The February Hit List: Nina May, Fancy Radish, Tiger Fork, and More

Open for just over two years now in an unassuming historic Shaw row house, chef Colin McClimans’s generous family-style chef’s tasting menu has established Nina May as a vital part of Shaw’s restaurant scene. Featured on their current six-course tasting are little neck clams with chorizo, delicata squash, and braised leeks, followed by smoked feta and butternut squash agnolotti with rainbow Swiss chard. A la carte, we can’t say no to their pork and oyster “money bags” with xo sauce, nor the honey- and fennel-glazed duck with roasted chestnuts, bacon, and cabbage.

Balance is what keeps us going strong this winter, so when not devouring braised meats, we’re craving all things fiery and plant-based at Fancy Radish. Think kung pao cucumbers, hot and numbing sesame dan dan noodles with five-spice glazed mushrooms, and chermoula-grilled tofu with black lentils, Calabrian chile, tomato, and olive salad. All the better with a selection from their savvy natural wine list, like a meaty and thirst-quenching Loire Valley cabernet franc from Olivier Cousin. For something sweet, the saffron crème brulée with caramelized figs and pistachio biscotti does not disappoint.

It’s proven that nothing combats winter malaise like a pineapple filled with rum and “secrets,” and some crab rangoon dip at Archipelago. Beyond spot-on mai tais and frozen piña coladas, house tiki creations like the Papa Oom Mow Mow (made with Oaxacan rum, amaro, hibiscus, and citrus, served in a shark mug) are even better. There’s also their scorpion bowl, Dr. Moreau’s Vacation Retreat, which serves four to five, or two if fully committed (a great way to stay extra warm on their patio). Pair it all with the Sichuan pork nachos.

Tucked within Blagden Alley, an evening at Tiger Fork — with the woks blazing, a bowl of noodles and strong drink at hand, seated in the sultry, lantern-filled dining room — you might imagine you’re on a date in a Wong Kar Wai movie. The bar program doubles as a pseudo Chinese apothecary: you might order the 8 O’Clock Light Show, made with rum, blood orange, yuzu, and various medicinal herbs and tinctures to help with fatigue, and rather tasty at that. For the Lunar New Year, expect lots of new specials (like Cantonese steamed fish, beef cheek chow fun, and more), and their lion dancers are known to put on quite the show.

Among the top tier of ramen spots in D.C., Toki Underground is perhaps the most defiant of tradition and we’re here for it. Think Taipei curry fried chicken ramen, kimchi-infused ramen with rich braised pork, or even specials like pork tonkotsu with fried gulf shrimp. Steamed bao buns, fried chicken roulade with eel sauce, and pan-fried dumplings complete the meal, along with combos of Sapporo and mezcal for refreshment. Also, every Sunday (weather permitting) the crew from Tori Summi fires up their binchotan grills and serves yakitori; indeed, the elusive dream of ramen and yakitori can be yours.

Chef Daniel Boulud’s newly reopened Washington outpost is where we’re headed for classic French throwbacks with modern finesse. Think truffled boudin blanc sausage with all the fixins, a regal Dover sole meunière, and creamy blanquette de veau that begs for a snow day and a bottle of white Burgundy. Also consider their tarte flambée and DB smoked salmon starters for extra bistro vibes, and their warm madeleines or chestnut mousse millefeuille with a pour of Chartreuse for dessert.

At Rose’s, gone are the days of camping out before opening to nab a table, but the pork and lychee salad remains, and the warm and enchanting interior alone (which resembles how a Devandra Banhart record sounds) continues to make it worthy of Washingtonians’ bucket lists. Their current prix fixe menu comprises Rose’s bread service, your choice of two dishes — say, their handsome spring “spring chicken” brined in tea, grilled, lacquered, and decorated with marigolds, or “Chef Gerard’s Famed Poached Lobster,” as served for the G7 gala at the palace of Versailles in 1982 — and a generous helping of dessert, like an old-school chocolate souffle, or a gâteau St-Honoré chock full of pastry cream.

Despite its no-frills setting, Ravi Kabab has developed a cult following for its mouthwatering Pakistani kababs, biryanis, and karahi. Be sure to arrive hungry and with reinforcements, so that you may share an array of kababs to start. You can’t go wrong with their bone-in chicken, seekh, and lamb chop kababs, which hit all their marks for seasoning, char, and succulence. Meanwhile, brace yourself for melt-in-your-mouth lamb karahi, the signature curry brimming with stewed tomatoes, green chiles, herbs, and fresh ginger, made to order in a traditional wok and served with puffy flatbread hot off the clay oven.

No reservations. Call 703-522-6666 for more info.

Rather than zhuzhing up the cuisine for its own sake, Caruso’s Grocery created a faithful homage to classic Italian-American red sauce joints (leather banquettes, Sinatra, meatballs, and all) and it’s a good thing. If chicken Parmigiana and baked cavatelli ragu is what your heart seeks, we’re not here to dissuade you. However, you may regret not trying their seafood fra diavolo — a trio of clams, mussels, and shrimp tossed in spicy gravy over fresh tagliatelle, their heavenly veal francaise in lemon-butter sauce, or their pan-seared filet medallions in porcini Marsala cream sauce… and don’t forget the antipasti dirty martinis.

Call 202-661-0148 for more information.

Husband-and-wife duo Tara and Demetri Mechelis’ cozy subterranean pizzeria and low-key Greek Taverna in Mt Pleasant has been among the highlights of restaurant openings during the pandemic. Pizzas here are sourdough, with a savory tang and a sturdier crust than typical Neapolitan pies, often topped with delightful Greek cheeses, olives, and charcuterie you won’t find elsewhere. There’s also a dill dip (for the ranch fans), and an anchovy butter dip — think bagna cauda meets Papa John’s garlic sauce. Then complete the meal with vegetable dishes like their radicchio Caesar salad with white anchovies, or the charred broccoli rabe with savory red onion jam. And if wish to live with fewer regrets in life, you’ll order the sticky charred pork ribs as well.