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Very Best Restaurants: Gabriel

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Gabriel **
Washington, $$

If you like roast suckling pig, you'll probably agree that chef Greggory Hill serves the best Sunday brunch in the area. Its $16.75, all-you-can-eat pricewhich includes as many glasses as you wish of a very good Catalonian sparkling winemakes it an outstanding value. But avoid overindulging in the tempting display of starches and Mediterranean vegetable dishes; after your first taste of golden-skinned piglet, you'll want seconds.

During the week, Gabriel offers a $9.95 lunchtime bargain by way of an all-you-can-eat tapas bar with a cook on duty preparing the hot dishes to order. Wednesday through Friday, the deal gets better when the price is lowered to $7.95 during the bar's 5-to-8-pm happy hour.

Before the splashy arrival of the new Cafe Atlantico, chef Hill already was offering his version of Modern Latin American cooking on Gabriel's set menu. Dishes such as shrimp paired with sweet-potato tamales or pupusas with seared scallops are delicious reworkings of traditional Central American standards. To accommodate diners with light appetites and those who want to assemble their own tasting menu, chef Hill offers many of his main courses in half portions.

Gabriel , 2121 P St. (Radisson Barcelo Hotel) NW, Washington; 202-956-6690. Open Sunday through Friday for lunch, Saturday for dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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