Japanese Conquer Capital in New Zagat Dining Survey

More and More US Cities in Line with Far East Taste Trend

NEW YORK, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Democrats and Republicans may disagree
on who should be the next White House resident, but the quest for good food
unites us all, and at Zagat Survey, the results are in. In the Washington D.C.
Area, 7,200 foodies of both parties have joined a national trend in casting
their ballots for a Japanese candidate. The "impeccable" Makoto, with an
estimated cost of $75, was rated number one for its food. The Inn at Little
Washington ($150), last year's frontrunner, dropped to No. 2, followed by the
Mediterranean Komi ($113). Michel Richard's Citronelle ($104) claimed honors
as the District's Most Popular eatery, while his more casual and lower priced
Central ($52) took No. 5 for popularity.
Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey said, "It's exciting to see Japanese
restaurants winning top food ratings in city after city. This was
inconceivable five or ten years ago when French restaurants predominated
everywhere. The other major trend, reflected by Central, is the popularity of
less expensive, casual places."
Prices: The average cost of a meal in Washington rose to $35.13 -- up
only an annual inflation rate of 0.6% since the last survey. In comparison, a
meal in New York costs a whopping $39.46. At the other end of the spectrum is
New Orleans, which comes in at $26.18. With an infusion of less expensive wine
bars and neighborhood restaurants, local dining inflation was kept under
control with 42% local residents claiming to eat out more often than they did
two years ago. In addition, the No. 1 steakhouse this year is Ray's the Steak,
with an average meal costing $44 but beating out the longtime favorite Prime
Rib, which bills an estimated $66. Clearly, Washingtonians appreciate a good
deal more than ever these days.
Affordable Fare: Evidence that a good meal doesn't have to break the
bank, this year, five of the eight Most Popular restaurants -- Zaytinia ($41),
Jaleo ($35), Clyde's ($32), Old Ebbitt Grill ($39) and 2 Amy's ($24) are all
moderately priced.
Best Buys: Increasingly important in the current bear market, the guide
also includes a list of forty Best Buys led by Amsterdam Falafel, Five Guys,
Ben's Chili Bowl, Chop't Creative Salad and California Tortilla. Zagat calls
these "BATH Restaurants" i.e. they are Better Alternatives To Home.
Winners by Cuisine Type:

American (New) - Inn at Little Middle Eastern - Amsterdam Falafel
Washington
American (Trad.) - Ray's/Classics Nuevo Latino - Cafe Atlantico
Burgers - Matchbox Pan-Asian - TenPenh
Chinese - Peking Gourmet Pizza - Pasta Plus
French - L'Auberge Provencale Seafood - Kinkead's
French (New) - Citronelle South American - El Pollo Rico
Indian - Rasika Southern - Vidalia
Italian - Obelisk Southwest/Tex-Mex - Sweetwater Tavern
Japanese - Makoto Spanish - Taberna del Alabardero
Mediterranean - Zaytinya Steakhouse - Ray's The Steaks
Mexican - El Mariachi Thai - Thai Square
Vietnamese - Pho 75

Service: As in past surveys, D.C. locals, by an overwhelming 75%, cite
"poor service" as the most irritating part of dining out. All other irritants
combined -- including noise, prices, food and parking -- amount to only a
quarter of complaints. Still, Washingtonians tip a generous 19.2% which is
above the national average of 19.0%.
Favorite Cuisines: Despite the fact that a 22% plurality of D.C.
surveyors says they prefer Italian food, none of the most popular restaurants
in D.C. (Citronelle, Zaytinya, Jaleo, Kinkead's, and Central Michel Richard)
are Italian. Following Italian as favorites are American (17%), French (12%)
and Thai and Japanese (each at 10%).
Newcomers: This year's Top Rated D.C. Newcomer is The Source, which is
followed by Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert (of NYC's Le Bernardin), Evo Bistro,
Proof, and Il Fornaio. In the works are new venues by such celebrated chefs as
Alain Ducasse, Art Smith and Todd English.
On-line Reserving: According to this year's survey, an extraordinary 37%
of D.C. diners make their reservations online versus 17% in New York and 14%
in Los Angeles. Only San Francisco and Atlanta are higher at 43% and 40%,
respectively.
Going Green and Health-Conscious: Local residents are continuing to move
in a "greener" direction. Seventy percent of surveyors consider eating locally
grown food to be important, while 68% favor low-carb, low-fat,
heart-healthy menu items. Food preparation is also a concern to surveyors, as
66% want trans fats banned from food preparation and 62% are willing "to pay
more" for sustainably raised food. A number of new options offer eco-friendly
edibles at fast-food prices. Some of these include Ashburn's American
Flatbread Kitchen ($18), U Street's Chix ($14) and Tackle Box, an inexpensive
off-shoot of Georgetown's sustainable seafooder Hook.
The Guide in Detail: The new Zagat guide contains ratings and reviews of
1,155 of the region's best eateries including Baltimore, Annapolis, Frederick,
and the Eastern Shore. All of the ratings and reviews are based on the voting
of over 7,200 avid local diners who ate out roughly 1.1 million meals in the
past year. The guide is available in book form, on ZAGAT.com and on the
award-winning mobile website, ZAGAT.mobi. Besides featuring expansive ratings
and reviews, it breaks out restaurants by location, cuisine and special
features, including Business Dining, Historic Places, Power Scenes and
Pre-Theater Dining as well as offering neighborhood maps.
The 2009 Washington D.C./Baltimore Restaurants guide ($14.95) was edited
by Olga Boikess, Marty Katz and Shelley Gallagher and is available at all
major bookstores, through ZAGAT.com, or by calling 888/371-5440.
About Zagat Survey, LLC
Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat Survey is the world's most trusted
source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the
globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and
reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf,
resorts, shopping, spas, and a range of other entertainment categories in over
100 countries and has been lauded as the "most up-to-date, comprehensive and
reliable guides ever published" and as "a necessity second only to a valid
credit card." Zagat content is available in print, on the Web, on the Palm and
Windows Mobile operating systems, on BlackBerry, on mobile phones, and on TV.
For more information, visit ZAGAT.com.
SOURCE Zagat Survey, LLC

Tiffany Barbalato of Zagat Survey, LLC, +1-212-404-6416, tbarbalato@zagat.com