● The Jefferson Hotel (Dupont Circle) - Just enough pomp and circumstance to keep Thomas Jefferson happy. New comforts gone old school.
● Kellari Taverna (Downtown) - Mt. Olympus comes to America's Mt. Olympus. Greek cuisine, done up for DC, without being dumbed down.
● Plume (Dupont Circle) - "What's this fork for?" whispered with a Maltese accent. Dupont's hot new haute French.

● The Gibson (U Street) - Vintage gin + dry vermouth + pearl onion in a chilled glass (of a speakeasy-trend bar).
● Midtown Loft (Dupont Circle) - Luxe, playful rec room vibe meets sleek bobo-themed bar in a "dream apartment" setting.
● H Street Country Club (H Street NE) - Amusing amusement park inside a townhouse bar inside a DC slum.

● W Washington DC (Downtown) - What's better than sleeping with the president? Thoughtful Hotel Washington redesign plays on former grandiosity with sly, tongue-in-cheek touch.

● Blue Ridge (Upper Northwest) - Southern comfort in the form of down-home, unpretentious, locavore-heavy cooking.
● Pitango Gelato (Logan Circle) - Gelato as DC's new status dessert.

● Potenza (Downtown) - Work talk turns to flavorful sauces and that one trip you took to Tuscany. Low-key legit Italian eatery for high-minded gov and non-gov workers alike, located in iconic Woodward building.
● Bar Dupont (Dupont Circle) - Jury's still out until the new Jury's opens. Dupont's Eurotrash are lapping up the Dusseldorf aesthetic.

Marc Forgione, chef and owner of TriBeCa restaurant Marc Forgione, is up and running again after averting a costly trademark infringement lawsuit (his restaurant was once called Forge, as is another dining establishment in Miami Beach). He spoke with BlackBook about his celebrity chef father, Navajo rites of passage, his death row meal, the irresistible nature of suckling pigs, and REM’s nuanced palate.

Who have you cooked for lately?
One of our regular customers is D.L. Hughley, the comedian. He’s a lot fun to be around and always says, “Yo, whassup chef? This is my fave restaurant, man -- put the suckling pig back on or I’ll kill you.” And Michael Stipe came in last week. It really made me feel old when half my cooks didn’t know who he was. You could tell that he likes food. He was sniffing his wine and then quaffing his dish before eating.

● Policy (U Street) - Food is the new goth glam death metal. Local hot stuff chef Brian Murphy preaches truth, love, liberty on a plate—posh global flavor mash-ups.
● Cafe Salsa (Logan Circle) - Gloria Estefan's never-realized Dollywood dream. Faux Mexican fiesta adds a shake of habanero to Logan Circle's staid brick façade.

● Cha (Logan Circle) - New Todd English joint in trendy Donovan House serves up Asian fusion for Logan Circle prepsters.

● Sushi Taro (Dupont Circle) - Following an extensive three-month renovation, seminal DC sushi spot Taro is back. Gone are the dowdy oranges and browns, replaced by an austere Tokyo chic and weathered wooden floors. We expect the same great fish and a loyal low-fat following from Dupont Circle pundits.

With Obama now safely tucked away in the White House, Washington's nightlife is busting out of its ankle-length skirts and turtle-necked sweaters and changing into ... well, nothing. After three long years of being closed and homeless, the delightfully racy Ziegfield's is opening at its new location tonight, which also happens to be Valentine's Eve and Friday the 13th!