The Hill
Where to dine

By Kate Oczypok Georgetown's dining scene is bustling with a fresh burst of energy from young chefs eager to make their mark. Chefs Daniel Giusti, 24, of 1789 and David Varley, 28, of Bourbon Steak bring unique flair to a neighborhood known for its quiet tradition.

Giusti, who previously worked out of Las Vegas at the popular Restaurant Guy Savoy in Caesar's Palace, likes working at 1789 because of all the history it has to offer.

"It's a cool place with a lot of history. I like it for that reason," he said. "A lot of people get upset that we have a jacket requirement, but it's a traditional spot among new restaurants opening up."

Giusti, who is spending his second summer at the restaurant, feels more comfortable this year. He enjoys changing the menu frequently at 1789. "It's hard for me to have the same dish on the menu, seeing it over and over again," he said. "I like keeping it moving and improving and executing things better."

Giusti said he contributed a lot of energy to the restaurant since he began. "It's something a restaurant just needs," he said. "It's important to understand our clientele and know that they are coming to spend money and are mostly local people."

Giusti is there to please his customers. "Obviously I want my name to be recognized as a good chef, but it comes down to pleasing the customer; it's really about them," he said. "I try to have a real passion and enthusiasm for every person who comes in."

1789 offers many steak and fish dishes, as well as salad appetizers and tarts and shortcakes as desserts. Keep in mind though, the menu changes daily.

The Georgetown dining scene is different than other neighborhoods in D.C. in that it tends to attract a more local, somewhat more traditional crowd. "There's a lot of informal, upscale casual restaurants popping up lately," Giusti said. "In all honesty, it's what restaurants are doing best right now."

Giusti finds that Georgetown is unique from other D.C. neighborhoods because it doesn't have an air of extensive trendiness. "People who are going to those more trendy type of restaurants aren't coming here to be seen or because they heard a lot about 1789," he said. "They're coming here to get a good meal."

Whereas the M Street area tends to be trendier, 1789 is more detached from the rest of the Georgetown area, allowing it to cater to a different crowd.

David Varley, executive chef at Bourbon Steak, brings a bit more of a newer vibe to Georgetown. Bourbon Steak, open less than a year, is tucked neatly into Georgetown's Four Seasons Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. Varley, like Giusti, worked in Las Vegas before relocating to the District.

"I enjoy interacting and working with the local community," Varley said. "In Vegas, it's a lot of transient people."

Varley mentions with a chuckle in his voice that he's much like a child in that he doesn't have a particularly favorite dish. "It really depends on my mood and intention of the moment," he said.

Bourbon Steak recently unveiled an outdoor patio for dining or cocktails and is proud to showcase its new herb garden, with items now on the menu featuring herbs from the garden. The steakhouse is laid back too, playing popular music and even infusing cocktails with their garden herbs, a unique new trend. The new patio is perfect for warm summer afternoons or cool summer nights (a fire pit has even been installed to warm up near).

Varley has been with Bourbon Steak since it opened in December 2008. "I think my contribution has been more or less providing an area for people to achieve their best," he said. "In the kitchen I'm giving cooks a great product, education and a beautiful garden; I turn them loose and hope they are the best they can be."

Varley explained that one can put a $60 dry aged steak on the menu every night, but if you put a good burger on, something with a lot of love and passion as Bourbon Steak's more detailed entrees, it offers something different. "Anyone can put truffles and caviar on a plate," he joked.

Varley said that while Georgetown is a little more staid and polished than other neighborhoods in the area, it is still a hip, fun place to be. "Our clientele definitely reflects that," he said. "I like to create a customer for life."

According to Varley, for a long time, there were no other reasons to dine in Georgetown besides Citronelle. "However, hip, trendy and little ethnic places sprouted up recently," he said.

Bourbon Steak gets many regular diners three to four times per week. "Some nights customers come in ordering champagne and caviar to impress a client," Varley said. "The next night they'll come to order a burger and a beer."

If Bourbon Steak is your dining choice, do not leave without trying the french fries that are brought to every table. Fried in duck fat and accompanied with three different types of sauces including barbecue, sour cream and onion and pickle-infused ketchup, they are hard to stop munching on.