What Three D.C. Chefs With a Sea of Michelin Stars Served Last Night

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Welcome back to Eater Scenes, where photographer Rey Lopez captures a restaurant at a specific time and day. Here, Lopez visits Pineapple & Pearls for an annual Michelin charity dinner for two high-profile food banks.

Three of D.C.’s top restaurants joined forces in one kitchen on the eve of Michelin’s 2019 star announcement to make an elaborate nine-course feast, complete with caviar gummy bears and pours from pricey champagne magnums.

Wednesday night’s $650-per-person dinner at Capitol Hill’s Pineapple & Pearls featured hits from Patrick O’Connell (The Inn at Little Washington), Aaron Silverman (Pineapple & Pearls), and Jorge Hernandez (Minibar by José Andrés) — with seven stars between the power restaurant trio, as of Thursday’s 2019 D.C. Michelin Guide announcement. While Minibar by Jose Andres and Pineapple & Pearls held on to their two-star ratings for 2019, the 40-year-old Inn nestled in rural Washington, Va. attained Michelin’s highest accolade of three stars, signifying “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”

The Inn showcased its team’s talent with a daring dessert dubbed “Apparently a Pear” — a hand-painted fruit filled with poached pear compote and sauced with light amaretto cream. Michelin Guide director Michael Ellis, who was in attendance with his team, told Eater a standout bite that stuck in his mind was Pineapple & Pearls’ silver bowl of white sturgeon caviar, gummy bears, and sprinkles.

The event benefited DC Central Kitchen and Andrés’ nonprofit, World Central Kitchen, which prepared more than 3 million meals for Puerto Rico hurricane victims over the course of three months. He recounts the experience in his latest book, We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time.

Wednesday night’s charity dinner at Pineapple & Pearls had two staggered seatings, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Pineapple & Pearls’ chef Aaron Silverman (left) supporting his team.

Pineapple & Pearls was part of D.C.’s inaugural Michelin guide group, receiving two stars for the 2017 guide.

Minibar’s mixologists manned the bar, crafting hot and cold pisco sours.

Clog-wearing chefs showing off their colorful stemware.

Inn at Little Washington chef Patrick O’Connell donning his signature apron modeled after his Dalmatian’s black-and-white coat.

Minibar used the same signature hand sculptures that jut out of its wall to serve soy chicharron appetizers at Pineapple and Pearls.

Jorge Hernandez, chef at Minibar by José Andrés, with his Thinkfoodgroup staff.

Kyley McGeeney, who documents Michelin-starred restaurant experiences on her *Mission Michelin* blog, with GWU adjunct professor Michael Edwards.

Foie gras nigiri from Pineapple and Pearls.

Inn at Little Washington’s radish tartine.

High-end champagne pours from Krug and R. Dumont & Fils accented the menu.

Pineapple & Pearls’ foie gras nigiri getting its final touches.

Pernod and butter poached Alaskan halibut from The Inn at Little Washington. “[O’Connell’s] ability to interpret classic French dishes in a modern way is amazing,” says outgoing Michelin Guide director Michael Ellis.

Prep work at Pineapple and Pearls’ kitchen.

Pineapple & Pearls’ sister restaurant Rose’s Luxury is also a member of the Michelin family and maintained its one-star rating this year.

Here Are Washington DC’s Michelin Stars for 2019 [EDC]

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What Three D.C. Chefs With a Sea of Michelin Stars Served Last Night

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What Three D.C. Chefs With a Sea of Michelin Stars Served Last Night

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Pineapple and Pearls

Columbia Heights Hit Taqueria Habanero Expands to Edgewood Next Month

Bubbles and Buds Abound at D.C.’s Color-Soaked Uncaged Mimosas

Poolside Flora Flora Brings a Flurry of Latin Flavors to the Wharf

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Eater DC newsletter

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