Inside Washington, D.C.'s Red-Hot Dining Scene

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The nation’s capital has become a culinary hot spot in recent years, with top chefs from around the world making their marks on the city. As a result, D.C. is eating up all they have to offer and still wanting more. But it’s not only the celebrity chefs who dominate the food scene here; local favorites are also taking charge and keeping the district's food fanatics more than satisfied. Each chef has mastered individual skills, and with consistently fully booked reservations, they are at the top of their games. Here are six D.C. chefs who should be on your radar.
FABIO TRABOCCHI: FIOLA/CASA LUCA/FIOLA MARE



Fabio returned to Washington, D.C. after leaving New York City to open his first restaurant, Fiola, in 2011, and he's been receiving top accolades ever since. It's a modern, upscale trattoria that uses the freshest ingredients for its daily changing menus, and its extensive wine list includes bottles from Italy, Spain, France, and the United States. Casa Luca is Fabio and his wife Maria Trabocchi’s second restaurant, which uses traditional recipes of the Marche region of Italy. Like Fiola, Casa Luca has an excellent wine selection in addition to having wines on tap that are not available anywhere else and a cellar selection from Italy, Spain, and California.
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Fabio grew up on the Marche coast near the port city Ancona, where he was surrounded by seafood. Using this as inspiration, he opened Fiola Mare in February 2014. Like his flagship restaurant, Fiola Mare offers world-class hospitality and service complete with a one-of-a-kind view of the Potomac River. The new waterfront seafood restaurant features local and internationally sourced fish and shellfish prepared with elegant simplicity, reminiscent of dining on Mediterranean and Italian coasts.
FRANK RUTA: THE GRILL ROOM AT CAPELLA



Situated alongside the C&O Canal, dining in The Grill Room guarantees scenic views. The light-filled dining room offers a relaxing environment in which to enjoy the creations of chef Frank Ruta. The restaurant impresses with tableside preparations and a menu of fresh seafood and specialty hand-cut, bone-in meats. Ruta, who spent the beginning of his career working under legendary White House chefs Henry Haller and Hans Raffert, is no stranger to intimate dining, and the private dining space at The Grill Room offers the luxury of being directly in the center of all the action while remaining completely private. The restaurant also offers a unique assortment of rye whiskies, a Champagne trolley service, and crafted cocktails with hand-harvested ice.
AARON SILVERMAN: ROSE'S LUXURY



This restaurant is relatively new on the scene, yet has already reached legendary status. Because of its size, the restaurant does not accept reservations and is strictly on a first come, first serve basis, so you'll likely wait a while for a table. Young chef Aaron Silverman remains humble despite high praises and recognition by local and national publications, like being named 2014's Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appétit. With a menu described as eclectic New American tapas,Rose’s Luxury keeps the menu small with offerings such as grilled avocado with tomatillo, poblano, and cotija cheese; and whole wheat reginetti with kale and dandelion greens.
DANIEL BOULUD: DBGB KITCHEN AND BAR



DBGB, chef Daniel Boulud’s first DC restaurant, serves casual French-American cuisine and seasonal, Lyonnais-inspired cooking. The brasserie offers seven kinds of homemade sausages and two gourmet burgers, while the bar serves an assortment of craft beer, original cocktails, and a notable yet unimposing international wine selection.
JOSÉ ANDRÉS: AMERICA EATS TAVERN/CHINA CHILCANO



World-renowned chef José Andrés has practically taken over the local scene with his restaurants. His two latest openings are polar opposites. America Eats Tavern, which is located in the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, features local ingredients in classic American dishes. Andrés and the America Eats culinary team are dedicated to selecting the best food while celebrating regional flavors. The menu emphasizes meats, cheeses, and native seafood, along with other goods from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The second recent opening is China Chilcano, which is an interesting combination of culinary delights from Peru blended with Chinese Chifa and Japanese Nikkei. The bar inside features one of the finest selections of Pisco in the United States.
MICHAEL MINA: BOURBON STEAK DC

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Another internationally renowned chef to lay claim to D.C. is Michael Mina. Through his strategic partnership with the Four Seasons brand, Mina opened Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Washington, D.C. The steakhouse features Mina’s award-winning butter-poached meats, a selection of artisan cheeses, and desserts, as well as an endless wine and cocktail list. Bourbon Steak is the go-to for a juicy steak, but the chicken and seafood dishes are equally impressive.

Food Lover's Guide to San Juan

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With its Spanish, African, Taíno (Native American), and French influences, the food of Puerto Rico, or cocina criolla, has always been an adventure for the taste buds, one that utilizes the island’s natural gastronomic bounty. In the past few years, however, forward-thinking chefs have redefined the boundaries of their culinary traditions, merging new techniques with local flavors to ensuring that the traditional food of their land becomes neither lost nor stagnant. Below are just a few of the personalities and must-visit restaurants pushing the boundaries in San Juan, home to a thriving, dynamic culinary scene.
JOSÉ ENRIQUE



