Hook (DC - Georgetown)

Georgetown finally has a restaurant worth writing about - Hook. Barton Seaver has built a hip, sleek temple to responsibly sourced seafood. Pay no attention to the recent reviews that describe the food as "bland." When you can source really great food (and fish, in particular), you don't need to bury it under a sea of sauces, rubs and reductions - those theatrics are typically employed to disguise inferior product.

The crudos are a must, as is the white salmon when it is on the menu. Fans of Catalan cooking should definitely order the "Black Risotto" - Seaver's take on Arroz Negro. It is lighter and less salty than the Catalan classic (both welcome changes, in my mind) and makes an ideal side dish (NB: If your waiter forgets to tell you, the kitchen at Hook will prepare many course as side dishes if you ask).

Finally - and I rarely say this - save room for dessert. My favorite is the carrot cake (served "deconstructed" with crème fraîche sorbet, raisin chutney and candied walnuts) but my wife loves the chocolate tart (with caramel ice cream and salted cashews) and the beignets with nutella are always a big hit. The menu changes frequently to keep up with the seasons, so dont be surprised to find basil ice cream, etc.

Zenbu Sushi (CA - La Jolla)

Everyone has their favorite sushi places - and every sushi restaurant claims to have some special "in" to get the really good fish. If you eat enough sushi, you eventually hear all the whispers (read: lies) of "our chef flies this in from Japan" or "the tuna was caught this morning." Blah, blah, blah.

This is not the case at Zenbu in La Jolla. This hip little restaurant is owned by Matt Rimel, who also owns Ocean Giant , a commercial fishing company. Rimel's fleet catches the fish and less than 24 hours later, it is on your plate. Ocean Giant is also dedicated to eco-friendly fishing. Each fish is "hook and line" caught - one fish at a time, off a fishing pole. This is a stask contrast to the long-liners that use 20 mile lines with thousands of hooks to catch everything from tuna to sea turtles and marine birds.

Those of you who know me understand that I am no envronmentalist. I was in search of the freshest fish - not the most responsibly caught fish. What I didn't realize was how much long-lining detracts from the flavor and texture of the fish. A fish caught by "hook and line" is hauled aboard and immediately killed and iced down. By contrast, fish caught via long-lining suffocate and die often hours before they are eventually hauled aboard. The burst blood vessels, etc. make for lower quality meat. One taste of Zenbu's catch and I was a convert. We had the most amazingly fresh fish I have ever had. We ate piece after piece of translucent, melt-in-your-mouth fish, followed by some of the more creative rolls I have seen recently (including one that combined freshwater eel, tempura banana and avocado). One caveat - all of this quality doesn't come cheap, so swing by the bank on your way there.