Michelin awards two new stars for D.C.
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Pineapple & Pearls retained two stars. Photo: Scott Suchman/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Michelin just announced two new starred restaurants for D.C., plus a few notable changes in the exclusive rankings.
New one-star winners are:
- Causa, chef Carlos Delgado's Peruvian tasting counter and pisco haunt in Shaw's Blagden Alley.
- Rania, a luxe Indian spot downtown D.C.
Yes, but: One D.C. restaurant lost its star: Penn Quarter's Spanish-kaiseki Cranes from chef Pepe Moncayo.
- No restaurants moved up the star rankings.
Between the lines: One-star Reverie remained on the list, even after a year-plus closure due to a destructive fire. Chef Johnny Spero just earned his first star last year.
- Sushi Taro, the only open restaurant to lose a star last year, didn't get back on the list.
As always: Virginia's Inn at Little Washington continues to be the only Michelin-rated restaurant outside the District — living up to Michelin's "worth a special journey" three stars.
Meanwhile, Michelin recently surprise-revealed two new D.C. Bib Gourmands — an award for restaurants that "offer a meal of good quality at a good value." Mt. Pleasant taqueria La Tejana and wood-fired pita café Yellow Georgetown snagged the honors.
- The Bib Gourmand list, previously 34 restaurants, was trimmed down to 29. Restaurants that dropped included Fancy Radish (now closed), Federalist Pig, and Jaleo.
Zoom in: Michelin introduced "special awards" last year, and they've added more categories. This year's D.C. wins include Daniel Todd of The Dabney for Exceptional Cocktails, Sarah Thompson of Queen's English for Sommelier of the Year, Bresca's Ryan Ratino for Young Chef of the Year, and Fiola GM Giuseppe Formica for Outstanding Service.
Zoom out: It's an expansion and consolidation year for the tire company. Michelin North America just launched an Atlanta guide. Also new, they combined tonight's star announcement for D.C., New York, and Chicago into one big ceremony.
- Of the three cities, D.C. went home with the fewest awards (womp womp) — just two new one-stars and two Bibs, and no new special green stars for sustainability.
What they're saying: As emcee and "Man vs. Food" host Adam Richman said, "It's hard to believe this all began as a way to sell more tires."
Here are the 2023 Michelin stars for D.C.
Three stars: The Inn at Little Washington (Washington, VA)
Two stars: Jônt (14th Street Corridor) Minibar (Penn Quarter) Pineapple and Pearls (Capitol Hill)
One star:
Albi (Navy Yard), Bresca (14th Street Corridor), The Dabney (Blagden Alley), El Cielo (Union Market District), Fiola (Penn Quarter), Gravitas (Ivy City), Imperfecto: the Chef's Table (West End), Kinship (Shaw), Little Pearl (Capitol Hill), Masseria (Union Market District), Maydan (14th Street Corridor), Metier (Shaw), Oyster Oyster (Shaw), Reverie (Georgetown), Rooster & Owl (14th Street Corridor), Rose's Luxury (Capitol Hill), Sushi Nakazawa (Downtown D.C.), Tail Up Goat (Adams Morgan), Xiquet (Glover Park).