In case you aren’t familiar, the New York Times (NYT) releases a list of its favorite restaurants annually that breaks down what they consider to be the 50 best eateries in the United States!
Featured on that list just so happens to be three spots from the DMV area; two new spots from the District and another new spot from Vienna, Va!
Here are the new spots featured, some of which might look familiar since they were added to the local Michelin Guide book back in June of this year:
Moon Rabbit in Penn Quarter
Moon Rabbit and its Chef, Kevin Tien, have been on an unstoppable run of media attention since it opened at its current location in January, 2024!
The restaurant landed itself on the local Michelin Guide back in June and has continued to be the talk of the town since.
Aside from being on Michelin’s Radar, this modern Vietnamese eatery also caught eye of the NYT, earning them one of the highly sought after title of one of their 50 favorite places to eat in the nation.
Location: 927 F St NW
Pascual in Capitol Hill
One of the most recent additions to the local Michelin Guide, this incredible Mexican restaurant in the northern area of the Capitol Hill neighborhood opened up back in February of this year and is already warranted as some of the best Mexican cuisine in the District!
Named after San Pascual, which is Mexico’s patron saint of cooking, the restaurant’s menu featured truly authentic dishes using high quality ingredients prepared using traditional techniques.
While the heavy hitters of the spot’s menu feature many of those classic Mecican streetfood items, the atmosphere of the space and presentation of the dishes elevates Mexican food without losing the spirit of what makes these dishes so enjoyable.
In short, we are in complete agreement over the NYT’s assessment that Pascual is one of the best restaurants in the country!
Location: 732 Maryland Ave NE
Joon in Vienna, Virginia
This incredible spot is a creation of renowned Persian cuisine authority, Najmieh Batmanglij, and DC’s Michelin-Starred Chef, Christopher Morgan, that was opened in June 2023 (after last year’s NYT best restaurant list was made).
Since then, this Iranian restaurant has established itself as one of the top restaurants in nation with its incredible atmosphere and flavor.
Joon showcases Iran’s diverse range of cuisine while incorporating modern and western elements to elevate and evolve traditional dishes without sacrificing what makes them authentic.
Location: 8045 Leesburg Pike suite 120, Vienna, VA