Michelin Teases Out Four D.C. Additions to Its Upcoming Guide

Michelin, the world’s oldest and most recognizable restaurant guide, is teasing its forthcoming edition with four new additions from the D.C. area, but the buzzy guide stopped short of saying whether the restaurants will receive Michelin stars or value-driven Bib Gourmand status. The guide won’t drop that information until next year.

Here’s what the guide’s anonymous inspectors added:

• Bammy’s, Navy Yard’s Caribbean spot from Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison (who both came from another Michelin-starred restaurant, Maydan). Inspectors applauded its red snapper escovitch as a “highpoint—perfectly tart from the marinade that permeated its crisp skin.”
• Dauphine’s, Logan Circle’s New Orleans-themed restaurant with Kristen Essig helming the kitchen. Inspectors noted the blackened soft shell crab and described Essig as having “immense skill.”
• Moon Rabbit, Kevin Tien’s Vietnamese restaurant at The Wharf. Michelin inspectors loved the “show-stopping lemongrass pork blade, which could feed an army, thanks to a forest of lettuce wraps, fresh herbs, crispy scallions pancakes, and house-made sauces.”
• Oyster Oyster, the Shaw vegetarian restaurant from Rob Rubba. His roasted lion’s mane mushroom with spring onion mole and black eye peas is a combo the inspectors crave.

Announcing new additions throughout the year marks a sharp turn from the red book’s former annual reveal. It’s an attempt at making the guide more relevant. Another step towards relevancy is including cuisines that aren’t European, as seen in this line-up.

“By revealing some of the new additions made by our inspectors throughout the year, we enhance our digital tools to further strengthen the ties that bind us to food lovers,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said in a November press release. “As the restaurant industry continues to face unprecedented challenges and uncertainties, we hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them.”

In April, Michelin Guide released its first updated group of restaurant recommendations in D.C. since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Five D.C. restaurants got their first stars, joining the elite crop of restaurants the French tire company deems worthy of a visit, and six newcomers were added to its local Bib Gourmand list.

To be eligible for a Bib Gourmand, a restaurant must offer a full menu of a starter, main course, and dessert. Winners must be able to offer two courses and either a glass of wine or dessert for around $40 before tax and tip.

Tierney Plumb contributed to this report

• New Additions to MICHELIN Guide Washington, DC [Michelin]
• Michelin Unexpectedly Adds Yellow Rose and Five Other Restaurants to New York Guide [Eater NY]
• We’re Getting Rid of Starred Restaurant Reviews at Eater [Eater.com]
• Michelin Releases D.C. List of Bib Gourmand Winners With Six New Picks for 2021 [EDC]
• Michelin Reveals 2021 Stars for D.C. Restaurants That Navigated Pandemic-Era Dining [EDC]