Just last week, I went to Pasta Mia. Washingtonians rave about that restaurant. There is regularly a line to get in, even in the cold. The restaurant was not great--I would put it on par with the Olive Garden. Yeah, that mediocre. My friend and I had both white and red-sauce based pastas, and neither was remarkable. I cook either dish better, and that's sad. Pasta Mia, at least my initial impression of it, is a restaurant that people like because the portions are big, not because the portions are good.

With that said, in Adams-Morgan, The Reef, Perry's, Ijoti, and El Tamarindo are good restaurants. Perry's, however, is overpriced. Everyone raves about Lauriol Plaza, but aside from the salsa, the food *sucks.*

Not too long ago, I got a cold entree at Utopia. Not really sure why people like Utopia... On U Street, Coppi's and Ben's Chili Bowl are both excellent.

There is also a great burrito place stuffed in an alley on 20th St., near Ii Ricchi, an excellent upscale restaurant. My favorite Washington DC restaurant is Giovanni's Trattu, on Jefferson Place, just south of Dupont Circule. I once went to Galileo, and it did not live up to its four-star prices. Similarly, Kincaid's was disappointing, based on the price.

All of this is an introduction to a great site with information about good restaurants--Chowhound isn't for foodies, people who "eat where they're told; they eagerly follow trends and rarely go where Zagat hasn't gone before. Chowhounds, on the other hand, blaze trails, combing gleefully through neighborhoods for hidden culinary treasure. They despise hype, and while they appreciate refined ambiance and service, they can't be fooled by mere flash."

The implication about Zagat in DC is right--Zagat rates many restaurants based on their popularity. Zagat is also heavily edited--they even have a section on their site for comments they couldn't print.