Bar Pilar alums Jesse Miller and Erin Edwards have garnered plenty of attention since opening their Mount Rainier spot in November 2020. Chef Millerdescribeshis food as “American-style comfort food that is just taken up a notch.” A mac and cheese blended with chunks of brisket and bone marow proves this, as do Pennyroyal’s four-person family meals. Current options include winter squash and Taleggio lasagna, short ribs, and a vegetarian coconut curry.

This popular neighborhood bistro on a busy dining strip off Wisconsin Avenue NW draws locals and French expats alike. Chef Francis Layrle, who was executive chef at the French embassy for years, turns out traditional comfort foods like coq au vin, cassoulet, and braised rabbit in white wine tarragon sauce.

Tucking into modern Malaysian restaurant Makan’s hot and spicy hakka noodles can almost —almost— make you forget the cold outside. Despite the bad luck of opening in early March 2020, former Spoken English and Maketto chef James Wozniuk has garnered praise and a loyal following for his deeply flavorful dishes and bright ingredients.

Customers would revolt if chef Mike Friedman ever tried removing his mezze rigatoni with pork fennel sausage ragù from the menu (takeout-only for now). Perfectly al dente, generously folded with sauce, and topped with pecorino-Romano cheese, this is one of the best, and most popular, pasta dishes in town. Carryout only for now.

Despite being an iconic comfort food, roast chicken breast can feel like an afterthought on restaurant menus. But not at Dupont Circle’s Annabelle, where chef Frank Ruta roasts generously-sized portions of juicy, well-seasoned bird. Annabelle’s pastas are also worth checking out.

With locations in Bethesda and Shaw, diners have twice as many reasons to seek out one of the top Ethiopian restaurants around D.C. The menu boasts an extensive array of vegetable favorites like stewed lentils, peas, and collards, but be sure to include sirloin or beef tibs (mild or spicy) — a stewy blend of meat, rosemary, tomatoes, peppers, onion, and spices — in your takeout order.

The Dabney shines year-round for its seasonal Mid-Atlantic cooking. But the restaurant seems to find an extra gear in winter, using the wood-fired stove to turn out all manner of cozy, perfectly-cooked meats and vegetables on its prix fixe menus. Current standouts include the heritage pork belly served with charred sweet potato and a bone marrow sauce (dine-in only), and the perennial chicken and dumplings served with winter root vegetables (takeout).

非傳統的餐廳may be best known for its brunch — especially the blueberry pancake stack. But do not overlook the chicken matzo ball soup, a simple, warming meal in winter. This sizable portion features good-as-grandmom’s chicken broth, vegetables, and fresh herbs.

A hot, gooey pot of fondue for two comes courtesy of the District’s only Swiss restaurant. The H Street NE spot bakes its own bread to dip in a blend of Swiss cheeses. Stable loans Raclette and fondue kits to replicate the experience at home. Private “ski chalets” are available for indoor dining. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio.

It’s hard to go wrong at Amy Brandwein’s all-day Italian café, tucked in downtown’s CityCenter development. But the 10-layer eggplant Parm with mozzarella, tomato, and basil makes a standout option for cold, snowy nights — especially when paired with a side order of braised meatballs. Both are baked in the wood-fired oven.

The brother-and-sister team of Peter and Jeanine Prime offer Trinidadian takeout in a refined rum shack-style restaurant on H Street NE. Customers will find African, Indian, and South American influences wrapped into a cuisine that deserves more recognition. Cane’s pepperpot, a rich stew traditionally enjoyed on Christmas, contains oxtails, brisket, and beef rib, all accented by warming spices. Jerk chicken, or tiffin boxes filled with a variety of curries are other smart choices.

As the name implies, Green Pig Bistro has a way with pork. Check out the French-American menu, especially the pork schnitzel and a cassoulet full of crispy pork belly, smoked pork shoulder, and duck sausage, served with toasted bread.