $3.95-$7.95, D $7.50-$8.95. 362-1250. L $3.95-$7.25, D $6.95-$11.95. No-smoking section. Children's prices. Unused Pre-1980 WATER GATE INN RESTAURANT Washington DC u4365@ Closed Sun. Children's prices. Closed Sun. L $4.75-$8.25, D $9.25-$15.50. Tiberio 1915 K St. NW. This intensely popular Chinese restaurant is so because its food can be and often is among the handful of Washington's best. The variety is appealing, from hors d'oeuvre plates that are fresh vegetable salads and tiny bits of pate, sardines and the like, to moist bluefish in nantua sauce to cassoulet or just a rib eye steak with french fries. Closed Mon. 836-3200. 338-3830. Full bar service. Put away your preconceptions of Mexican restaurants when you visit Enriqueta's. But two other major cuisines have contributed restaurants that deserve to be at the top of anyone's dining list. And wonder how they do it for the price. Full bar service. Full bar service. On the plate, the food is pretty and fresh, and the diversity caters to those hungering after a full traditional meal or just a sandwich. Some of the grand entree adventures are fresh baby duckling with cassis, crayfish, roasted loin of veal with fresh wild mushrooms, saddle fo rabbit. "Full bar service" indicates that the establishment is licensed to sell spirits as well as beer and wine . Except for a few extraordinary dishes, among them a marinated fish salad similar to seviche, quiche, several fish dishes and strawberry sherbert, the total dinner -- which is fixed price and moderately so -- adds up to more than the sum of individual dishes, which are very competent but not spectacular cooking. I have tried googling to no avail and even scrolled thru every restaurant listed for DC here on TA no luck. L daily, D daily ex Sun. 984-9440. Closed Sun. Begin, if it is available, with a pate of fish, beautifully ribboned with pink salmon and green spinach, perhaps with a heart of white fish and green avocado. Open daily. Care is showered on the quality of ingredients, from freshly cooked chicken salad in ripe melon to high-quality rolls for the hamburgers. 301/428-8593. Parking lot. Les Champs The Watergate, 600 New Hampshire Ave. NW. The surprise is fining homemade soup and potato salad which is embellished with pickle relish and celery seeds. The menu divides into fixed-price dinners of $25, $30, $40, and $60, plus a few a la carte items. You can start with lobster bisque or clams casino; other soups can taste canned-bland, even if they are larded with plenty of fresh clams or crab, and my last oysters were flabby and small. 534-0004. Street parking. Parking across the street. But between the commissary kitchen that serves the cafes and the plate there is many a slip, with skimpy meat in the sandwiches, drying out of the quiches, chili sinking soggily into the French roll of the chili dog. Nizam's 523 Maple Ave. W., Vienna. Full bar service. and have played host to former presidents, foreign dignitaries, and a wealth of other impactful figures. Start dinner with a champagne and framboise cocktail and end by taking home a quiche or plum tart for tomorrow when you wish you were back at Chez Francois. Clam clhowder is unorthodox, white but not creamy, heavily herbed, very good if you are not a traditionalist. Closed Sun. No credit cards. Several restaurateurs have talked lately about opening a grill restaurant specializing in charcoaled meats and fish, but while they talked, T. Gregory's did it, and did it exceedingly well. Viet Nam Bistro has grasscloth walls and lacy bamboo hanging lamps. Children's prices. Thai Room 527 13th St. NW. Gadsby's Tavern 138 N. Royal St., Alexandria. L $2.95-$5.95, D $4.95-$15.95. The population was shrinking, wealth flowed out to the suburbs, and you could buy a Northwest rowhouse for five figures. The food is pretty good, with tall pyramids of salad, smooth custard quiches in puff pastry, simple meat and fish dishes and pastries that are highlights. L, D daily. Le Lion d'Or 18th and M Sts. 965-2684. 265-1600.L $5.25-$9.95, D $11.95-$15.95. AE, D, MC, V. Reservations suggested. 986-8744. Full bar service. 763-6553. Foggy Bottom Cafe The River Inn, 924 25th St. NW. L $2.95-$5.75, D $4-$9. Full bar service. Vernon. The walls are gilt-edged black, and the diners are gilt-edged meat and potatoes fans. Closed Mon. Open daily. Free parking in adjacent lot. It is a restaurant of character; its food is very good and, in the instance of a few dishes, unexcelled. It has baba ghanouj and taramasalata, cucumbers with yogurt and mashed potato dip, all to be scooped with toasted pita sprinkled with oregano. 737-1234 L $4.95-$8.95, D $9.50-$14.50. o The Upstairs Maid 1992 Chain Bridge Rd., Tysons Corner. Full bar service. The finest of Italian cuisine is delivered by Nicholas Stefanelli at one of Washington DC's best restaurants, Masseria. Running a great restaurant is no secret. Street parking. No-smoking section. Mama Ayesha's Calvert Cafe 1967 Calvert St. NW. D $12.95-$15.65. 338-7772. Full bar service. L daily ex Sat, Sun, D daily. Closed Mon. Start with pasta, perhaps linquine with crab and tomato or with clams, or risotto to share among several people. Children's prices. Despite economic woes (recession and inflation), the energy crisis, urban decline, crime, and escalating restaurant prices, restaurant-going continued to rise. Children's prices No-smoking section. The Frat House. Amend that: The egg rolls have turned greasy and pasty inside, though their dough remains paper-thin. NW. D daily. L daily ex Sat, Sun, Mon, D daily. AE, CB, D, MC, V. Reservations required. L $2.50-$4, D $3.75-$8.50. Siam Inn 11407 Amherst Ave., Wheaton. Lido di Venezia 200 N. gLebe Rd., Arlington. Children's prices. Street parking or commercial lots. Full bar service. Closed Sun. Szechuan Inn 558 Benfield Village Shopping Center, Sevena Park, Md. Masseria's lip-smacking, swirled linguine with XO sauce / Masseria. Private party contact. No-smoking section. Dominique 1900 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Some people consider that and the absent-minded service part of the charm. From the central pastry table to the tiny carved batons of apple arranged as spokes on a plate of sweetbreads, the attention to decorative detail is sustained. The old faithful dishes are still excellent; sups and the creamy crabmeat veronique as appetizers.