In my brown corduroy skirt and tan wool sweater, I felt I'd dressed too casually, when I dined here recently. The staff never made me feel uncomfortable, it was a quick look around the room that did it, for fellow female diners (of all ages) were dressed in lacey tops, short flouncy dresses, and fancy long skirts.

So put on your best duds for the 1789. The formal but cozy restaurant is housed in a Federal town house near Georgetown University. The best of the five intimate dining rooms is the John Carroll Room, where the walls are hung with equestrian and historical prints and old city maps, a log fire blazes in the hearth, and a gorgeous flower arrangement tops a hunting-themed oak sideboard. Throughout, silk-shaded brass oil lamps provide romantic lighting.

Noted chef Ris Lacoste varies her menus daily. Appetizers might include lobster tart on puffed pastry with mushrooms, leeks, and tarragon, or grilled quail with barley and mushrooms. Typical entrees range from osso buco with risotto Milanese, to ginger glazed sea scallops with pea shoots, mango, and curried pistachio rice, to roast rack of Colorado lamb with creamy feta potatoes au gratin in red-pepper-purée-infused Merlot sauce. Finish with the decadent hot fudge sundae.

The pretheater menu offered nightly through 6:45pm includes appetizer, entree, dessert, and coffee for $30.