The best markets from around the world in the D.C. area are in Rockville. Located in a strip mall,…read morethis one is from Poland. Walk inside and the deli is the star with sausages and sandwiches. Then browse the aisles for perogies and more. It's a full on market with lots of options!

I love their kielbasa sandwich and the store overall for the endless types of pierogis and overall…read moregreat polish/european foods I haven't seen before

Little Donna's is truly a standout restaurant in Baltimore, with wonderful "flatbread"…read morenontraditional, pizzas, absolutely stellar salads, and artisanal cocktails that will blow your socks off. From the people sitting around me and my guests, the two times I've been, the other entrées came extremely highly recommended as well. The servers and bartenders are sociable, and where interesting conversationalist both times I've been, will never interrupting a conversation with my guest once it was flowing. It has a warm, inviting ambience, perfect for a casual date or something a bit more formal. Located on an unassuming side street, street parking can be a tiny bit challenging during the weekends, and it's usually busy requiring reservations Friday through Sunday from what I've been told, so plan ahead!

Little Donna, I'd leave my partner for you…read more In all seriousness, the best meal I've had in Baltimore in recent memory. We got extremely lucky and managed to snag a reservation for two on a Friday night one week out. Cozy atmosphere that feels welcoming and doesn't have the stuffiness we sometimes find with nicer restaurants. Get the pirogies! They had a special with lobster but we opted for the OGs and they didn't disappoint - I wish we had gotten two orders. All the food was excellent though - the smoked trout dip can only be described as a fusion of flavors that left me fiending for more focaccia. Also ordered the tuna tartare and tavern pizza; the latter landed on the table and was snagged before I could take a picture. Will be back; on a weeknight if it means not waiting for another weekend reservation to open up.

Getting ready for Oktoberfest? This is the spot to stock up on brats and beer!…read more If you're looking for authentic German ingredients for a meal, German Gourmet Deli won't disappoint. They've got an excellent selection of brats and sausages, salamis, cheeses, pierogis, German novelty items, chocolates, and--of course--wine! The only downside? Not all staff seem familiar with German specialty foods. I actually asked about pierogis and was told they didn't know what they were... until I stumbled across them in the freezer myself. ‍ and BTW... the potato onion had a nice pepper flavoring. Still, the variety and authenticity make it worth the trip--just be prepared to browse and discover some gems on your own. Perfect for all your Oktoberfest cravings!

Wow! going to the German Gourmet brought back so many beautiful childhood memories. It was truly…read moreamazing to see all the candies and items I used to eat and grow up seeing back in Austria. Walking through the store felt so nostalgic and special. Such a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to come back again.

Had a lovely dinner here. Everything was on point- the food, the decor and the service. We had an…read moreassortment of dishes such as varenyky (Ukranian dumplings), sea bass, and the kid's lokshyna (pasta with cheese). No complaints from anyone at our table! My sea bass was perfectly cooked and I loved that it was cooked en papillote. The drinks were good as well. The little one had a house made berry drink and the kvas I had went well with our meal. We ended the meal with some honey cake and it was the perfect way to finish the evening. I'd definitely go back if I were in the area again.

I love Ukrainians and I love Ukrainian food so I want to encourage everyone to try this place! That…read moresaid, their borsch was too sweet. I suspect tomato paste to deepen the red color instead of added beet juice. Got a Lviv 1715 beer which was a nice touch! Well priced.

