Era Wine Bar is the latest restaurant on the Route 1 corridor to get rave reviews from D.C.’s restaurant critics.

In a write-up of his favorite places to eat right now, Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema writes that the recently opened Mount Rainier wine bar at 3300 Rhode Island Ave. features “a menu that highlights the spice route of yore.”

Among the dishes he singles out for mention are samosas brought over from Swahili Village in Beltsville; cheese and charcuterie plates; a Moroccan chicken tagine; and a stew made with chickpeas, crushed tomatoes and slivered garlic infused with smoked paprika:

“Visitors will find 45 wines by the glass and a global roster of dishes (tandoori wings, lamb sliders) in what was once a sewing machine factory. Grant says she was aiming for “old-world characteristics and new-world charm” in the 60-seat dining room, which is outfitted with comfortable leather chairs, broad marble tables, Mexican tiles and clay wine pots from the former Soviet republic of Georgia.”

The piece notes that owners Michelle and Ka-ton Grant developed the menu from their travels around the world and from their own family recipes, including dishes from Zambia, all paired with wines from small producers “beyond the usual regions.”

The story is just the latest piece to highlight the Route 1 corridor as a destination for D.C.-area food-lovers looking to try something new, as the area has become a foodie haven.

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