There is a restaurant called Market Inn located off the beaten path in SW (believe it or not) in a safe neighborhood with plenty of parking and two blocks from Metro.
Every Sunday it has a cajun seafood buffet, bottomless champagne, and one incredible live New Orleans jazz band every week!!! We are talking crab legs, shrimp, omelette bar. The works!
By far the best deal in town.
Other:
Just plain good: Sequoyia (Georgetown)
Southern: Georgia Brown (McPherson Square)
Thai: Terra Thai (Arlington)
Indian: Bombay Club (Across from the White House)
Moroccan: Casablanca (Alexandria)
Mexican: Lauriol Plaza (DuPont Circle)
Ethopian: Meskerem (Adams Morgan)
Steak: Ruth's Chris (Crystal City has fantastic view)
Italian: La Tomat (DuPont Circle)
Beer: Brickskeller (DuPont Circle)
Of these, probably the most interesting is Casablanca because it is more Moroccan looking than Morocco was when I went. Ruth's Chris in Crystal City has by far the best view of any restaurant in DC if you get by the window looking over the airport and Potomac. Brickskeller has some ridiculous 500 beers to choose from. Georgia Browns is unbelievably delicious, but a bit inconvenient in that it is in the business district. Lauriol Plaza is loud, but great. Ask to be seated outside upstairs. La Tomat as A+ service.
Yum! I'm hungry!!!
Whatever you do, don't go to Nora's. What a waste. Everyone in the group had horrible food. Mine tasted best, but $25 for four scallops on a small bed of mashed potatos just to make them look bigger is so totally not worth it to me. My friend's meal looked like a cow pie. :)