The off-the-beaten-path Plaza de Mercado, nicknamed “La Placita,” is relatively quiet during the day, as the activity centers on the bounty in its 100-year-old produce market. But in the evening, La Placita transforms into a festive nightlife destination, lively with revelers spilling out of the bars and restaurants and salsa-dancing in the streets. The outskirts are where you’ll find the eponymous restaurant (176 Calle Duffaut, Santurce; 787-725-3518) of José Enrique, the first Puerto Rican chef to be named a James Beard Award semifinalist. The convivial, casual atmosphere of the restaurant mirrors the party in the plaza. Reservations aren't accepted here, so come early or be prepared to wait. There are no set daily menus—Enrique’s elevated café criolla dishes are conceived on the fly and utilize whatever’s fresh that day, with many ingredients coming from the nearby mercado. You might find items like crab enveloped in a plantain mash, deboned yellowtail snapper topped with a papaya-avocado slaw, or pork-stomach stew. Be sure to try the house cocktail, a blend of coconut water, passion fruit, pineapple juice, and rum.
SANTAELLA



Self-taught José Santaella trained under chefs including Eric Ripert and Ferran Adrià before openingSantaella in La Placita in 2011. He twists traditional techniques in a sexy, acclaimed space centered around a tropical indoor garden. With a more upscale vibe than the nearby José Enrique, Santaella, which does take reservations, offers dishes like the fried-to-perfection rulos de morcillas (blood sausage in doughnut dough) or a cazuela de pulpo (octopus stew with chickpeas and chorizo). Grab a seat at the long, 16-seat bar and let the mixologist create a custom drink to fit your tastes. You won’t be disappointed.
MARMALADE

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After a day of sightseeing, step off an Old San Juan cobblestone street and into this gem from chef Peter Schintler, Iowa native and alum of Le Cirque. In his bold and colorful Marmalade, you’ll find an equally rich menu with items like a succulent shrimp escabèche with popcorn and tequila, or pork cheeks on a bed of barbequed black bean puree. Marmalade is also a destination for vegetarians—rare in the meat- and seafood-laden fare of Puerto Rico. Here’s where you’ll find carpaccio-style beets with goat cheese and a grapefruit and almond vinaigrette, and four- to six-course vegetarian tasting menus with many vegan options, in honor of Schintler's veggie-loving wife, Henriett.
CHEF ROBERTO TREVIÑO



The affable mug of the California-born Roberto Treviño may be familiar to fans of Iron Chef: America and The Next Iron Chef. This chef of Mexican descent moved to Puerto Rico in the 1990s and immediately immersed himself in the culture, opening up several restaurants dedicated to advancing the flavors of the native cuisine. At the posh and romantic Budatai in Condado you'll find a Latin-Asian fusion with dishes like pork loin with Chinese black bean sauce and pork dumplingguisados, while at Casa Lola, also in the Condado area, you'll get the more traditional Boricua flavors. Treviño’s upcoming restaurant, Chicharrón, in the middle of La Placita, has an entire menu dedicated to the delectable deep-fried pork rinds, which he once called the "the culinary bling of Puerto Rico." They’re also perfect for soaking up a night of partying.
THE CONDADO DISTRICT



Beyond Roberto Treviño's Budatai and Casa Lola, San Juan’s Condado District offers additional restaurant destinations, along with oceanfront views and fashionable shopping. On the casual end you’ll find the minimalist and hip Parcela Gastropub (1135 Ashford Ave., 787-728-9876), the most well-known of the growing gastropub scene in San Juan. Stop here for a beer or a cocktail, like the rum- and smoke-infused “Smokey Pirate,” and some of their house-cured charcuterie. Down the road in the Condado Plaza Hilton, you’ll find Pikayo, by revered chef Wilo Benet, who is considered a pioneer of the new Puerto Rican culinary scene. At another hotel, the Condado Vanderbilt, you'll find 1919, helmed by Juan José Cuevas, a native and a veteran of the now-closed, Michelin-starred El Raco de Can Fabes in Barcelona. At 1919 you'll find traditional with a fine-dining flair and a menu also served as a four-course tasting menu.
LA FACTORÍA



As you’re tooling around Old San Juan, be sure to pause on the corner of San Sebastián and San José. There, an unmarked terra cotta building houses La Factoría (formerly Hijos de Borinquen, which you’ll also see stenciled on the walls), San Juan’s foremost mixology bar. Here you’ll find young professionals and artists mingling in the rustic surroundings, which, with its coiffed bartenders and house-made bitters, could easily be transplanted from Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Go for chalkboard-special cocktails like the “Get Lucky Mule” (gin, house-made passion fruit, and ginger soda) or opt for a bartender’s choice. If you come up against a wooden door, don’t hesitate to push through to the speakeasy-esque wine bar Vino for a truly unique experience.
CAFÉ DON RUIZ

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Even though coffee is a staple of the Puerto Rican diet—the climate and volcanic soil contribute to particularly flavorful beans—it was not until the mid-2000s that barista-fronted coffee shops were introduced, spurred by the opening of the Escuela de Café y Baristas. Today you can find a few artisan coffee shops in San Juan serving 100% Puerto Rican coffee. Stop by Café Don Ruiz, opened in 2013 and owned by a family trading in the coffee business since the 1960s. The coffee shop serves their own products, which are grown, handpicked, and roasted on their farm in the mountainous city of Yauco, 3,000 feet above sea level. While sipping on a traditional cortado and eating local pastries, don’t forget to check out the antique machinery in the back—the shop doubles as a museum.