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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Around the world in 8 restaurants

Key

  • $- A meal is $10 or less
  • $$- A meal is $10 to $20
  • $$$- A meal is more than $20

Dukem Restaurant $$

1114 U St. N.W.

If you are in the mood for an informal family setting, Dukem Restaurant, located next to the Cardpzo U Street Metro station, is the place to go. This restaurant, named after a small Ethiopian city, is the perfect place to get together with friends after a busy week to catch up while enjoying great food. Through the use of communal plates, allowing guests to eat with their bare hands and friendly employees dressed in traditional Ethiopian garb, Dukem creates an exotic yet familiar atmosphere everyone can enjoy. If you want to feel like a native Ethiopian, be sure to ask for injera, a slightly sour pancake-like bread, with whatever you order. The beef tibs are a delicious option to try it out with. And for all those reading this who enjoy going to concerts, Dukem Restaurant is a great place to stop by before hitting 9:30 Club.

Tono Sushi $$

2605 Connecticut Ave. N.W.

Conveniently located across the street and half a block south from the Woodley Park Metro station, Tono Sushi is an excellent dining option for those looking for an authentic Asian cuisine experience. Tono, originally a Japanese sushi bar, now includes Thai and Asian stir-fry entrees on its menu. The atmosphere is friendly, and the sushi chefs greet you as you go inside. You also have the option to dine downstairs, upstairs or outside. What makes the Tono Sushi dining experience different from other sushi places? You can also choose to try out the traditional Japanese custom of sitting on the floor instead of in chairs.

Simply Home $$

1608 14th St. N.W.

Ready for a chic place to eat great Thai food? Simply Home is the restaurant you are looking for. Located on U Street, between 14th and 15th streets, this beautiful locale reflects U Street’s recent revival. Not only do you have a delicious selection of food and drink to choose from, which can be smelled as soon as you walk into the restaurant, but the restaurant also has an attached boutique where you can find all sorts of knickknacks, colorful clothing and decorations for your dorm. If you plan on going to Simply Home for dinner on the weekend, you should call first and make a reservation. Otherwise, just take the Metro to U Street and walk right in. This classy Thai place is only a few blocks away.

Zorba’s Café $$

1612 20th St. N.W.

Located near the weekend farmers market in Dupont Circle, this Greek restaurant is ideal for grabbing a well-priced and tasty meal. Walk in and prepare to feel the Mediterranean ambiance take over. The restaurant is decorated with blue beads and heads of garlic in the traditional Greek style. The prices are perfect for college students – you can get a full meal for less than $20. If you’ve never had Greek food before, try out the gyro. You can choose to sit inside, but you should consider having your meal outside, where you can have fun watching people walk around Dupont Circle while you enjoy your food. It’s also right in the center of the Dupont Circle weekend farmers market, which is a great place to hang out with friends on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Mandu $$

1805 18th St. N.W.

If you’ve lamented the scarcity of bibimbap in the D.C. area, the Korean restaurant Mandu will suit your needs. A fairly new addition to the city’s food scene, it delivers homestyle Korean cuisine in a casual setting in Dupont Circle. Whether you’re familiar with Korean food or simply looking to try something new, you’re sure to find a favorite. In addition to the excellent bibimbap – a staple vegetable and rice dish that can be ordered in a traditional stone bowl – try the traditional seafood pancakes made with buckwheat flour. Equally enticing are the mandu, the dumplings that the restaurant is named for. Whatever you order, be sure to enjoy the free appetizers from the chef, who also happens to be the owner’s mother. This family-run business makes for an all-around authentic experience.

Ching Ching Cha $$

1063 Wisconsin Ave. N.W.

One of the best ways to escape the rush of the city for a while is a trip to Ching Ching Cha. Everything about this peaceful teahouse will help you forget that you are in the middle of Georgetown. More than 70 varieties of the finest tea (cha in Chinese) are offered. Whatever your preference, Ching Ching Cha is sure to have a wide selection. Light meals and small appetizers are also available with the tea. An especially popular option is the tea meal. Twelve dollars buys you soup, jasmine rice, your choice of three vegetables plus the featured dish of the day. For the sweet tooth, there are several traditional Chinese desserts to choose from, including egg custard and lotus seed pastries.

Tacos Pepitos Bakery $

1762 Columbia Road, N.W.

The most authentic Mexican food in D.C. can’t be found in any sit-down restaurant. Rather, a tiny hole-in-the-wall take-out eatery named Pepitos lies around the corner from the main strip in Adams Morgan on Columbia Road. This area of D.C. feels like an entirely different city, with many of its residents and businesses speaking entirely in Spanish, reggaeton and Latin music blasting from boom boxes and fresh fruit for sale on the sidewalk. In the heart of all this sits the tiny taco stand and Mexican bakery, oftentimes with a line out the door. For under $10, you can get any one of their combination platters – the Viva Mexico, a personal favorite, consists of a chicken tamale, a gordita, a chicken enchilada, rice, beans and chips. Traditional tacos cost about $2 each and come in chicken, beef, lengua (tongue), pork and seasoned caritas. For around $7 you can buy one of their many Mexican tortas (sandwiches), which include traditional Mexican ingredients like guacamole, ham, cheeses, lettuce and tomato. If you still have room for desert, or if you’d like to take home some tasty homemade treats for later, try their traditional tres leches cake, or any of their Mexican-style pastries behind the glass.

Don’t let the low prices fool you- everything is exceptionally fresh and the portions are massive. So come hungry or bring a friend to share. If there’s no room to sit inside, walk to any of the parks around Adams Morgan, including Meridian Hill Park (a.k.a. Malcolm X Park) to sit on a bench and eat.

Paolo’s Ristorante $$$

1303 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.

Ready for the best breadsticks on this side of the Potomac, then head on over to Paolo’s Ristorante where you’ll start of with warm breadsticks and a delicious dipping sauce. Paolo’s has been a Georgetown staple for nearly 20 years and boasts both indoor and outdoor dining. This is definitely not the place if you’re looking for a traditional Italian meal with operatic music wafting around and gondola decorations, but if you like snappy and trendy Italian fare then head to Paolo’s. Main entrees like chicken milanese and the cayenne espresso filet mignon are upwards of $20, but the pizza and pasta dishes Paolo’s is known for usually run for less than $15.

– Nicole Capó, Anna Loshakov,
Brendan Polmer and Brittany Levine

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