Northeast strip from Union Station east to Bladensburg Road, reborn as a ramen, cocktail and Cambodian (Maketto) corridor with a streetcar running the spine.
Maketto in Washington DC is Erik Bruner-Yang's H Street Cambodian-Taiwanese cafe and dining room, with a sneaker boutique on the ground floor and a courtyard.
Signature: Fried chicken, Beef pho-style stew
Order: The Taiwanese fried chicken sandwich on a Maketto-baked bun; the menu has carried it since opening.
Tip: Brunch service runs Cambodian breakfast plates that the dinner menu skips; the courtyard bar is the local move.
Daru in Washington DC is Suresh Sundas's H Street modern Indian dining room on Maryland Avenue NE, a hand-built kitchen with regional Indian street food.
Signature: Goan crab toast, Lamb biryani
Order: The Goan crab toast on milk bread; the menu's editorial standout opener.
Tip: The chef's counter is the best seat for the kitchen show; the patio runs to October.
The Pug on H Street is Tony Tomelden's 2008 anti-Hill dive with red ceilings, wall-to-wall photographs and a beer-can Christmas tree that stays up year-round, plus a ramen kitchen weekdays.
Tip: No drink specials by rule, no bomb shots, no political talk. Weekend brunch is the easy entry; weekdays the ramen menu runs from 17:00.