Restaurant Nora

Chez Panisse has been getting all the hype these days, celebrating its 40th birthday and being feted for its emphasis on local foods and sustainable agriculture.  But listen up folks...America's first certified organic restaurant is not in California but right here in DC.  

Restaurant Nora is hands down my favorite special occasion restaurant in DC.  It's been the setting for countless celebrations, over the past 20 something years, some intimate, some larger and a bit more rowdy, and it never disappoints.  The menu changes daily, taking advantage of what's in season and what organic farmers in the mid Atlantic have to offer.

When we went back last night for a somewhat belated birthday dinner, I was pleased to see that the dining room is still the soothing mix of dark wood, white tablecloths, and beautiful quilts.  And while I rarely order steak, the grass fed skirt steak with panzanella, spinach, and green beans was unbelievably good.  Paired with a red wine from Nora's son's Washington state winery, it was a little bit of heaven, a fair match for any of the fine dining we experienced in Paris.

Thank you Nora.  We'll definitely be back.

Restaurant Nora
2132 Florida Avenue NW (just west of Dupont Circle)