Our company division recently hosted a team offsite in the DMV area, and to encourage us to meet…read morenew colleagues, we were placed into small groups of 10-12 people where a local colleague selected a restaurant for the group. I chose Ambar for my group, and I'm very pleased with our selection. Food Most of our group had dietary restrictions. Several of us were gluten free, and one person was both nut and seafood free. Ambar did an excellent job curating a menu that worked for everyone without making anyone feel like an afterthought. We opted for the Chef's Table experience, which included a spread tasting with veggie sticks and a variety of dishes that were clearly labeled and thoughtfully prepared: * Bean hummus - GF / DF / NF * Ajvar - GF / DF / NF * Balkan salad - GF / DF / NF (one prepared without feta cheese) * Baby carrots - GF / DF / NF (one prepared without tofu sauce) * Roasted peppers - GF / DF / NF * Cauliflower - GF / DF / NF * Baked beans - GF / DF / NF * Roasted lamb - GF / DF / NF * Stuffed pork belly "Sarma" - GF / DF / NF * Brussels sprouts - GF / DF / NF (one prepared without yogurt and bacon) * Seafood platter Everything was flavorful, well-seasoned, and beautifully presented. The meal was so delicious that I didn't even manage to get photos of everything, which rarely happens for me. Just know we dined very well and left completely satisfied. Service The staff was wonderful from start to finish. From the event team member who served as our account manager, to the chef, to the servers and wait staff, everyone was attentive and accommodating. They handled our dietary needs with care and professionalism and made sure our group felt taken care of throughout the evening. Pricing We paid a set fee that we were able to negotiate, and the final rate wasn't too bad for a group experience like this. Just keep in mind that there is an admin fee, a 20% gratuity, and taxes added on top, so be sure to factor that into your planning if you're booking a group event. Overall, I'd absolutely recommend Ambar for group dining, especially if you have guests with dietary restrictions. They made coordination easy, delivered great food, and created a memorable dining experience for our team.

A Balkan restaurant featuring unlimited tapas service. This is great for tasting different dishes,…read moreso I went there twice to try what I was interested in. Here are the dishes I tried: 1. Complimentary pita & cornbread: ~70-75g each. The cornbread has a more moist texture than the cornbread in soul food. 2. Beet Salad: Basically beet carpacio topped with goat cheese crumbles and arugula. 3. Vitamin Salad: a mix of green apple, beets, carrots, cucumber slaw. Refreshing, crispy, and the apples and cucumbers added some juiciness. Perfect for pairing with kebabs. Would be even better if it could be garnished with some chopped parsley or similar herbs! 4. Lamb Medallions: two small lamb meatballs served with yogurt and cucumber salad. It was said to have pomegranate molasses, but I did not find/taste it. 5. Roasted lamb: The meat was mostly tender, but some part was hard, similar to the texture of cured meat. Thus, as you may expect, it was salty -- much saltier than the carrots and potatoes served on the side. 6. Balkan Kebab: Fingerling ground beef kebabs served over spicy Feta sauce. The kebabs were denser and smokier than Koobideh or Adana kebabs; actually it tasted like sausage. The Feta sauce not only paired well with the smoky kebabs, but also the pita. 7. Grilled shrimp: Three shrimps served over corn puree and topped with Feta crumbles and microgreens. The puree was a bit watery, and the combination of (slightly sweet) corn puree with (very salty) Feta tasted weird to me. 8. Lamb Lasagna: Completely disappointing. Not topped with Bechamel as mentioned on the menu, but Feta crumbles instead. I did not find/taste eggplant, either, though my server maintained that it was mixed with the tomato sauce. Worse, the upper-most and lower-most layers of pasta were completely burnt. For serving size guide, most dishes were served on a ~8inch plate. Service needed improvement greatly. First, I waited for a long time for my table, even if I made a reservation for the second time. Second, the dishes came out more slowly after my first order, not sure if this was their strategy to make more profits by "serving less food". But what really made me annoyed was that when I complained about the Lamb Lasagna, my server simply said "OK". It was clearly not OK! In short, I do recommend this restaurant because you can taste many different dishes, but just do not expect to get amazing service there.

