The November Hit List: Hank’s Oyster Bar, Convivial, Cielo Rojo, and More

Chilly fall afternoons in D.C. were made for platters of oysters on the half shell and mugs of clam chowder at Hank’s patio in Dupont. Consider starting with lobster topped deviled eggs and sake bloody mary oyster shooters. Then you’ll want some eastern shore crab dip and their peel n’ eat shrimp as well for that Old Bay fix, and we can’t say no to a fried green tomato salad.

Look to Conivial for chef/owner Cedric Maupilier’s take on sumptuous Lyonnaise classics like escargots bathing in garlic herb butter, knife-cut beef tartare and fries, and their monumental pâté en croûte — chock full of cured pork shoulder, duck breast, foie gras and veal sweetbread. Or perhaps the five-course chef’s tasting menu, exuding nouvelle cuisine panache with dishes like slow-cooked leek-crusted halibut in a scallop mousse and Chablis sauce, suits your tastes. In either case, finish with selections from their exceptional cheese program, like an earthy Fourme D’Ambert from the Auvergne, to the buttery pungency of Petit Prefere Reblochon from Savoie.

Unlike Dorit Kemsley’s “Capri Room” at the SoCal Buca di Beppo, L’Ardent fully realizes the “Hollywood glam meets coastal Italy” splendor with design by HapstakDemetriou+ (think glass chandeliers hung from wooden beams above, Missoni drapes, and terrazzo floors), and the warm glow of their (literally gold-plated) wood-burning pizza oven and hearth. Along with their sourdough pizzas and housemade pastas, of which the 40-layer short rib sugo and truffle mornay lasagna has been the talk of town, we’re keen on dishes like their vitello tonnato & tonno vitellato combo platter.

Aromatic guisados and all things rolled in warm Oaxaca corn tortillas, like the chicken tinga enchiladas rojas and braised pork carnitas chilaquiles verdes, mean this spot ranks high on our favorite brunch spots this season. Likewise, their savory heirloom corn waffle heaped with local smoked ham, Oaxaca cheese, grilled corn, and avocado is always tempting. Given chef-owner David Perez’s previous cooking at the vegan-Mexican Gracias Madre in San Francisco, keep an eye out for his gorgeous vegetable dishes, like flash-fried acorn squash served with house mole, roasted hazelnuts, cashew cream, pomegranate, and mint.

Established in 1948, decorated wall-to-wall with paintings in gilded frames depicting “old Europe,” vintage steins and cuckoo clocks, 17th century galleons hanging from the ceiling, and romantic live piano music; in short, Old Europe in Glover Park has got ambiance. We’re here for their spot-on schnitzels — available as pounded chicken, pork, or veal; as a spartan wiener schnitzel (better yet, alla Holstein, topped with a fried egg, capers, and anchovy); or a mushroom and bacon gravy-topped jägerschnitzel. Don’t forget an order of cheese spätzle and Märzen on draught by the liter.

For reservations, phone 202-333-7600.

After their year-long pivot to a gourmet deli and punch bar (Fight Club), the long-awaited return of Beuchert’s Saloon has arrived. Signature classics, like their crispy cauliflower in caramel miso, and grilled lamb belly with rosewater harissa have made a welcome return, along with chef Andrew Markert’s latest creations, such as the ‘nduja and lobster aqua pazza tortellini, and seared rockfish with melted leeks and white sturgeon caviar. And sorry-not sorry, but many coupes of their Cosmopolitan riff, the “Strong Female Lead in an HBO Miniseries,” will be had.

The Michelin-starred, East-meets-West, choose-your-own adventure tasting menu at Rooster & Owl is looking as enticing as ever. You might start off with fluke tartare, Granny Smith apples, celery and dashi broth, then move on to a katsu duck confit in Japanese gravy with orange and radish, and close out the evening with a chocolate-hazelnut mousse profiterole with black currant and raspberry.

For enthusiasts of Belgian farmhouse beers and wild fermented lambics, the Sovereign remains undefeated, sporting over two dozen beers on draft, including culty selections from Pen Druid of Sperryville, Jester King of Austin, and the Brouwerij Cantillon of Brussels (plus hundreds more by the bottle). Enjoy these beers alongside hearty Belgian brasserie fare like steaming pots of mussels, bacon, and Gruyere-smothered flammekueches, and rabbit braised in morello cherry kriek lambic.

For reservations, phone 202-774-5875.

Like clockwork, as we crunch through the first pile of fallen leaves outside, we are compelled to dine by the hearth at The Dabney. Your four-course tasting menu (with a la carte dining available at the bar) might start with charred eggplant dip and housemade barbecue fritos, Fireside Farm radishes and pawpaw butter, and briny Divine Pine oysters. Ember-roasted vegetables — think squash, mustard greens and smoked feta — are non-negotiable, and it’s a sure bet the Dabney’s Beaver Creek quail with cornbread stuffing, foie gras jus, Yorkshire pudding, and fall fruit may just ruin all your subsequent holiday dinners this year.

For outsiders, determining where to eat among the countless eateries in the fabled Eden Center can be daunting, but if you must eat at only one, trust in Huong Viet. Our ideal starter spread includes young lotus root salad, sauteed baby clams with pork and puffed rice wafers, grilled beef-stuffed grape leaves, and their beautifully crisp and lacquered roasted quails. Their roster of soups is deep, including the elusive, umami-rich Bún bò Huế. And you will not regret ordering their massive, crisp and puffy, pork- and shrimp-stuffed Vietnamese pancake, plus a gurgling clay pot of caramel fish to share for the table. Cash only.

No reservations.