The DC area is home to a lot of restaurants, and among them are hidden gems that many Washingtonians aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food players to share with us their under the radar recommendations for Eater's latest feature, Dining Confidential.
Chef de cuisine Eddie Moran may earn his paycheck cooking up refined comfort food at Sou'Wester, but when he's craving food that reminds him of his own home he heads over to El Rinconcito Café on 11th Street.
"I grew up in a Salvadoran household with a grandmother who cooked on Sundays — it was always a treat. I've sampled a handful of places in D.C. that claim to be "authentic" Salvadoran food, but fall short — El Rinconcito, however, is the real deal!
The first time I went to El Rinconcito Café, I ordered the Sopa de Mondongo, a traditional, hearty soup that consists of vegetables like cassava, chayote, corn, cabbage and carrots with calf feet, udder or beef tripe. This was so good I nearly started to tear up as it helped me conjure memories of my childhood growing up with my grandmother. On subsequent visits I have tasted pupusas, which were very good as well.
I first ate here when I arrived in DC in January of this year. I was energized to be around people in this huge Salvadoran community. This to me was the opportunity to indulge in the culinary treats of my childhood."
—Sharon Stirling
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[Photo: Jay N./Yelp]
