Southwest DC
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Afro-Caribbean
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Kwame Onwuachi is best known as a chef, but he deserves equal billing as a storyteller. And like any great novel, his new restaurant at the Salamander hotel is something we can’t wait to return to. Dōgon pays tribute to Benjamin Banneker, the Black astronomer who helped map DC more than two centuries ago and whose family had roots in the restaurant’s namesake West African tribe. And so the sultry dining room’s menu weaves together the cultures of West Africa and DC, plus the Caribbean. That translates to dishes like hoe crab—buttery blue crab with tiny plantain hoecakes and a creamy green sauce inspired by our city’s Peruvian chicken joints. A family-style platter of Wagyu short ribs pays homage to Korean barbecue. But really, this is all Onwuachi’s vision—and it’s some of the most exciting food we’ve eaten all year.
Price
Based on dinner for two, including tax and 20-percent tip:
Expensive: $201 to $299
Locations
1330 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC, 20024