Now there are, but not at the time the article was written. DC has had an amazing culinary renaissance, with Jose Andres leading the way, but at the time it was mostly noted for steak houses for lobbyists.
Even today, the immediate vicinity of the Capitol and office buildings is kinda weak on food. There's a nice set of restaurants on Pennsylvania Avenue, but the food trucks are all over at L'Enfant, and the real mass of restaurants require a trip to Penn Quarter/the-area-formerly-Chinatown-but-now-all-chains.
I do, however, highly recommend We The Pizza a few blocks away. Silly name, but really fantastic fancy-artisan-pizza by noted local chef Spike Mendelsohn.
Even today, the immediate vicinity of the Capitol and office buildings is kinda weak on food. There's a nice set of restaurants on Pennsylvania Avenue, but the food trucks are all over at L'Enfant, and the real mass of restaurants require a trip to Penn Quarter/the-area-formerly-Chinatown-but-now-all-chains.
I do, however, highly recommend We The Pizza a few blocks away. Silly name, but really fantastic fancy-artisan-pizza by noted local chef Spike Mendelsohn.