...If you come to the DC from Chicago, I suggest you learn how to cook. There are very few good restaurants in the District...
What are you talking about! There are SO many great restaurants in DC! You just have to be willing to spend the $$ to eat it.
Sure, you can spend money and eat OK, but we're talking about a lot of money. I usually eat out about 5 times a week, and I am not going to drop $50 each of these times on dinner. Especially when the dinner is only worth $20 in any normal priced city.
Maybe you know of some places I don't, and in that case, I'm all ears.
For example, if you're in Chicago you can get great Italian, Greek, Thai, Chinese, American, Mexican (huge burritos as well) cuisine all in the price range of $7-15. You cannot do this in the DC in my opinion.
Here's a perfect example. In Baltimore there is a famous restaurant called the Helmand (owned by President Karzai's half brother). This is at least as good as any restaurant in the DC. Entrees go for $9-20, so you can get out of there for under $30. The portions are large and the food is unbelievable. The only places in the District that compare are like Kincaid's, The Prime Rib, and Galileo, and no I'm not counting the Inn at Little Washington, which is a huge exception and not anywhere near DC. I'm also not counting French places that serve itsy bitsy portions.
In DC if you want decent cheap food, you either go to Virginia or Five Guys (which originated in VA) or Big Ben's Chili Bowl (which is really not that good).
So anyway, I'm open for suggestions