Where to Eat in September: Gravitas, Bottles, Nasime, and More

Chef Matt Baker and team offer up some of the best in French-inspired cuisine at his Michelin-lauded restaurant Gravitas. After sampling the five-course tasting menu, end the night with a nightcap upstairs at The Conservatory. It is the restaurant’s wine and cocktail bar housed inside an elegant greenhouse space, and it also has a three-course light bite menu, for something more low-key.

A special date night pairs perfectly with the cocktails at The Gibson. From its candlelit ambiance to the elaborately garnished cocktails, it will easily win over hearts and minds. Bartender Chantal Tseng has several events planned for September, including an autumnal equinox celebration that features a selection of wine, low-ABV cocktails, and haikus.

Bottles Wine Garden is a secluded back patio with an accessible but sophisticated wine list curated by sommelier Erika Parjus. This is a great outdoor destination for after-work drinks. The woman-owned wine bar features more than 40 bottles centered around low-intervention winemaking from vineyards around the world. And its list highlights several female winemakers and owners, including labels like Domaine de la Bergerie from Loire, France and Belle Pente from Oregon. In addition, the menu offers local Virginia beer on-tap and late-summer cocktails like a Sunset Spritz.

Tigerella comes from the same folks that brought us hitmaker Elle in Mount Pleasant. This restaurant and bar serves Italian-inspired dishes and is located inside Foggy Bottom’s Western Market food hall. Chef Vincent Falcone guides the menu, which includes coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, as well as fresh pizzas and indulgent pastas. Lunch service runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and dinner service starts later this month too.

Find more info here.

Speakeasy-style bars seem once again to be all the rage right now, and who can blame you for wanting a smoked old fashioned delivered to you by way of a Victorian-era lantern. Find your way to this cocktail lounge hideaway at the swanky Graham Hotel, where the vibe is “Bridgerton” meets farm-to-glass concoctions.

Sushi-lovers will want to book a reservation for chef Yuh Shimomura’s Old Town Alexandria omakase experience. This sushi master trained in Ginza, Tokyo, and aims to serve a flexible menu that’s equally as good whether you’re ordering takeout or dining in. The mission is simple: Nasime serves the highest-quality sushi at an affordable price. The seven-course tasting menu is only $95 per person.

In Maryland, it’s quite frankly easy to decide on where to order the next pizza. Frankly Pizza is located in the sleepy suburb of Kensington and causes quite the stir for folks craving handcrafted, wood-fired pizzas. The line for takeout is usually out the door and the dining room buzzes with neighborhood regulars that come here for pizzas like the Porky Marge and Hot Mess.

The first rule of this fight club is to talk about how great the sandwiches are on the menu. So, try the FC Chicken Doink — a fried chicken sandwich that is one of Washington’s best. Alternatively, the vegetarian GT Cauliflower is a lip-smacking and spicy, tempura-battered sandwich served on a hoagie roll.

In a city better known for its brunch, Steak N Egg Diner stands out as an old-time, reliable greasy spoon that’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Over decades of service, this diner has become an institution known for its pancakes, steaks, and eggs, none of which will break the bank.

Call 202-686-1201 or find more info here.

Whether you need a coffee, a light lunch, or a quick cocktail, The Royal has you covered. It is a Latin-inspired, Michelin-honored neighborhood spot. It also a family-owned spot with savory can’t-miss dishes like egg arepas, grilled avocado, and masa gnocchi.