DC Links – Top Restaurant Picks

Former Congressman and Democratic Caucus Chair Vic Fazio shares a few of his favorites

In his twenty years in the U.S. Congress Vic sat on the House Appropriations Committee, serving as a subcommittee chairman or ranking member for eighteen years, was a member of the Armed Services, Budget, Ethics and House Administration Committees, and served many positions in the Democratic Leadership, while still maintaining strong relationships across the aisle. 

Now co-managing partner of Clark & Weinstock's Washington office, Vic serves on numerous boards, including the California Institute, the Coro National Board of Governors, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, the Board of Visitors of the University of California at Davis, the Faith and Politics Institute, the Bryce Harlow Foundation, the Campaign Finance Institute and, of course, the California State Society Executive Committee. 

It’s a wonder Vic ever finds time to eat, but he did spend a few minutes with us at Oceanaire (1201 F street NW), and let us in on some of his current culinary favorites.

Vic’s top three downtown picks are Kinkeads (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), Equinox (818 Connecticut Avenue NW; www.equinoxrestaurant.com), and Oceanaire.

He enjoys Equinox’s less formal atmosphere and convenient location, and recommends it especially for salads and lighter fare.

He describes Oceanaire’s fresh fish as ‘incredibly good’ and their wine list as ‘one of the better I’ve seen’.  He especially likes Oceanaire’s atmosphere, citing the leather and wood décor and the Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett tunes in the background, ‘music I listened to as a child’. 

Favorites aside, Vic tries not to get stuck in a restaurant rut.  He enjoys Bistro Bis when meeting friends on the Hill, and also recommends the great service at M&S Grill.

Calitonian Marc Sandalow with the San Francisco Chronicle, DC Office

Marc Sandalow is, in many ways, the ultimate Calitonian, with a little of the Midwest thrown in.  He is truly a native Washingtonian, born at George Washington University Hospital.  He spent his early years in Michigan, but moved to the Bay Area in 1982, working first at the Martinez News-Gazette and joining the San Francisco Chronicle four years later.  In 1993 he moved back to Washington, and has been the Chronicle’s DC Bureau Chief since 1996. His role in a nutshell? To provide insight and analysis of the California – Washington connection.

As a reporter, Marc has a different take on the most important attribute in a restaurant: it has to be quiet enough that he can hear his guests well enough to quote them.  As a general rule he avoids the DC hubbub, and for our lunch he chose Saigon Flavor, a decidedly low key grill on Lst at 19th, around the corner from his office.  His favorite appetizer is a shrimp garden roll with peanut sauce (shared, preferably).  At the no-frills Saigon Flavor ordering is done at the register before taking a seat, but the shrimp roll and the rest of the meal are quickly delivered to the table.

While Marc goes out of his way to make it clear he’s no gourmand, it’s equally clear that he dearly misses certain California cuisine.  “A mediocre Asian meal in California is a spectacular Asian meal in DC” he says, and sites Ten Penh and Cleveland Park’s Yan Yu as DC’s best attempts at Asian fusion.  He also frequently gets take out sushi from Tako Grill in Bethesda, where he occasionally runs into Sacramento’s Congressman Bob Matsui, also getting sushi to go.

Marc isn’t limited to Asian food, of course; he takes his “sources” to downtown’s Bombay Club, and likes to take out-of-towners to Georgia Brown (he remembers particularly a lunch there with Mayor Willie Brown), because the menu “is just so different from anything in California”.  For a last-minute lunch he’ll often choose 701 for its convenience.

But Asian is clearly his first choice, and he is hungering for good Chinese food.  In fact, he welcomes any recommendations for local Chinese restaurants; just send him a note at MSandalow@sfchronicle.com.