From a new tasting menu from a Michelin-starred chef to a truffle menu, here’s where to eat this winter.
Chef Danny Lledó creates an intimate culinary evening in his new 14-seat concept in Glover Park known as El Taller Del Xiquet
EL TALLER DEL XIQUET
Chef Danny Lledó, the visionary behind Washington, DC’s acclaimed Spanish restaurant Xiquet, recently unveiled a new dining concept within the Glover Park location. El Taller del Xiquet, meaning “Xiquet’s Workshop,” occupies the street-level space below his Michelin-starred fine dining establishment. Lledó says the restaurant offers guests a glimpse into his culinary journey and a chance to taste dishes as they evolve. “It’s not a tasting menu. Instead, I invite everyone to explore the menu and design the meal they crave.” The à la carte menu blends Lledó’s Valencian roots with modern American culinary creativity. With just 14 seats, the space offers an intimate setting for private dinners or communal gatherings with loved ones. 2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW,202.913.4671, eltallerdelxiquet.com
The new fall tasting menu at chef Ryan Ratino’s Jônt is impressive
JÔNT
Chef Ryan Ratino’s Jônt sits above his buzzy and excellent restaurant Bresca on 14th St. Both are exceptional (Jônt earned two Michelin stars, and Bresca one) but worlds apart in decor, decibels and execution. I slipped into Jônt this fall on a Friday evening to experience Ratino’s new tasting menu. It’s filled with little epiphanies from beginning to end. Standouts include Kue (from Nagasaki), a Japanese grouper with koji and caviar, and Sasanishiki rice with king crab, maitake mushrooms and truffle. Guests enjoy a dessert salon adjacent to the secluded dining room; the quiet space offers a confectionary escape with everything from vanilla madeleines to Earl Grey tarts served in a wooden case like crown jewels. 1904 14th St. NW,jontdc.com
Georgetown’s L’Avant- Garde offers a December tasting menu
L’AVANT-GARDE DECEMBER TRUFFLES MENU
During December, chef Sébastien Giannini offers a four-course truffle menu. The meal begins with crémeux à la truffle, a silky potato and celery soup elegantly topped with truffles. Next, the filet de boeuf Rossini features a tender filet mignon crowned with seared foie gras and aromatic truffle. Brie aux truffles follow, a creamy brie enhanced by the delicate earthiness of shaved truffles. The finale is a dish Giannini calls the Ultimate Chocolate Dessert, featuring chocolate on a dacquoise biscuit with citrus jam, mandarin jelly, roasted hazelnuts and milk chocolate mousse. 2915 M St. NW,202.652.1855,lavantgardedc.com
James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Rafidi recently opened a full-service evening restaurant in the Union Market District called Yellow
YELLOW
Since opening in July at Union Market, Yellow has established itself as a popular daytime destination with its za’atar croissants and woodfired pita sandwiches. Before Thanksgiving, James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Rafidi, known for Albi and La’ Shukran, took Yellow to new heights by transforming it into a full-service evening restaurant. The expanded concept showcases charcoal-grilled kebabs and a vibrant selection of mezze. 417 Morse St. NE.,yellowthecafe.com/hq-union-market
Photography by: SCOTT SUCHMAN; MICHAEL MCCARTHY; CHRISTA MACHADO; COURTESY OF YELLOW
