Rooster and Owl in Washington DC is Yuan and Carey Tang's 14th Street Michelin-mentioned modern American dining room, a four-course prix fixe with a strong vegetable-forward focus.
Why locals love it: A 14th Street modern American dining room that runs a $79 four-course tasting menu yet stays quieter than the Le Diplomate row a block south.
Tip: The four-course prix fixe is the editorial value; book Tuesdays for the easiest reservation.
Address: 2436 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, Washington DC
Why locals love it: Half a mile north of the busy 14th Street strip, this Mount Pleasant bakery and dining room runs the city's quietest tasting menu after 19:00 most weeknights.
Tip: Walk in before 19:30 for a counter seat; the wood-fired bread plate alone is worth the trip.
Why locals love it: Two blocks east of the 14th Street boutiques in a U Street basement, this Oaxacan fondita serves $9 chilaquiles and $14 mole platters to a steady neighbourhood lunch crowd.
Tip: Cash and card both accepted; the mole rojo with chicken is the most-ordered plate on the lunch menu.
Why locals love it: The city's only Chilean bakery, hidden a block off the Brookland Metro on 12th Street, with completos hot dogs and pastel de choclo at lunch.
Tip: The completo Italiano (hot dog with avocado, tomato and mayonnaise) is the menu's bestseller; cash works fastest.
Why locals love it: A Petworth diner half a block from the Georgia Avenue Metro that locals visit for the half-smoke breakfast plate and the sticky-buns case at the counter.
Tip: The half-smoke breakfast plate with eggs and grits is the editorial pick; breakfast runs all day from 07:00.
Why locals love it: A Columbia Heights Laotian dining room a block off 14th Street that locals keep quiet, with an off-menu jungle insert most tourists never see.
Tip: Ask for the off-menu jungle insert by name; the larb on it is far hotter than the standard menu.
Why locals love it: A Black-owned herbal tea bar tucked off the U Street strip on Florida Avenue with a wellness focus, serving teas, smoothies and a small breakfast menu most visitors miss.
Tip: The hibiscus-ginger blend is the bestseller; the morning tea ceremony at 09:00 includes a guided tasting.
