Loosen your belts: DC’s Summer Restaurant Week returns

Requin (Courtesy Greg Powers) — **Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听** **Restaurant:** , a听French Mediterranean concept **Location:** The Mosaic District in Fairfax, Virginia **Chef:** Jennifer Carroll, in partnership with Mike Isabella **Highlights:**听Throughout the week, chef Jennifer Carroll is keeping her听prix fixe menus as close to her everyday menus as possible, offering diners a wide selection of choices 鈥斕齠rom听eggplant tomato ratatouille to crispy lamb shoulder to wild Burgundy escargot (pictured). (Photo courtesy Greg Powers)

Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听 Restaurant:听, French-American fare Location:听801 O St. NW in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood Chef:听Cedric Maupillier Highlights:听Convivial joined D.C.’s restaurant scene this past year, and ever since has been one of the most talked about dining establishments. During Restaurant Week, diners will be able to pick one item from three of five categories offered (nibbles, cold, hot, cheese and dessert). There are plenty of meat, fish and vegetable options. (Photo courtesy Greg Powers)

Personal bottles of Japanese whisky and shochu are lined up behind the bar at Daikaya. The D.C. restaurant's new bottle keep program emulates the tradition and hospitality of Japan's izakayas. (WTOP/Rachel Nania) — **Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听** **Restaurant:**听, Japanese **Location:**听705 6th St. NW in Chinatown **Chef:**听Katsuya Fukushima **Highlights:**听Above one of D.C.’s most popular ramen shops is a tiny izakaya, serving up some of the and authentic Japanese small plates. During Restaurant Week, diners can try dishes such as fried pig ears with smoked Kewpie-ranch, fried oysters with Japanese tartar sauce and donburi.听 (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

At Fiola, Chef Fabio Trabocchi prepares a Passover Seder inspired by the culinary traditions of Italy's Jews. (WTOP/Rachel Nania) — **Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听** **Restaurant:**听, Italian **Location:**听601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Penn Quarter **Chef:**听Fabio Trabocchi **Highlights:**听During Restaurant Week, diners will get the opportunity to try one of D.C.’s best fine-dining establishments: Fiola. The fixed menu includes dishes such as burrata with sweet corn crema and Taggiasche olives, lightly grilled arctic char and vanilla panna cotta.听 (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

**Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听** **Restaurant:**听, Greek **Location:**听4900 Hampden Ln. in Bethesda **Chef:**听George Pagonis, in partnership with Mike Isabella **Highlights:**听NOW’s your chance to try this new restaurant’s smoked lamb shoulder, chicken souvlaki, dolmades, tzatziki and more. (Courtesy Kapnos Kouzina Facebook)

Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听 Restaurant:听, Chinese-French Location:听1924 8th St. NW in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood Chef:听Tim Ma Highlights:听Choose from options such as sake-brined watermelon, raw royal sea bass, sous vide duck confit and soy braised short rib at this new restaurant in the heart of Shaw. (Courtesy Kapnos Kouzina Facebook)

Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听 Restaurant:听, pizza Location:听2221 14th St. NW in D.C.’s U Street area Highlights:听Run 鈥斕齞o not walk 鈥斕齮o D.C.’s newest pizza hot spot. No, seriously: Pizzeria Vetri does not take reservations, and you’re going to want to get a taste of what’s cooking at this 14th Street shop. During Restaurant Week, the eatery will offer antipasti, salad, four different types of pizza and dessert to its diners. (Courtesy Kapnos Kouzina Facebook)

on Jun 26, 2016 at 7:37am PDT

Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听 Restaurant:听, Japanese Location:听4000 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington Chef: Jonah Kim, in partnership with Mike Isabella Highlights:听Critics have been raving about Jonah Kim’s Yona since it opened last fall in Arlington. If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance. During Restaurant Week, Kim is serving up dishes like his famous dry-fried wings with Korean chili glaze, pulled pork steamed buns, chicken noodle ramen and green tea panna cotta. (Courtesy Kapnos Kouzina Facebook)

Centrolina Market sells grab-and-go items, such as coffee and pastries, as well as fresh produce, meats, cheeses and specialty Italian goods. (WTOP/Rachel Nania) — **Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听** **Restaurant:**听, Italian **Location:**听974 Palmer Alley in CityCenter **Chef:**听Amy Brandwein **Highlights:**听Centrolina is half market, half restaurant and a whole lot of Italian goodness. The menu for Restaurant Week is not yet published, but 听alone, we know the dishes won’t disappoint.听 (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