Maple Ave is a small, no-frills bistro in Vienna that serves higher end modern European options ran…read moreby two people! They offer a prix-fixe menu that changes seasonally (?) for brunch and dinner. The ingredients here are high-quality and well prepared and cared for before serving. I've heard great things about Maple Ave from a friends, so I took my family here for dinner this past Wednesday. We really enjoyed the creativity of how the dishes were crafted and plated here and the execution was also phenomenal. This time around, it was 59.00 per person for a 4-course prix-fixe dinner (two appetizers, one entree, and one dessert). Since there were only a couple options per section, we were able to try all the options they had. FIRST: APPLE HAZELNUT SOUP Creamy, pale colored soup with a thicker consistency similar to butternut squash soup. It was lightly sweet, yet savory at the same time. There were some pickled apples and toasted hazelnuts delicately sprinkled on top that added a bit of a crunch. The soup was unique and we enjoyed it. FIRST: ROOTCAKE Between the rootcake and the apple hazelnut soup, the rootcake was my favorite. The vegetables were caramelized and made into a patty, topped generously with almonds with some umami aïoli and pimenton sauce. The rootcake was so good. Each bite was hearty and rich, and it's such a unique way to prepare vegetables. The sauce enhanced each bite and the almonds provided a nutty texture. I would recommend the rootcake as your first option. SECOND: CRISPY SQUASH NUGGETS I didn't think I would enjoy the crispy squash nuggets as much as I did. The roasted squash is breaded with panko crumbs, sitting in some dill yogurt sauce and topped with some raisins and radish. The squash were perfectly seasoned and crispy with a soft interior that left my taste buds wanting more. The dill yogurt sauce was a good complement. I'd definitely recommend this option if you're not a fan of mushrooms and/or you want something more crispy. SECOND: WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO One of the best mushroom risottos I've ever had. It's rich and creamy, filled with truffle flavor. The shiitake mushrooms had a dry, crispy texture. The manchego shavings on top were a great plus. The squash was used for coloring and probably some flavoring? Not sure. The whole thing was really good and memorable. I'd definitely recommend! THIRD: SHRIMP I'm not a huge fan of shrimp, but my family loved it along with the citrus braised fennel. I was a fan of the creamy semolina, though! Overall, it wasn't for me, but that's more of a personal preference. THIRD: PORK CONFIT STEAK The pork they used was pork belly (?) and seared very nicely, topped with perfectly crispy potatoes, mangoes (?), brown butter sweet potato puree and chimi churri sauce. The pork belly melted in my mouth but as someone who's not the biggest fan of fatty pork, I wish it was a leaner cut. The potatoes were so good and went well with the sweet potato puree. Even though I didn't love the pork confit steak, I'd recommend this entree over the shrimp. FOURTH: MOCK FRIED "APPLE" PIE It was zucchini instead of apple and you can't even tell. I loved the crispy pie exterior which was lightly topped with cinnamon. The vanilla bean ice cream was my favorite as it was creamy and smooth. The dulce de leche and lavender honey were nice touches. Very nice way to end the meal. All the food here were so rich with lots of complex flavors. Each dish was so beautifully plated with many vibrant colors. We were quite full after all the food we ate. I would recommend coming here with another person to try all the options they offer here! The food here is unique and well-executed, and I'd be open to come back to try a different seasonal menu.

Very small two person run restaurant! It feels honey and homemade but everything was pretty good…read more The waiter was very friendly and I love that they change the menu up occasionally! I definitely want to come back to try more of their stuff later Zero proof honey cocktail - 3/5 I can really taste the spices and fall like flavors. Pretty refreshing grilled peach salad - 4/5 actually so good! I love how the flavors come together and the greens were crispy and fresh Buckwheat crepe - 3/5 nice and sweet but super thin. Wish it was thicker Omelet - 3.5/5 actually pretty unique and I enjoyed this a lot! So soft Pork confit sandwich - 2.5/5 good filling but the bread is not good. I ended up just eating the center Spicy creme freche wings - 2.5/ 5 the sauce is actually pretty yummy with a nice kick and light creaminess. The issue is the chicken was dry Dessert - 3.5/5 love the sugar on the ice cream and the little dough balls were so moist and yummy!

First night in Maryland (mix business and visit family). Stopped by for dinner. About a 15 minute…read morewait which was perfect to browse the menue and beer list. Spent a few years in Germany in the service and this place gave the guesthouse feel. Down in a basement, decorated as such, with tight seating and a fun atmosphere. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Made us feel at home. Ordered potato cakes as an appetizer (no photo, ate them too quickly). Dunked and a Fastentbeer beer were great. Jagarsnitzel and a burst. Both fantastic. Authentic fries and curry ketchup. Even the Spitzer brought back memories. Looks like outdoor seating is available when it gets warmer. Really enjoyed our experience!

Enjoyed the party platter. The latkes were good and enjoyed all the sauces that came with the…read moreplatter. The German beers were also really good. Very casual vibes which we enjoyed and was baby friendly.

