Tom Sietsema Happily Makes the Trek to Rappahannock County’s The Blue Door Kitchen & Inn

The Blue Door Kitchen & Inn

The Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema’s been a long-time fan of chef Andrea Pace, formerly of Fairfax’s now-closed Villa Mozart, and he follows him to his new two-story, four-room inn in Rappahannock County. “One of a handful of dishes to make the trek from city to country is Pace’s signature rye ravioli, so thin you can see the fresh spinach slipped inside, and rounded out with mountain cheese. To start is to finish the pasta,” he writes of The Blue Door Kitchen & Inn’s concise menu. He’s eager for the restaurant to mature, but calls other winners like rice balls, grilled shrimp, the half chicken, and fruit soup for dessert.

The Capital Burger

The Washington Post’s Tim Carman weighs in on Mount Vernon Square’s the Capital Burger, which he calls “a steakhouse for burgers, without the tablecloths and the tufted, black-leather booths.” He’s conflicted on the upscale take on the humble burger, but he’s into the steakhouse burger itself. The restaurant stands by its patty so much that diners need to ask for lettuce and tomato. “The ground-beef patty, all by itself, is a thing of beauty: thick, luscious and reliably cooked to your preferred temperature,” Carman writes, but there can be an issue with too much salt.

The Dough Jar

Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman tried two “Cookie Dough’wiches” from new edible cookie dough spot The Dough Jar in Georgetown. It’s “exactly what you expect from a mishmash of raw and cooked dough,” she says.

Cheap Eats

Washingtonian’s annual “100 Best Places to Eat Cheap Around Washington DC” list is out online, and selections run the gamut from hot dogs to Korean barbecue to kitfo to hot dogs and hamburgers.

FROM THE BLOGS: BYT got sopes with “the creamiest black beans” at Amparo; The Hungry Lobbyist loved the nachos at Mission’s new location in Navy Yard; and Been There, Eaten That gets the “picturesque” summer vegetable salad at Gravitas.