Colorado Kitchen

From www.dcist.com:

Colorado Kitchen isn't merely the best restaurant in Ward 4, it's among the best in the city. Haven't been there? Zagat raters have, ranking the food 23 out of 30, on par with Jaleo, Georgia Brown's, Café Atlantico and Johnny's Half Shell. Clark characterizes her cooking as, "something simple...Betty Crocker gone to Cordon Bleu, I suppose."

Her aesthetic is more Crocker than Cordon. Customers are greeted by the Morton Salt Girl ads and a Tony the Tiger bust. They sit down to diner tables in a space that exudes small town 1950's: tin ceilings, checkered floors, kitchy, garage sale salt and pepper sets. Her sense of humor stops at the open kitchen, where it's clear that, on a busy night, she's all business.

If you're short on time or you're particularly hungry, order from the "Firsts" or the "Small Food" selections. These include the soup of the day, which during our visit was a corn, tomato and avocado soup ($4.75) that we loved. It also includes a cherry tomato in herb dressing with feta and toasted pine nuts ($6.50). Try the Lilliputian fried chicken ($9.75), which is hearty despite its name. Whatever you choose, be sure to order the collard greens; Clark has perfected the magical combination of shredded greens, red onion and LOTS of bacon. They alone are worth the visit.