Worried that Covid-19 will ruin Restaurant Week? Rest assured, our local chefs are not going to leave you high and dry. Restaurant Week will go on (albeit a little differently), with the following options available to-go and/or for outdoor dining from now (August 17th) until August 30th:

Picks from Priya Konings

The Plant-Based Option: Fare Well

This plant-based restaurant is offering a to-go package for two ($60) or four ($130) with comfort food dishes like sweet n spicy Southern-fried chickpea seitan, corn waffles, sauteed seasonal greens, and succulent peach upside down cake. I highly recommend picking up a few of their famous chocolate chip cookies when you place your order!

The Italian Option: Stellina Pizzeria

Stellina is also offering a restaurant week to-go dinner package for two ($100) or four ($210) featuring a choice of fried artichokes or eggplant parmesan as an appetizer, pasta with an heirloom tomato sauce and stracciatella cheese, a variety of pizzas (including their famous cacio e pepe pizza!) and for dessert, tiramisu or cannoli. Sounds like a carb lover’s dream.

The Upscale Option: Karma Modern Indian

At $100 for two people, Karma’s four decadent four course restaurant week menu is a steal. It includes choices like lentil fritters, stuffed paneer, mushroom biryani, creamy coconut milk vegetable ishtu, and my favorite Indian dessert, warm carrot halwa.

The Classic American Option: Mintwood Place

The to-go restaurant week menu at Mintwood Palace is being offered for $35 per person and has all kinds of tasty options including chilled tomato gazpacho, cheesy parmesan arancini, housemade ricotta with grilled bread, grilled portabello. For dessert, choose from buttermilk panna cotta with raspberry and melon or dark chocolate mousse with sweet seasonal cherries.

The Taco Option: Tacos, Tortas, and Tequila

For a restaurant week fiesta, look no further than TTT (with locations in both Clarendon and Silver Spring). The restaurant week fiesta menu includes tacos with a choice of three sides, including options like guacamole, Mexican street corn, and yucca fries, an order of their famous churros for dessert and two to-go cocktails or two bottles of wine. I would go with their margaritas, which come in a classic flavor, strawberry, mango or spicy jalapeno.

Marissa Rubenstein’s Picks

Best Option to take “takeout night” to the next level: Jaleo

Jaleo has always been one of my favorite special occasion restaurants, because it’s just so good, a bit fancy and classy but not too fancy and classy, and tapas are just fun to share. The Spanish restaurant was one of chef Jose Andres’s first restaurants but still remains fresh and innovative. They are doing dining in the restaurant at a limited capacity, but I love the idea of tapas to go and taking it to a park for a picnic, or back to your couch. Whichever. 

The I-Really-Want-Cocktails- But- Should -Also -Probably-Eat- Something Option: Pisco y Nazca

The self-proclaimed “ceviche gastrobar” serves up Peruvian food inspired by traditional Peruvian dishes, but one of the places Pisco y Nazca really shines is their cocktail menus (most with.. surprise! Pisco! which according to my quick google is a Peruvian brandy). Grab a Passion Sour and pretend to be anywhere but in D.C.

The Goes-Best-With-Movie-Night-Option: Duke’s Grocery

Ah the quarantimes, where every night is movie night if you really believe (and by really believe I just mean that every night is movie night), and Duke’s Grocery’s restaurant week menu, which seems to include an option to have a Proper Burger at brunch, lunch, and dinner, is a perfect option for dinner and watching Notting Hill (a movie suggestion which pairs perfectly with Duke’s because Duke’s is also best friends with Rhys Ifans, kidding, Duke’s serves British food.. so it fits). 

Add some Spice To Your Week, And Make the Vegan Happy Option: Laos in Town

So, I personally LOVE Laos in Town because they have a vegan option for one of my favorite Laotian dishes – the Crispy Rice Salad, which is usually made with sour pork but can be veganized (also the menu says it has pork.. but then says its vegan but.. i think they mean that it can be vegan). Anyways Laos in Town has a whole vegan menu, so everyone can find something delicious for dinner. 

Svetlana Legetic

Feel-like-on-a-vacation-in-Greek-Islands Option: Zaytinya

Jose Andres’ classic Greek spot has always been one of this best ones in my humble opinion and a great destination for sharing things, no matter whether there’s vegetarian, carnivores or vegans in your households. Taramisolata is a must to start with and from there on, there are no wrong choices. Pick up some nice Greek white wine from Domestique and you’re all set for a pretend vacation  in your own living room.

The most special meal in DC – now available SITTING DOWN: Spoken English

One of the biggest problems I (as a tall, lanky human that occupies a fair amount of space wherever she is) had with the absolutely terrific tasting Spoken English is that one had to stand and be sort of constricted in the process of enjoying the super creative food Erik Bruner Yang and his team put out at The Line Hotel’s tucked-away eatery. Getting this exciting, inventive food to enjoy in the comfort of your home makes it a no-brainer pick for me.

Summer Comfort food: Red Hen or Unconventional Diner

Unconventional Diner

Whether you’re in the mood for some of the best pasta in town or a spin on American classics, we could all use a little (high-quality) comfort right now, and Red Hen and Unconventional Diner have a terrific, award winning, track record of delivering just that. Bonus: Red Hen offers wine pairings too, which means you get to enjoy Wine Director and General Manager Joe Quinn’s great sommelier decisions at home.

Old School Fancy Decisions: Joe’s Seafood or RPM Italian

RPM Italian

These two white tablecloth destinations are unabashedly fancy in an old-fashioned way. And while taking the service experience is a factor, I promise that the food delivered will be a perfect way to treat yourself, just because you made it to August (no one needs reason more than that right now)

Where are you excited to eat? Tell us!