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The cocktail scene in Washington DC is one of the best in the country. With names like Derek Brown and Todd Thrasher who led the charge, there is so much talent in the city today. On a recent visit to DC, my cocktail guide, and local bartender, Rico Wisner led me from bar to bar as we drank our way through the city. Here are some of the highlights (although this is just a short list of some of the best bars): Barmini  855 E St NW (between N 9th St & N 8th St), Washington, DC 20004   Barmini is Chef José's Andres’ culinary cocktail lab in the space adjoining his restaurant Minibar. More than one hundred artisan cocktails are crafted and served with the same care and attention to detail as the dishes at minibar. Like all of Jose Andres’ creations, barmini is like nothing you’ve seen before and each cocktail is a work of art. Barmini has set the bar high for avant-garde cocktails.
Back in the late 90s, I spend four years studying and working in Washington DC. I loved living in the city.....so much culture, so many sites, people from all over the world and lots of fun. But, the one thing DC did not have was good food. I had come from LA which was always looked down upon by those in New York and San Francisco when it came to our food. But, in all honesty, even LA beat DC when it came to food. Now, more than 15 years later, both cities have vibrant food cultures. On a recent return visit to DC, I ate at three very different places that each represent the excitement of the food scene. And, now that Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week (August 15-25) is about to start, it's a great time to check out these restaurants and others.
I continue to marvel at how many great restaurants there are now in DC and it is actually difficult to chose where to go when I only have a few days in town.  On my last visit, I was able to make it a double "Top Chef Weekend". The first night we ventured to Bryan Voltaggio's new restaurant Range. The next night we ventured to Mike Isabella's Graffiato, which means "graffiti" or "scratched." I will be honest in saying that, as a loyal Top Chef viewer, Mike Isabella on Season 6 was not one of my favorite contenders. He was too arrogant for my liking and his dishes didn't seem to be as exciting as some of his competition (ie. the Voltaggio brothers). But, I became a fan of his when he was on Top Chef All-Stars and after eating at Graffiato, I can say with confidence that his food is exciting and flavorful.
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