Good news for the District dining scene: Two DC restaurants are nominees on Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants list. The national roundup of “trendsetting” eateries will be narrowed down come August 14 to the Hot 10 list and BA Foodist Andrew Knowlton’s pick for the best new restaurant in America.
Without further ado, the two Washington contenders are Daikaya’s split-level ramen shop and izakaya, and Frederik de Pue’s European-inspired Shaw spot, Table. The first mini review for Daikaya starts with the usual backhanded compliment to the Washington food scene. (“If you think DC’s dining scene begins and ends with men in suits power-lunching . . .”) Still, Knowlton finds plenty to praise at both restaurants, including the barley-miso ramen and beef tongue yakitori from chef Katsuya Fukushima’s kitchen, and the Fracophile fare in an “über-stylish” setting at Table, such as bouillabaisse and duck rillettes.
The Bon Appétit nominations are one of many national accolades for Washington restaurants of late. Esquire included six Washington bars on its Best Bars in America list; Mintwood Place landed among Condé Nast Traveler’s Best New Restaurants 2013; and GQ food writer Alan Richman named several local dishes in his 50 Best Things to Eat and Drink Right Now roundup. Stay tuned to find out whether our top two eateries make it into the finals next week.
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.
