Fifty-two of the Washington, D.C., area’s restaurants are featured in The Washington Post fall dining guide this year, but only two are in Montgomery County.
Post food critic Tom Sietsema chose Bethesda’s new Kapnos Kouzina for his annual guide. The Greek restaurant from chef Mike Isabella opened in the spring and has been attracting crowds at its Bethesda Row location ever since.
“The Greek standards—charred octopus, rack of lamb with crisp potatoes—are done exceedingly well, and the novelties, such as fried chicken with a sauce of honey and harissa, reveal a kitchen that can stretch,” Sietsema wrote.
Sietsema also included both the Rockville and Arlington outposts of Peter Chang on the list. The Rockville restaurant specializes in Chang’s signature spicy Sichuan cuisine.
“Among the enduring highs are the seasonal specials, in particular tea-smoked duck with Cheetos-orange fried onions,” reports Sietsema, who gave the restaurants 2.5 stars out of four. Kapnos Kouzina also received 2.5 stars.
Neither county restaurant made it into Sietsema’s top 10, which featured nine Washington, D.C., restaurants and The Inn at Little Washington.
The Post this year also included a top 10 “cheap eats” list from the paper’s “$20 Diner” food critic, Tim Carman. The Rockville restaurants Shanghai Taste and Pizza CS made that list.