The Best in DC plus One

MSN.COM just listed their Top 40 Restaurants in America. Here's who made it from DC.....just three.

CityZen, Washington, D.C.
Chef Eric Ziebold
Located inside the posh Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC hotel, CityZen is one of D.C.'s prime power-dining hot spots. Thanks to the stewardship of executive chef Eric Ziebold, the exquisite fare mirrors the beautiful and moneyed crowd. Inspired by his travels through Asia, but also diligent about incorporating his French training, Ziebold creates dishes that fuse the two cultures, but also reflect the best of modern American cuisine.

Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, D.C.

Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, D.C.
Chef Michel Richard
Michel Richard is the rare superstar chef who is just as accomplished at pastry as he is at savory. In fact, his first claim to fame was a pastry shop in Los Angeles, which he opened in 1977. Ten years later he debuted his first full-service restaurant there, the highly praised Citrus. When Richard opened his flagship restaurant in 1994 in the nation's capital, D.C. welcomed the pioneering cuisine of Cal-French master Richard with open arms.

The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Va.

The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Va.
Chef Patrick O'Connell
The Inn at Little Washington has been an East Coast institution for more than three decades. Situated in the bucolic Virginia countryside, this luxurious property is casually elegant, and, as the name implies, isn't just a groundbreaking restaurant but also a charming hotel -- chef-owner Patrick O'Connell is adept at playing professional host in both. Tongue-in-cheek menu descriptions translate into theatrical New American dishes like "beet Fantasia" and a "marriage of hot and cold foie gras."