How to Spend a Big Weekend in Washington, D.C.
Whenever I travel, I seek out Black-owned businesses—especially in our nation’s capital. Affectionately known as Chocolate City in the Black community, it was America’s first majority Black city, an epicenter for intellectuals, artists, and entrepreneurs. Despite facing adversity, from the civil rights era to recent trends in gentrification, Black people continue to make D.C. a hub for innovation—particularly through food. Throughout the years, these restaurants have become sacred spaces. They have not only broken ground by introducing the city to new flavors, techniques, and traditions but have also nourished the next generation. Thanks to influences from the African diaspora and a new class of Black culinary leaders, you can get a classic Eritrean breakfast with tangy injera alongside creative Afro-Caribbean dishes that live up to the hype.
As a Black editor, I struggle with publishing a travel guide about a community undergoing intense transformation for an audience that might be contributing to it. Gentrification is complicated—it’s neither wholly positive nor wholly negative—and within that context, it’s important to consider the Black community that has been here the whole time. These places are pillars of the community and keep this city a dynamic, delicious place to eat. Washington, D.C., may be the nation’s capital, but Chocolate City is the country’s soul.
Photo by Kelly Marshall1/9The Hot Dog Institution Every Celeb Hits Up
No trip to D.C. is complete without a visit to the original Ben’s Chili Bowl. Everyone from the Obamas to the late Anthony Bourdain has dug into the Cardozo outpost’s comforting chili dogs and juicy half-smokes (pork and beef sausages). Founded in 1958 by Ben and Virginia Ali, Ben’s has long been a refuge for activists and Black folks, especially during segregation and the peak of the D.C. race riots following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Through it all, the Alis still fuel the resistance with warm bowls of their iconic beef chili, a family recipe from Ben’s Trinidadian father.
Photo by Kelly Marshall2/9The Restaurant That Doubles as a Museum Exhibition
Chef Jerome Grant views Sweet Home Café as an extension of the building that houses it: the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. “It’s comfort,” he says, designed to nourish the body and soul after taking in the somber galleries. He worked with curators to give historical depth to the menu and asked the museum staff for their own family recipes; together the café reflects the beauty, resilience, and food of the African American diaspora. That means buttery mac and cheese, smoky collard greens, and chicken that’s buttermilk-brined, dusted with seasoned flour, and fried to crunchy perfection.
Photo by Kelly Marshall3/9The Big Night Out
Slip on your favorite outfit and come with a group to try all of the beautiful dishes at Kith/Kin, chef and 2019 James Beard Award winner Kwame Onwuachi’s sleek Afro-Caribbean restaurant along the Wharf. The menu changes often, so get these if you see them: creamy crab with sweet plantain chips, melt-in-your-mouth mushroom patties, and jollof rice with big buttery hunks of Maryland blue crab. But the thing that never leaves the menu—and that you must order—is the jerk chicken, painted with Onwuachi’s spicy jerk paste and accompanied with tamarind jam to balance the heat.
Photo by SCOTT SUCHMAN4/9The West African Hangout
Catch me on the weekends at Bukom Cafe in Adams Morgan, dancing late into the night to live music, fueled by fun cocktails (get the rum-forward Mango Lane) and vibrant West African staples. Before you hit the dance floor, order the essentials, like the ecowas okra soup: stewed okra with whiting cooked in earthy palm oil (a staple of the West African pantry) and served with fufu, a fluffy mashed starch (like cassava or yam). Get the slightly caramelized and totally delightful fried plantains. Then sink into the egusi, tender goat braised in a broth thickened with melon seeds (known as egusi, hence the soup’s name), with hearty pounded yams.
Photo by Kelly Marshall5/9The Hyped Soul Food Joint
There will always be a line out the door of Oohh’s & Aahh’s, but don’t let that deter you. This beloved soul food spot in Cardozo is packed for a reason: It’s like the best family cookout, with trap music booming on the speakers and expertly fried fish and chicken on the tables. The restaurant grew out of chef-owner Oji Abbott’s late-night cooking sessions when he was in culinary school. The move here is to get the fried shrimp sprinkled with Abbott’s paprika-flecked spice blend and served with textbook-perfect fries.
Photo by Kelly Marshall6/9The Trinidadian Gem
The first piece of advice I got at Cane on H Street was, “You can’t order just one!” And you should take heed because chef Peter Prime’s Trinidadian food is fire. I couldn’t get enough of the traditional doubles, flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and topped with tamarind chutney and pineapple chow (raw chunks tossed in garlic and hot peppers). And I couldn’t stop myself from inhaling the pepperpot inspired by his mother: fall-off-the-bone-tender oxtail, brisket, and beef stewed in bittersweet cassareep, the thick black juice of cassava root and the bedrock of all pepperpots. Sitting in the charming wood interior with “Your House” by Steel Pulse playing, I felt right at home—and ready for another round (or two) of doubles.
Photo by Kelly Marshall7/9The Breakfast Worth Waking Up For
Do not mix your injera with your ful. I learned that the hard way at Keren Restaurant, the iconic Eritrean restaurant in Adams Morgan that’s been feeding locals since 1987. My Eritrean friend slapped my left hand and showed me how to properly enjoy our lush breakfast spread. With my right hand (it’s an Eritrean thing), I used French bread to scoop ful, velvety fava beans flavored with cumin and berbere, and then frittata—which in this case means soft-scrambled eggs with jalapeños and onions. Then I tore up injera for tuna silsi, a fragrant tuna and tomato stew. For the kitcha fit-fit, shredded flatbread tossed in clarified butter and finished with yogurt, I ditched the edible utensils and just used my hands.
Photo by Kelly Marshall8/9The Vegan Spot With Vibes
You know you’re in the right place when you hear Beyoncé’s “Hold Up” as you walk in. NuVegan Cafe is a hip soul food chain restaurant in the D.C. area that challenges the idea of what vegan food can be—not expensive and trendy but sustainable and accessible. At the Georgia Avenue location, the woman behind the counter and I exchanged smiles (and dance moves) as I chose from the vast buffet offerings: sweet cinnamon-laced yams, peppery chickpeas, and spicy ginger tofu. It was all so delicious that I grabbed an extra helping of each for later.
Photo by Kelly Marshall9/94 Must-Visits in Chocolate City
It’s always a treat for me to step into Howard University, one of America’s most famous HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities). This institution of Black excellence includes notable alumni like Toni Morrison, Thurgood Marshall, and Zora Neale Hurston. I like to follow in their footsteps, browsing one of the world’s largest Black history archives at Founders Library. As for my other favorite spots in D.C., I loved the succulent- and sunflower-filled Lee’s Flower Shop, a favorite of Virginia Ali, and Eastern Market, which has everything from outdoor fruit stalls to indoor shops selling funky vintage coats. And I could spend hours on end at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which goes deep on the financial, cultural, and political contributions of the Black communities that built this country.
