Zaytinya – Washington DC

At a time when most Americans thought Mediterranean cuisine meant “diner food,” chef José Andrés raised the bar by focusing his Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese-inspired Zaytinya on ingredient quality, gorgeous plating, and authentic recipes, then evolved the concept with chef Michael Costa to improve upon the solid initial formula. Along the way, Zaytinya evolved from a merely elevated Mediterranean restaurant to a transcendent experience, cementing a collection of savory small plates that spawned an excellent cookbook and multple locations.

With three Zaytinyas currently in operation and two more soon to open – including one in Los Angeles – the Washington DC original location remains superb. Under Costa’s leadership, the restaurant nails everything from tender octopus and scallop mezze plates to perfectly juicy kebabs; it also offers excellent vegetarian options including kefalograviera cheese with cherries and pistachios, dolmades grape leaves, baba ghanoush, hummus, and Turkish cooked eggplant.