Michelin Dining In DC: Roadtrip For Food

I already knew Washington DC had a wealth of excellent restaurants and had tried several. But just a few days prior to our DC trip, my wife found the Michelin guide to DC. A trip had been planned weeks before to take three days to enjoy the capital city. The guide added inspiration for Michelin dining in DC.

Our first stop was Sushi Taro, a one-star rated restaurant. Hidden on the second floor above a CVS drug store, this was not the type of place one expects to find a sushi restaurant in the US. In Japan, it would be normal to see a sushi restaurant in a building with different businesses, but in America, not typical.

We went to Taro for lunch expecting great sushi. What we found was different than our expectations. My wife ordered the sushi sampler of the day and I the bento box. We both ordered miso soup that was hot and flavorful.

With the soup came a  side of pickled veggies was not too acidic. I thought it was a good as any pickled veggies I’ve had in Japan.

While the sushi was good, we have had much better at Azumi in Baltimore. I was quite pleased with my bento box with its shrimp tempura, fried chicken, and a small sample of sushi.

The salmon sushi was the winner, with the yellowtail coming at a close second. On my wife’s sushi sampler the tuna seemed washed out and not as firm as it should have been.

Dinner was at Morrison-Clark Historic Inn and Restaurant, a non-Michelin meal. The dining room was sparsely populated due to it being August. In case you aren’t aware, DC in August is a great time to grab hotel discounts up to 40% off.

We snagged a room at Morrison-Clark for just over $100. Dinner turned out to be quite good. The butter lettuce, hearts of palm salad was fortified with black beans, feta, roasted corn, and dressed with a sweet garlic vinaigrette. The salad was so good and fresh I’d go back just to have it again. The ample sized pan roasted chicken breast came with wild rice and asparagus making for a hunger-busting entrée.

Dessert was a lovely blackberry shortbread. The best part about the dessert was the rich shortbread made in-house, think fluffy sweet buttermilk biscuit. The berries were bursting with tart berry goodness, and the whipped cream smoothed the tart flavors with sweet silkiness.

Back on the food trail the next day, we headed to the Blue Duck Tavern in the Hyatt Hotel. This one-star eatery held great promise for an over-the-top brunch. The weather was unexpectedly gorgeous for August in DC. The outside tables were packed and most of the indoor dining room as well.

My wife ordered the chicken biscuit, and I the potato waffle with duck confit. The menu said nothing about the duck waffle coming topped with powdered sugar, and I found it odd and virtually inedible. Now many would be okay with this dusting of sugar, but not me. My wife swapped her chicken biscuit with me, and I enjoyed the southern-fried specialty immensely.

After lunch, we headed to the Washington Harbor area in Georgetown for a place to walk-off brunch. The harbor was bustling with throngs of locals enjoying the unusually dry air and 82-degree temperature. Outdoor restaurants were mostly full, and dozens of boats were tied up nearby or motoring about on the Potomac River. This is one cool place on a good-weather day!

Next on our Michelin dining was Rose’s Luxury on Barracks Row. We cued up with the rest of the crowd hoping for a good table in this no-reservations restaurant. We hope getting there one hour ahead of time would be sufficient, but one look at the line told us we might be late for supper.

It turned out well, and we were happily seated in the first seating. I enjoyed being able to be close to the kitchen and watch this talented crew prepare our meal. A house made English muffin with clotted cream and orange marmalade was an excellent way to get the party started. Next, the lychee salad with pork sausage, habanero, and peanuts was delicious. The habanero is used judiciously and didn’t melt my mouth.

Next up was the grilled cucumber, a dish I was hesitant to order thinking who would cook a cuke? But my fears dissolved as we powered through this excellent starter served in a bowl with four slices of cucumber topped with yogurt and anchovy. It turns out that cooked cukes can be quite good thanks to the geniuses at Rose’s.

Entrees for the evening were the rigatoni ala vodka and bbq pork ribs. Both went well with our BYOB bottle of Red Schooner wine. The dish came with a bright green layer of scallions on top adding both color and flavor.

I could have eaten another order the sticky and saltiness tempting my brain to overeat. But the pasta, starters, and ribs would have to do if dessert was to be ordered.

The mini chocolate cake was gorgeous and irresistible. Topped with blue cheese, cherries, and almonds made for an excellent finish for the evening. We agreed Roses Luxury was the best of ur DC Michelin dining adventure and truly deserved their one-star rating.

For the last day of Michelin dining in DC, we stopped at Paul to change things up. Paul is a French chain serving up excellent baked goods, breakfast, and lunch. We love their croissants, palmiers, quiche, and salads.

It wasn’t Michelin dining, but the food quality was top notch. Try one of their three DC locations if you get a chance. After all, it might be a bit much to eat only at Michelin rated restaurants.