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1789
1789
Photo: R. Lopez

An Eater Guide to the Most Expensive Dishes in DC

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1789
| Photo: R. Lopez

Does food taste better when it's more expensive? For those that think so, there are plenty of options around town. In the interest of avoiding a list entirely made up of steak and lobster, Eater has scoured the town for the priciest contender in a variety of categories. Whether it's upscale burgers and fries, a pricey power breakfast, or a way to make a tasting menu even more expensive, here's where to go when money is no object.
— Amy Cavanaugh

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Seasons

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Most Expensive Brunch: Seasons
For $80, you'll get the run of Seasons if you head there for brunch. There are tables upon tables of roasted turkey, crab cakes, a seafood bar, omelet bar, salads, soups, and charcuterie. The brunch is $40 for kids under 12.

Most Expensive Breakfast: Adour
For $25, order the American and Adour will serve you juice coffee, eggs, home fries,meat, and toast. That’s actually not a bad deal, considering that you could also orderthe crab cake Florentine ($21) + a French press ($7) + a side of toast ($5) and drop$33 for breakfast.

Central Michel Richard

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Most Expensive Burger: Central
The classic Michel Richard burger uses lobster instead of beef and clocks in at $30.The seafood patty is topped with confit tomato, mayo, and potato tuiles.

Society Fair

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Most Expensive Party: Society Fair
When you’re celebrating a big birthday or a big deal, Society Fair will help you hosta 10-person party with chef Cathal Armstrong and bartender Todd Thrasher. You’ll get canapés, dinner, and wine pairings, plus you’ll help prepare the meal yourself—the cost? $3,500.

Most Expensive Cut of Meat (calculated per oz of ribeye): 1789
1789 offers a 35-day dry aged rib eye for $52 from the Butcher Cuts ShenandoahValley Beef Cooperative. If you’re already dropping that much for the main course,why not start with a $22 foie gras torchon and then move onto a $34 tagliatelle withscallops?

Bourbon Steak Washington DC

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Most Expensive Entree: Bourbon Steak
If you’re going to Bourbon Steak, odds are you aren’t too worried about the costof the bill. But one dish stands out above the others—the $68 lobster pot pie. Thedish, made with brandied lobster cream, baby vegetables, and wild mushrooms, isexorbitant in both taste and price.

Fiola da Fabio Trabocchi

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Most Expensive Pasta: Fiola
One way to make any dish more expensive—add lobster. At Fiola, the Maine lobsterravioli costs $36.

Pete's New Haven Style Apizza

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Most Expensive Pizza: Pete's
Jumbo Slice, this is not. At Pete’s, the Long Wharf pizza is a white pie topped withChesapeake clams, shrimp, pesto, onions, garlic, and lemon oil. A 14” pie is $25,while an 18” pie is $32.

Ted's Bulletin

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Most Expensive Milkshake: Ted's Bulletin
Roll big with the Millionaire Malt Shake, made with Macallan 17, vanilla ice cream, and malt powder. The shake costs $19.99.

Most Expensive Dessert: Plume:
To get The Nest, an outrageous five-inch tall gold-flecked white chocolate egg, you first need to sit in The Bird’s Nest nook and spring for the $550 seven-course tasting menu for two, which includes wine pairings. The dessert is filled with Chantilly cream and includes meringues, fresh berries, passion fruit and coconut sorbets, and a nest of cotton candy.

Poste Moderne Brasserie

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Most Expensive Fries: Poste
The frites are one of the main reasons to visit Poste, though they won’t come cheaply. The traditional pommes frites are $8, the magical truffle frites are $10, and the Bordelaise frites are $12.

P.J. Clarke's

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Most Expensive Seafood: P.J. Clarke's
For when a dozen oysters won’t do, drop $124 and order The Capitol, a raw spread of 12 oysters, six jumbo shrimp, 12 littleneck clams, jumbo lump crab cocktail, and a one pound Maine lobster.

BLT Steak

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Most Expensive Salad: BLT Steak
The chopped vegetable salad at BLT Steak costs a measly $15—until you add steakand the price jumps to $34. The Lobster Cobb at The Palm is also a contender for this category, though the cost varies depending on market price.

Restaurant Eve

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Most Expensive Secret Dinner: Restaurant Eve
Truffles instantly take everything up a notch, including the bill. Restaurant Eveoffers an off-menu truffle tasting menu, featuring seven courses and a charge of$300 per person. The menu is available by request.

