2 DC Restaurants Among Best In The Country, Food & Wine Says

WASHINGTON, DC — Two Washington, D.C. restaurants are among the 20 best restaurants in the country, Food & Wine announced this week.

The publication said the list recognizes not only flavorful cuisine but also ambiance, hospitality and overall presentation. The list, picked by a panel of food and travel journalists, technically includes 21 restaurants with a bonus “Plus One” pick.

Among the Washington, D.C. restaurants cited are:

Daru: Food & Wine says, “Since opening in August 2021, chef Suresh Sundas’s inventive Indian restaurant has been one of the District’s most talked about dining destinations. Here, Sundas takes familiar dishes from his homeland and adds unpredictable details that forces diners to see them anew.”

Yellow: Food & Wine says, “At Yellow, Palestinian-American chef Michael Rafidi (who also operates the Michelin-starred Albi and is a James Beard Award semifinalist) marries Middle Eastern flavors with French pastry techniques… . The menu is casual and comforting, with many offerings from Rafidi's childhood, including mezze, hummus, and pita sandwiches that are wood-fired to order.”

From a farm-to-table experience in coastal Maine, to a former Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year in Nashville, to a Michelin-starred Indian dining destination in the nation’s capital, the list celebrates the best of the country's culinary offerings, Food & Wine said.

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Here’s the full list:

1. Anajak Thai, Los Angeles
2. Aragosta, Deer Isle, Maine
3. Semma, New York City
4. Birdie’s, Austin, Texas
5. Kasama, Chicago
6. Damian, Los Angeles
7. Chubby Fish, Charleston, South Carolina
8. Daru, Washington, D.C.
9. Bell’s, Los Alamos, California
10. Kann, Portland, Oregon
11. Locust, Nashville
12. Naro, New York City
13. Leah and Louise, Charlotte, North Carolina
14. March, Houston, Texas
15. Maty’s, Miami
16. Kin, Boise, Idaho
17. Nixta Taqueria, Austin, Texas
18. Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
19. Tatiana, New York City
20. Mosquito Supper Club, New Orleans
21. Yellow, Washington, D.C. (Plus One)