Most D.C. area residents will tell you that Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong's Alexandria restaurant is "on the short list of area places worth making a special trip out of the city for." A proponent of ingredients sourced from the region's small farmers, Armstrong uses beef from the Ruppersberger Co-op and pheasant from Beaver Creek Farm, as well as locally raised vegetables that appear in dishes like a gratin of local cauliflower served with frisée lettuce and Manni white truffle oil. Bistro offerings range from steak tartare served with pumpernickel baked in house to house-cured pork belly with Jersey cabbage, roasted onions and tournéed potatoes. The excellent wine list has numerous delicious, reasonably priced bottles.