Medium Rare

Medium Rare does one thing, and does it well - steak and fries.  Its not the greatest steak in town, not by any stretch, but its very good, the fries are awesome, the salad is excellent, the sauce awesome, and the slices of hot bread crispy enough that the Madeline-adoring francophile ChaseKBH is happy.  Downside is the lack of a valet, though it's right by a Red Line metro station, and is a easy (as in 30-45 minutes depending on traffic) drive from Columbia as its in Cleveland Park.   Met friends there to celebrate new careers, brought the kids, drank a terrible sparking Loire that tasted like carbonated apple juice, and a very nice Fitou, though I liked the Washington Cab we had the time before better.  It's loud, casual, and they do a kid's portion of the menu, and have fun (though not terribly clever) desserts.  In other words, we can take the rugrats without the stares of death.