Inn at Little Washington

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Most Expensive Upcharge: The Inn at Little Washington
Inn at Little Washington's menu changes regularly, but if A Tin of Sin: American Osetra Caviar with Peekytoe Crab and Cucumber Rillette is available, count on an $24 upcharge to the $188 tasting menu.

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Seasons

Most Expensive Brunch: Seasons
For $80, you'll get the run of Seasons if you head there for brunch. There are tables upon tables of roasted turkey, crab cakes, a seafood bar, omelet bar, salads, soups, and charcuterie. The brunch is $40 for kids under 12.

Adour

Most Expensive Breakfast: Adour
For $25, order the American and Adour will serve you juice coffee, eggs, home fries,meat, and toast. That’s actually not a bad deal, considering that you could also orderthe crab cake Florentine ($21) + a French press ($7) + a side of toast ($5) and drop$33 for breakfast.

Central Michel Richard

Most Expensive Burger: Central
The classic Michel Richard burger uses lobster instead of beef and clocks in at $30.The seafood patty is topped with confit tomato, mayo, and potato tuiles.

Society Fair

Most Expensive Party: Society Fair
When you’re celebrating a big birthday or a big deal, Society Fair will help you hosta 10-person party with chef Cathal Armstrong and bartender Todd Thrasher. You’ll get canapés, dinner, and wine pairings, plus you’ll help prepare the meal yourself—the cost? $3,500.

1789

Most Expensive Cut of Meat (calculated per oz of ribeye): 1789
1789 offers a 35-day dry aged rib eye for $52 from the Butcher Cuts ShenandoahValley Beef Cooperative. If you’re already dropping that much for the main course,why not start with a $22 foie gras torchon and then move onto a $34 tagliatelle withscallops?

Bourbon Steak Washington DC

Most Expensive Entree: Bourbon Steak
If you’re going to Bourbon Steak, odds are you aren’t too worried about the costof the bill. But one dish stands out above the others—the $68 lobster pot pie. Thedish, made with brandied lobster cream, baby vegetables, and wild mushrooms, isexorbitant in both taste and price.

Fiola da Fabio Trabocchi

Most Expensive Pasta: Fiola
One way to make any dish more expensive—add lobster. At Fiola, the Maine lobsterravioli costs $36.

Pete's New Haven Style Apizza

Most Expensive Pizza: Pete's
Jumbo Slice, this is not. At Pete’s, the Long Wharf pizza is a white pie topped withChesapeake clams, shrimp, pesto, onions, garlic, and lemon oil. A 14” pie is $25,while an 18” pie is $32.

Ted's Bulletin

Most Expensive Milkshake: Ted's Bulletin
Roll big with the Millionaire Malt Shake, made with Macallan 17, vanilla ice cream, and malt powder. The shake costs $19.99.

Plume

Most Expensive Dessert: Plume:
To get The Nest, an outrageous five-inch tall gold-flecked white chocolate egg, you first need to sit in The Bird’s Nest nook and spring for the $550 seven-course tasting menu for two, which includes wine pairings. The dessert is filled with Chantilly cream and includes meringues, fresh berries, passion fruit and coconut sorbets, and a nest of cotton candy.

Poste Moderne Brasserie

Most Expensive Fries: Poste
The frites are one of the main reasons to visit Poste, though they won’t come cheaply. The traditional pommes frites are $8, the magical truffle frites are $10, and the Bordelaise frites are $12.

P.J. Clarke's

Most Expensive Seafood: P.J. Clarke's
For when a dozen oysters won’t do, drop $124 and order The Capitol, a raw spread of 12 oysters, six jumbo shrimp, 12 littleneck clams, jumbo lump crab cocktail, and a one pound Maine lobster.

BLT Steak

Most Expensive Salad: BLT Steak
The chopped vegetable salad at BLT Steak costs a measly $15—until you add steakand the price jumps to $34. The Lobster Cobb at The Palm is also a contender for this category, though the cost varies depending on market price.

Restaurant Eve

Most Expensive Secret Dinner: Restaurant Eve
Truffles instantly take everything up a notch, including the bill. Restaurant Eveoffers an off-menu truffle tasting menu, featuring seven courses and a charge of$300 per person. The menu is available by request.

Inn at Little Washington

Most Expensive Upcharge: The Inn at Little Washington
Inn at Little Washington's menu changes regularly, but if A Tin of Sin: American Osetra Caviar with Peekytoe Crab and Cucumber Rillette is available, count on an $24 upcharge to the $188 tasting menu.

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