Chasing the perfect sear often leads to disappointment in places that try too hard, yet the best experiences usually happen when expectations are kept comfortably low.
Sliding into a creaky wooden chair at a neighborhood hole-in-the-wall is infinitely more rewarding than suffering through a stiff, overpriced service experience in a crowded city center.
Every corner of Washington hums with a quiet, meaty energy, housing chefs who treat their cast-iron pans like religious relics and their beef like fine art…