The first time I tried Silk Road Choyhona, I had just watch a Youtube video about Uzbek food and…read morehad a craving for something I had never eaten before. To my luck, we had great Uzbek food less than 15 mins away! It was a while ago but we ordered the samsa, manti, kutabi, plov, and chohohbli, and I can't recall what else but we loved it! Last night my husband and I decided to dine in. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with cultural artifacts and art. This may just be a me thing but the serveware was envy worthy. It was gorgeous. I'm obsessed with beautiful dishware. There were only two people taking orders and serving food for an almost full dining room so we were understanding of a bit of a wait time. The staff were very friendly and checked in on us when they could. We ordered the khachipuri, samsa, oxtail, chohobli, steamed rice, pilmeni, and hot tea. Both the khachipuri and samsa were flaky pastries: khachapuri filled with a salty stretchy cheese with a cheese pull that tasted better than it was Instagram-able and samsa filled with a savory meat/onion mixture served with a tomato based sauce. Get one per person because you will not want to share. We ordered fried mini dumplings which are filled with meat and also served with same tomato based sauce that came with the samsa. They were delicious but afterwards I saw that you can get them steamed in a broth, I told myself I have to get that next time. The slow-cooked, tender oxtail was served over the best crispy, fat-fried potatoes I've ever had. The chohobli (chicken stew) was fall off the bone into a delicious tomato-based stew. We ordered the rice to sop up the delicious stew. The tea really helped to cut the richness of all the delicious food. I have not shut up about this place since we had this meal. I will rave about it to just about anyone that will listen in hopes that they will come with me next time so we can order more dishes to share.

When you can't travel, your taste buds can. Uzbekistan food is not well known, but when you are…read morecraving Middle Eastern food, this may fill your desires. Friendly service, the other table there on a Tuesday night were from that region, speaking in native tongue. Speaking of tongue, that is on the menu as well. We started with pickled veggies, cucumbers, red cabbage and green tomatoes- very tasty! The crispy potatoes were amazing, perhaps fried in beef fat? So Lucious, I doubt it was olive oil. The lamb loin kebab was tender and tasty, and at $10.99 a bargain! The shrimp kabab was just as affordable, yet I though I though they were a bit overdone. Worth a visit - help keep authentic restaurants in business.

Hello comrade. This restaurant is where you will find some delicious Russian food. My order was…read morepart of a large group order of about 10 orders. The restaurant had our orders ready when we got there and they were 100% accurate and well organized. My interaction with them was very limited, but the staff was nice enough. There is metered street parking available for those wishing to park here, but that parking is somewhat difficult to get. We ended up parking in a loading zone area, running in and getting our food. They serve items such as Russian soups and salads, desserts, shashlyk, vareniki, goluptsi, plov, beef stroganoff, chicken kiev, pelmeni, and dolma. They also have beer, wine, infused vodka shots and mixed drinks to wash your food down. I ordered Manti and a slice of Russian Honey Cake. My food was really good. The cake was delicious as well. My major complaint, as well as everyone else in my group, was that the portion size was very small, especially considering the price. Most of us were still hungry after eating our meal. But again, the food was tasty. This is a great place to get you Russian food fix. The food is good, I just wish that there was more of it.

An amazing Russian - Uzbekistan restaurant on a busy Arlington Street. Came here for Sunday brunch…read moreand we were a big group. We ordered a lot of items and they took good care of us. Everything was amazing. One of my best friends is Ukrainian and I am used to their homecooked foods and this place offered some really close such dishes. The radish vodka shots were bomb. A bit spicy and nice after taste. Chicken Kiev was soft and buttery. Lamb Shashlyk was a bit chewy but flavorful. Sunday parking is free on Arlington streets in this area and we found a spot on a street right next to the restaurant. W

Let me start with gluten-free beer and a selection of gluten-free items on the menu! I love German…read morefood, but really thought my recently discovered allergy would keep me from enjoying it. Not the case at all! Service was fast and friendly. The ambience was cozy despite the large building and enclosed, heated patio. Old Stein can accommodate a large group or an intimate party of two.

Had an amazing dinner at this restaurant. First time here and already recommending it to my friends…read moreand family. Service was incredibly friendly and attentive! Relaxed atmosphere and the food was fresh, hot and delicious! Started with the pretzel, perfect! Then had the codon blue sandwich and burger, both were amazing! Finished off with the bread pudding that's in my top 10 of best desserts I've ever had! Definitely coming back!!