D.C.’s 38 Best Restaurants | Eater DC

"The 2024 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Chef Michael Rafidi manipulates smoke with a master’s touch, sending out dishes from the wood-burning hearth at his recently renovated, high-end Palestinian restaurant that have a way of commanding a diner’s full attention. The Maryland native’s tweaks dishes to incorporate peak produce — see the crab hummus decorated with sunflower shoots — but the snack-sized lamb meat pies with toum and lemon should never go out of style. Cocktails, desserts, and a lengthy wine list full of hard-to-find Eastern Mediterranean labels all rise to the occasion. An a la carte menu joins a new five-course “Sofra” menu ($145) that’s a surprise on the plate every night, plus $65-$95 beverage pairings. For something more affordable, head to sibling cafe Yellow, which expanded to Georgetown with fiery pies at night, and added a Union Market locale with lively Levantine bar La’ Shukran up top. Best for: Date night, larger groups, an arak cocktail, and everything in between" - Tierney Plumb