A dish from Aaron Silverman’s Pineapple & Pearls, which was awarded two stars by the Michelin guide. (Photo by LaTur)
The Michelin Guide hysteria, which started last week with the roll out of the Bib Gourmand best value picks, has reached full boil in D.C. The venerable dining guide today announced that 12 restaurants earned stars.
While no restaurant snagged the coveted three-star rating, three earned two stars (which the guide defines as “excellent cuisine, worth a detour”) and nine reeled in one star (“a very good restaurant in its category”.) Here is a run-down of the winners, and what to know about them.
Three stars:
Womp, womp. D.C. missed out on Michelin’s highest honor (for this year, at least).
2 stars (splurges and over-the-top fine-dining)
These winners aren’t surprising, and if anything, most in the industry thought they represented D.C.’s best shot at three stars. Booking a table at these spots was already tough (and expensive) and that’s not going to change now.
José Andrés’ inventive kitchen had a good shot at three stars, but alas, it was not to be. A meal here is not cheap. Dinner options start at $275 a person not including any drinks, tax, or tip.
This restaurant from Aaron Silverman, the owner and chef of Rose’s Luxury, made noise when it opened, charging a $250 per person fee inclusive of food, drinks, tax, and gratuity. Getting a table is tough, as it’s notably closed Saturday through Monday.
So what if this place is a 90-minute drive from D.C. proper? The dining inspectors were obviously wowed enough at the experience to bend their rule of only including restaurants inside the city limits.
One star (aka, places you can probably actually afford to eat):
Blue Duck Tavern
Is it wrong to go to a Michelin starred restaurant for the French fries? The hand-cut version here is light, fluffy, and so snackable. The entire menu embraces farm-to-table sourcing and seasonal ingredients.
The Dabney was named one of Bon Appétit’s top new restaurants of the year for 2016, recognized for its mid-Atlantic fare and wood-burning cooking.
In a bit of a surprise, the classy Italian spot beat out its seafood-focused sister restaurant, Fiola Mare, on the Georgetown waterfront.
Chef Eric Ziebold closed the much-acclaimed CityZen restaurant in 2014. He opened Kinship this past winter and clearly hasn’t missed a beat.
Masseria is one of DCist’s favorite places for noodles in the region. It’s also churning out some of the city’s finest Italian fare, joining Fiola on the Michelin starred list. The tasting menu varies in size and price, and the patio is a wonderful spot for cocktails.
Located inside the Jefferson Hotel (arguably one of the city’s most posh places to stay), plume boasts a fine dining menu and wine list with more than 1,300 bottles to choose from. Interestingly, it also has a bottle of Madeira from 1720.
Before there was Pineapple & Pearls, there was Rose’s Luxury. And the lines still stretch down the block for its colorful, tasty dishes.
The lone sushi spot on the starred list has long been hailed as a D.C. go-to.
Adams Morgan gets a starred restaurant, adding credence to its dining renaissance. Tail Up Goat was also recognized by Bon Appétit. Among the menu items are a selection of breads, pastas and creative cocktails. Check out our First Look from February.
Snubs: Marcel’s, Komi, Fiola Mare, Little Serow, Rasika
