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Anthony Bourdain Can't Find Non-Touristy DC Eats

January 20, 2009 at 9:14 AM | by | Comment (1)

Despite all the mystique about the smoke-filled rooms and hush-hush meetings, DC has a somewhat-deserved reputation for being a town with no secret places. When exploring Washington, it often seems impossible to find a restaurant, shop, or street corner that hasn't already been reviewed by The Washington Post.

So we were excited to hear Anthony Bourdain's next trip was to the nation's capital, especially after he recently discovered non-touristy spots in Venice. But we were a little disappointed in his trip, because even Tony couldn't find much in DC we didn't already know about.

He hit up all the basics—the legendary Ben's Chili Bowl, Jose Andres' much-lauded eateries, and the perfect burger at Chadwick's in Georgetown. All great places, but nothing we would describe as non-touristy.

To be fair, Bourdain did get off the beaten path a little bit, discovering lesser-known Ethiopian, Vietnamese and Peruvian spots but he cheated, by going out to Virginia! Nothing against NoVa, but one of our pet peeves about DC media coverage is people claiming to discover the best of DC, but only by leaving DC.

Could Bourdain really not find under-the-radar eats in the District proper? What about the no-name pupeserias in Columbia Heights? The shady dive bars in Northeast? Or even something we don't know about already?!? Sorry Tony, but this one didn't do it for us. We demand a return trip.

What are your favorite off-the-beaten-tourist-path spots in DC? Let us know in comments below.

· DC Travel Guide [No Reservations]
· Anthony Bourdain Uncovers Non-Sucky Venice [Jaunted]
· Washington, DC travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [Travel Channel]

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i'm azorean

i'm one of those azoreans from southeast MA! The food is amazing, the land and beaches are beautiful and in many ways while american culture has....infested....like in so many other places around the world the azores are culturally unique, distinct from AMerica, Portugal, and pretty much anywhere else. p.s. i might be a little biased ;)
Elizabeth Gabrielle Vargas on February 23, 2009 at 12:24 AM #Permalink

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