USA – Culinary experiences at renowned and award-winning restaurants
Step into a world of culinary excellence (think: Michelin stars, James Beard Awards and DC’s local RAMMY awards) at these accolade-accruing eateries in the nation’s capital. For roving gastronomes and traveling foodies, it’s time to reserve a table in Washington, DC to experience exquisite flavors, masterful craftsmanship and innovative techniques.

MITA
At MITA in Shaw, Chefs Tatiana Mora and Miguel Guerra have made history with their first Michelin star: Mora is the first Venezuelan female chef to achieve the honor while Guerra is the youngest Venezuelan chef to do so. The duo’s vegetable-forward tasting menus approach each ingredient with reverence and a little magic. While diners may recognize Latin favorites like arepas and mole, they may encounter less familiar ingredients like arracacha (Andean root vegetable), chontaduro (Amazonian palm fruit) or cachaça (a Brazilian spirit made from sugarcane). Even the familiar is reimagined, such as the chicharrónes made from wild rice.

Omakase @ Barracks Row
DC diners may have enjoyed a delicately plated dish from Chef Yi “Ricky” Wang at Sushi Nakazawa or at minibar by José Andrés. Now, fans have the chance to try the chef’s Michelin-starred menu at Capitol Hill sushi bar Omakase @ Barracks Row. The carefully curated blend of contemporary and classic means communal seating and twenty courses of otsumami (snacking plates) and nigiri.
Oyster Oyster
The first restaurant in DC to be awarded a Michelin green star for its outstanding sustainability efforts, Oyster Oyster takes vegetable-first dining to the next level. Seasonal menus feature ingredients from local farms that share the restaurant’s ethos, as well as environmentally beneficial oysters from the Chesapeake Bay. Even the mushrooms are locally foraged. You can find this gem in the Shaw neighborhood.

Albi
Chef Michael Rafidi pours his heart into his Navy Yard restaurant. That’s no joke, either; Albi literally means “heart” in Arabic, a nod to the chef’s Levantine roots that matches his signature mix of mezze plates and mashawi, dishes cooked over an open flame. Savor Mediterranean staples with a twist, like a saccharine fattoush with pear and cucumber or the sumac bok choy with honey, whipped feta and smoked peanut harissa. Entrees bend the mind, such as the lump crab tabouli bolstering the barbecued black bass, or the fire-kissed loin and smoked belly lamb kebabs.
As if you needed more convincing, Chef Rafidi was honored with the 2024 Outstanding Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation.

Perry’s Restaurant
Perry’s in Adams Morgan has long been a fan-favorite for its community-minded drag brunches, its idyllic yet low-key rooftop and its killer Japanese menu. Yet, in 2022, Chef Masako Morishita began authoring an exciting new chapter in the restaurant’s forty-year story. The first Japanese woman to helm the kitchen, Morishita has refreshed the menu to reflect her adventurous brand of “modern comfort food,” including parmesan-topped edamame dumplings, shrimp katsu burgers on potato buns (held together by pink flamingo cocktail picks), udon carbonara and a special Japanese breakfast service.
Morishita’s vision was recognized on a new level when she was awarded two of the most prestigious endorsements a culinary up-and-comer can receive – first, the honor of Emerging Chef at the James Beard Awards, and second, Rising Culinary Star of the Year at the RAMMYs, the prestigious culinary awards granted annually by the DC region’s restaurant association.
