Restaurants in Vienna

As guests step past the pink silk curtains that hang in the entryway, the first thing they notice is the unmistakable aroma of charcoal. The source is the restaurant's clay tandoor, where chicken and fish cop grill flavoring that completes their yogurt, herb, and spice marinades. Like an all-in-one print/fax/clone-an-army machine, this clay oven can handle multiple tasks at once, as it also yields such fresh-baked breads as the potato-and-pea-stuffed aloo paratha. Diners feast on these dishes at tables covered in white linens in a dining room that stretches back to a full bar.

The crepe chefs at La Crepe and More serve up paper-thin french pancakes stuffed with Nutella and strawberry jam or tuna, ham, egg, and avocados. Lattes and lemonades wash down bites, while scoops of ice cream add decadence to sweet crepes served à la mode.

Chefs use grass-fed beef, cage-free chicken, and steroid-free pulled pork that hail from sustainable sources to craft a bounty of tortilla-wrapped treats that take their names from the likes of Caddyshack, Fletch, and Seinfeld. It's this dual mindset of serious food and irreverent attitude that tinges every one of the eatery's southwestern morsels, from the Art Vandalay burrito to the John Coctostan quesadilla. As the kitchen staff crafts their daily batch of guacamole to join the lineup of six zesty salsas, diners choose from a list of more than 20 ingredients to fill out the entree that will soon be conjured before their eyes. Because dishes are made to order, each finds easy customization for vegetarian, gluten free, and low-calorie diets, and the absence of microwaves, trans-fats, and MSG keep eats wholesome. Meanwhile, a complimentary accompaniment of chips and salsa turns portions into full meals faster than an industry-grade blow-up ray.

Chefs at Addis Ababa Restaurant have been piling injera flatbread with authentic Ethiopian stews since 1982. During a daily lunch buffet, aromas of butter-sautéed lamb and collard greens mingle with East African decor such as goat-skin rugs and handcrafted basket tables, which "make for a stylish setting," according to the Washingtonian's 2004 guide to "Dining Out in Silver Spring". At dinner, servers carry out combination platters filled with pepper- and ginger-seasoned chicken and tender minced meat cooked to diners' specifications.

In French, sur la place translates to "on the square," and it's also an evocation of a popular song of the same name by Belgian musician Jacques Brel. To further remind diners of their eatery's Belgian roots, owners Loren and Peter Gomes display pictures of the famous Grand Plaza of Brussels on their wall, as well as a replica of the plaza's iconic Manneken Pis statue and a framed lock of Jean-Claude Van Damme's mullet.

Executive chef Samuel Encarnacion helms the duo's kitchen, infusing complex flavor profiles into a menu brimming with more than 20 varieties of mussels and classic Belgian dishes such as steak frites and flemish stew. These authentic entrees populate tables in a dining room studded with exposed-brick walls, tomato-red drapes, yellow accents, and shelves hoisting up more than 30 varieties of Belgian beer.

While most restaurants have made some memorable deliveries, not many can say they sent doggie bags full of chicken wings to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. President George Bush and his Secret Service agents ordered up a mess of wings and chowed down on the spicy flavor that first made Wingos famous back when it opened in 1983. Today, the small Georgetown storefront still serves up its original recipes in varieties such as teriyaki, lemon-pepper, and nuclear-spicy hot wings alongside a selection of half-pound Angus burgers, hot dogs, cheesesteaks, and cold-cut sandwiches. During the summer, they open up a Coney Island–style ice-cream window and dole out scoops in pints, floats, milkshakes, or carved into the face of your favorite Mount Rushmore president.