**Top 10 restaurants to try during D.C.’s 2016 Summer Restaurant Week听** **Restaurant:**听, Indian **Location:**听633 D St. NW in Penn Quarter and 1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW in West End **Chef:**听Vikram Sunderam **Highlights:**听This modern Indian restaurant is a three-time James Beard nominee for “Restaurateur of the Year” and is a must for fans of Indian cuisine. Both locations will be offering lunch, only, during Restaurant Week. Reservations are strongly encouraged. (WTOP File Photo)

(1/10)

Share This Gallery:

change volume

April 28, 2026 | Working during D.C.'s Summer Restaurant Week (WTOP's Rachel Nania)

WASHINGTON 鈥� Jennifer Carroll is about to have one of the busiest weeks of her life.

The former 鈥淭op Chef鈥� star and current chef at is gearing up for D.C.鈥檚 Summer Restaurant Week, which runs Aug. 15-21.

鈥淚t is a really pressure-filled time in the kitchen,鈥� said Carroll, who is partners with Mike Isabella at the French Mediterranean concept in the听听of听Fairfax, Virginia.

鈥淟unch, brunch, dinner 鈥� every day of the week. And it is nonstop, go, go, go, go, go, put your head down and work.鈥�

Restaurant Week, a biannual event organized by the (RAMW), started 15 years ago shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

RAMW President and CEO Kathy Hollinger says originally it was a way to get people out and back into the city鈥檚 restaurants.

Over the years, the program has grown tremendously. This summer, more than 250 restaurants in neighborhoods throughout the region are participating in the event, which offers diners multicourse meals for a fraction of the cost.

Three-course prix fixe lunches are $22 a person; dinners ring in at $35. And the deals work.

鈥淲e pretty much double, if not triple, the number of covers that we do during the week,鈥� Carroll said.

To make sure the restaurant keeps up with demand, Carroll says nearly everyone on staff works double shifts all week long 鈥� especially in the kitchen.

鈥淲e need to do more prep, we need to get in a lot more food into our inventory, we need to make sure that there鈥檚 room in the walk-ins and to be constantly moving stuff around 鈥� and just being really super on top of it,鈥� she said.

Her main priority is making sure the plates that go out to the dining room are up to the same standards they would be any other week. After all, it鈥檚 a chance for her to showcase her food 鈥斕€渨hat I put my heart and soul into鈥� 鈥斕齮o an audience that may never have visited if it wasn鈥檛 for Restaurant Week.

Because of that, Carroll does something a lot of chefs participating in Restaurant Week avoid: She makes sure her fixed lunch and dinner menus are a good representation of what鈥檚 normally on the menu.

Instead of limiting the diner to two or three options for each course, Requin鈥檚 Restaurant Week dinner menu offers six options for the first course, five for the second and four for dessert.

Favorites such as the eggplant tomato ratatouille, smashed fingerling potatoes, grilled swordfish with harissa, and crispy lamb shoulder all make the cut.

鈥淭heir experience will be a true experience. Even though it鈥檚 during Restaurant Week, it鈥檚 still the same food, the same menu, the same cooks executing everything, and I will still be on site,鈥� Carroll said.

Requin is also offering a $55 four-course selection and its 脿 la carte menu throughout the week.

If, in the past, you鈥檝e been on the fence about participating in Restaurant Week, RAMW鈥檚 Hollinger says there鈥檚 a pretty good reason to partake this year: D.C. was just named

鈥淔or those of us who have been in this region for quite some time, there are many who will say, 鈥榃e knew that for a while.鈥� But really, to be recognized nationally as the best restaurant city in the country, it is such an honor, and it truly is a testament to the talent that we have in food service,鈥� Hollinger said.

Carroll said she saw the recognition coming. After all, it was D.C.鈥檚 growing excitement for food that brought her to the nation鈥檚 capital from Philadelphia a few years ago.

She credits the area鈥檚 diners, who she says are adventurous and more excited than ever to get out and try something new.

鈥淎nd [they] trust the chef, which is something that is really special that a lot of cities don鈥檛 have,鈥� she said.

Restaurant Week runs Monday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Aug. 21. You can find a full list of participating restaurants and menus on .

太子探花