Anonymous wrote:couple of other options I haven't seen mentioned yet

Ris http://www.risdc.com/ (just had a lovely meal there - restaurant run by former longtime chef at 1789)
Cashion's Eat Place http://cashionseatplace.com/ (never have had a bad meal there)

also like BlackSalt, Rasika, Jaleo & Zaytinya

Have had great & not-so-great meals at Central - it's hit or miss.

Lots of choices - have fun and enjoy!

GREAT suggestions.

couple of other options I haven't seen mentioned yet

Ris http://www.risdc.com/ (just had a lovely meal there - restaurant run by former longtime chef at 1789)
Cashion's Eat Place http://cashionseatplace.com/ (never have had a bad meal there)

also like BlackSalt, Rasika, Jaleo & Zaytinya

Have had great & not-so-great meals at Central - it's hit or miss.

Lots of choices - have fun and enjoy!

Anonymous wrote:Look at some of the many offerings for restaurant week...lunch is 20.12 and dinner is 30.12 ...also look at opentable.com offerings...several restaurants have 30% off if you buy a ten dollar reservation online. Also look at restaurant.com...we bought a $150 voucher for River Inn at Watergate for a few dollars...

Do NOT take your foodie husband out during restaurant week. If his birthday happens to be that week, reschedule the dinner. The set menu will drive him nuts, and even if you order off the main menu, dining out that week greatly increases the risk of indifferent service and/or subpar cooking.

Palena ("Cafe" part)
Blue Duck
Nora
Central

...all great!

I think that Ripple in Cleveland Park would 100% fit what you're looking for. They are really committed to both farm-to-table and innovative cooking, relatively affordable, and have a reasonable corkage fee of only $10. Tom Sietsema has raved about the place (so it's not just me!) I also really liked the setting and the service -- DC service can be weird (either too formal or hipsters who don't seem to care), but the servers were the perfect combo of laid back and knowledgable. OH! and don't forget the cheese and charceuterie plate! They'll even have their cheesemonger pick your cheeses to match your wine, if you want.

Another favorite is Zaytinya, which does the yummiest Greek/Turkish small plates. You may want to try the Greek wines instead of bringing your own bottles, though, because they are fun and different.

Both Ripple and Zaytinya are small plates, which can add up a little quicker than an entree place. But I think they will both be cheaper than, say, Central or Blue Duck.

I don't think your husband could be disappointed with either choice!

OP keep us posted on where you go and how it was!