Carla Hall’s Favorite DC Restaurants - Washington DC - The Infatuation

"“It’s our go-to place. The chef, Michael Rafidi, is so amazing. The storytelling, something as simple as having a card on the table with the names and the language, they bring you into the [Levantine] culture in this restaurant. Everybody from his sommelier to his sous chef, goes to the region to understand this food, so they are bringing back the culture and sharing it. It is warm and inviting and fresh and healthy. It’s food that you want to eat. The lamb and the smoked chicken and the smoked trout—anything coming out of the wood-fired grill is just incredible. The labneh, the mezze: this is the kind of place where you need at least four people—I would say six—so that you can order lots of different things, because the food lends itself to that.” Reservations open a month in advance, and that's when you should book if you want to avoid the early bird 5pm dinner slot. Albi does offer walk-in seating at the bar, but you’ll miss all the action in the dining room and open kitchen." - brennan carley