The August Hit List: Albi, Compass Rose, DCity Smokehouse, and More

When it seems the heat has got the best of you, trust on the coal-fired bounties of the season and fragrant Levantine spices at Albi to revive your senses. Our ideal spread includes their yellowtail tuna tartare with puffed bulgur, toum and mint, their Maryland crab dolmas — stuffed with sweet corn, embered tomatoes and garlic yogurt, as well as swordfish shish kebab with smoked corn tabouli, shaved fennel and turmeric pickled mango. For a ravishing main course you might feast on the whole smoked Bobo’s chicken with embered stone fruit, chermoula labne and pomegranate ‘yum yum’ sauce. To finish, whether it’s labne ice cream with sumac peaches & candied almonds, or melon sorbet with basil oil & compressed honeydew, Albi’s soft serve treats will give you the fortitude to carry on through the dog days of August.

As we’re approaching peak frozen Margarita season, we’ve got Tex-Mex and tequila at Republic Cantina on our mind. Beyond their classic fajitas and enchiladas, their steak taco salad, cantina pupusa topped with guisada, and the chicken fried chicken with creamy peppercorn & chipotle gravy with esquites are not to be missed. And there is breakfast served daily, so don’t sleep on their breakfast tacos, or plates of migas and chilaquiles with your choice of smoked brisket, bacon, guisada or chorizo. Aside from the roster of five draft and frozen margaritas, we strongly encourage their pico-back shots (tequila with a pico de gallo juice chaser), and the cevichelada — you know, just a can of Modelo with a spicy salt rim, and shrimp ceviche, doused with house fermented hot sauce for good measure.

At Doi Moi on 14th street, come for the happy hour tropical fruit daiquiris, and stay for mouth watering bò lúc lắc (shaken beef) glazed in soy, fish sauce and butter over a watercress salad, as well as a stunning Mekong style whole fried fish with sticky rice and ginger dipping sauce. We are torn between the passionfruit or watermelon-Thai basil daiquiris as our favorite, but when they are only $7 until 7 p.m., 7 days a week, you might as well drink them all. Alongside you’ll want some of their clutch bar snacks like well blistered fried spring rolls, steamed bánh bao, and of course their must have khô bò – a half pound of air dried, pounded thin like beef jerky, then flash fried and honey glazed. And with dishes like beef phở, stir fried char kuey teow noodles, and a bánh xèo crepe stuffed with egg, pork belly and shrimp, we are crushing hard on Vietnamese brunch here.

Perhaps you too have been longing for those ‘Hungry Man’ TV dinners of your youth, except cooked by professionals rather than nuked in your microwave, then head to Buck’s Fishing & Camping. You might start with mini corn dogs with mustard dipping sauce, fried chicken with four-cheese macaroni & cheese, or their perfectly crosshatched wood grilled steak and mashed potatoes, finishing with a slice of their iconic buttermilk chocolate birthday cake with chocolate sauce and whipped cream — for an uncanny TV dinner-out. Their wedge salad with Point Reyes blue cheese, bacon & horseradish dressing is also a must, and we’re advocates of all things out of their fryer, especially their gargantuan onion rings with smoky dip, and their thicc battered fish & chips. Fortunately there’s no shortage of racy white wines on their wine list and approachable prices, from aligoté to Chablis, sparkling Limoux, and vintage Champagne.

With their recent patio glow-up and the return of indoor dining, you may be overdue for gin & tonics, and delectable Basque and Catalan fare at Estadio. For instant refreshment, choose from several gins paired with their own housemade tonics – think Mahon gin & lemon ginger-white pepper tonic, or Edinburgh gin & rhubarb-almond-cardamom tonic. We’re keen on starting with blistered shisito peppers, crispy cauliflower with smoked eggplant tahini sauce & pickled turnips. Follow with sauteed soft shell crab and mussels in a fennel & tomato ragout with saffron, and Rhode Island calamari a la plancha with salsa verde, with plenty of aioli and crusty bread to sop up your plates. And save room for their Manchego cheesecake and a pour of oloroso sherry for dessert.

Compass Rose is like your wanderlust Pinterest board but in menu form, set in a globe-trotting bohemian chic dining room. We’re here for all of it. For dinner, consider their sauteed sambal shrimp, as skirt steak suya skewers with harissa couscous and peanut peppadew pomegranate sauce. At brunch, their shakshuka and Khachapuri with breakfast sausage will nourish you through the worst of hangovers. On their wine list, look to their spot-on rosé offerings this season: an alpine fruit punch of chardonnay, gamay and mondeuse from Bugey; a frizzante Italian dolcetto; and an agua fresca-ish mission-palomino blend from Baja California.

We live for that steamy ramen in our face at Toki Underground, where traditional ramen goes off the rails and careens straight into the proverbial flavortown. Beyond their “classic” ramens — think Taipei curry chicken, red miso, and kimchi ramen — their recent specials. like tonkotsu tsukemen, duck mazemen, and black-sesame fried chicken tantanmen, are all the more enticing. Of course if you’re less broth inclined, their bar snacks and cocktails alone are worth the visit – trust on the charred wagyu beef tongue with sesame-yuzu dressing, and fried chicken roulade with japanese slaw & eel sauce, alongside cocktails as the Onlyfans Martini and the Toki Monster — a sort of Japanese whisky old fashioned garnished with seared pork belly.

From their splendid barbequed meats smoked on premises 24 hours a day, to hi-fi speakers and jet-engine size mister fans, and their rainbow frozen daiquiris, eating at DCity Smokehouse is basically like the D.C. block party of our dreams. The barbeque of course is the show stopper here (the top ranked spot in the District), whether you go brisket, spare ribs, or pit smoked and fried wings, you can do no wrong. Also look into their off-menu offerings, like smoked beef short-ribs and oxtails. Among their sides, the fried brussel sprouts with aioli are an absolute must, along with their fried mac & cheese bites, hush puppies and boardwalk fries. Likewise, who can say no to Hennessy sidecar daiquiris?

For proper creole food and one of the best happy hours on 14th st, head to Pearl Dive. An Abita lager on draft and a dirty martini at happy hour is our preferred starting combo, along with a dozen expertly shucked oyster, a plate of Addie’s steamed mussels in a buttery chili spiked broth you would drink by the glass full, as well as their wood grilled oysters — perhaps the best in town. From their daily menu there’s more hot oyster plates (broiled Rockefeller style, and grilled bacon-wrapped ‘angels on horseback’). Order them all. Trust on their wood grilled or blackened daily fish selections as well. For brunch the banana foster french toast, and the Pontchartrain — blue crab & crawfish etouffee Benedict of sorts, are among numerous temptations.

Call 202-319-1612 for reservations.

Look elsewhere for predictable bistro fare, as chef Matt Conroy’s Georgetown neobistro is rendering the season’s best ingredients with a uniquely unconstrained lens and meticulous execution. Start with a verdant sugar snap pea and mint salad with burrata and ramp vinegar, and the cockles steamed in white wine, with smoked pancetta, chilies and sungold tomatoes, with house-made sourdough focaccia, as well as the stunning lemon balm & citrus cured Hiramasa tartare, shingled with peach and radish. Under main dishes you’ll find a handsome seared Rohan duck breast with cherries, onion soubise and sorrel, and a dreamy tavern style cheeseburger, dressed with miso dijon, caramelized onions and Vermont aged cheddar. Lastly you’ll want some of whatever pastry chef Isabel Coss (formerly of Pujol and Cosme) has concocted for dessert, such as the pistachio and raspberry tart with Chartreuse crème pâtissière.

Call 202-333-8830 for reservations.