If she can make it, she won't buy it. This is the food philosophy of Sabrina Tinsley, executive chef and co-founder of La Spiga Osteria, located in the historic Piston and Ring building on Capitol Hill. Tinsley and her husband, Pietro Borghesi, had the former auto body shop transformed into a magnificent dining space, boasting gorgeous woodwork with a hip but welcoming atmosphere.

"I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where I got my start in culinary arts," said Tinsley. "My mom was a gardener, and we lived a farm-to-table experience back before the term was even coined."