100 Very Best 2017
100 Very Best 2019An elevator descends into a firelit salon, where cocktails and snacks set a warm, welcoming tone from consummate hosts Eric Ziebold and Célia Laurent. A seven-course tasting progresses in a minimalist dining room where Ziebold’s precise cooking shows off his latest garden harvest and first-name relationships with purveyors. Many dishes weave the chef’s classic French training with his Midwestern roots. A recent meal started with a take on deviled eggs, elevated into a mousse-like bavarois and topped with caviar, and ended with warm chocolate crinkle cookies and miniature milkshakes. Among the thoughtful sendoffs: an edible gift, such as a pumpkin vinaigrette, and a handwritten thank-you note. Very expensive.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
