With its foyer shimmering with symbolic metallic gold chains hanging in a diamond shape, the much-anticipated Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi officially opened on Sept.9 – marking the date Washington, D.C. was officially named in 1791.
The in-demand restaurant held an exclusive launch event this past Thursday attended by many notable VIPs from Washington, D.C. and New York.
The noted chef returns to the nation’s capital with a concept inspired by D.C. Surveyor Benjamin Banneker and his heritage to the West African Dōgon tribe. Pronounced “Doh-gon,” the restaurant celebrates the cultures within D.C.’s four quadrants and serves vibrant cuisine through an Afro-Caribbean lens drawing from Onwuachi’s unique Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Creole background.
Located along the revitalized Southwest waterfront inside Salamander Washington D.C., which has undergone a significant hotel enhancement project, Dōgon was designed by the architectural firm Modellus Novus and is Onwuachi’s second recent restaurant opening, following the highly acclaimed Tatiana in New York City.
THE STORY
According to Onwuachi, every restaurant should have a story, because when it has a story, it has a soul. And, at Dōgon, that story spans both generations and continents.
According to historical accounts, Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught mathematician, astronomer, and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of Washington, D.C., including his innovative use in 1791 of astronomy to help survey the soon-to-be City of Washington. Authors have also contended that Banneker’s ancestry can be traced through his grandfather to the Dogon tribe from Mali, reputed for their advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics, and engineering.
The Dogon people are an African tribal population of 400,000 to 600,000 native to Mali, most of whom live in the hills and mountains of the Bandiagara escarpment. Beginning in the 1930s French anthropologists Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlin began studying the Dogon people, and their findings prompted further authors to report significant mathematical, scientific and astronomical knowledge dating back hundreds of years. To read more about the history of Banneker, the Dogon tribe and their connectivity, visit www.DogonDC.com.
THE TEAM
Onwuachi is a chef, restaurateur and author. He has penned multiple books, like his successful memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef and the bestselling cookbook My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef. He has also been a contestant and a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef. In 2019, he was acclaimed by Esquire as its Chef of the Year, recognized by Food & Wine as one of its Best New Chefs, and named by the James Beard Foundation as “Rising Star Chef of the Year.” He now returns to Washington, D.C. four years after closing his highly acclaimed Kith/Kin restaurant in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, he has hosted the 2021 and 2022 James Beard Awards in Chicago and opened his restaurant concept Tatiana at the Lincoln Center in New York City in November 2022. Since its opening, Tatiana has garnered numerous accolades, including “The #1 Restaurant in New York City,” by New York Times in 2023 and 2024.
Onwuachi’s hand-picked Chef de Cuisine for Dōgon is Martel Stone, a North Philadelphia native who found his love of cooking in the folds of a soft curd French omelet. Influenced by all intersections of the Diaspora, his cooking style embodies his interpretation of Contemporary Diaspora cuisine by layering bold spices and herbs into each dish. His culinary experience is diverse, including working as the Executive Sous Chef at Kith/Kin Washington, D.C., Executive Chef at The Gathering Spot and Chef/Founder of The Black Supper Collective. He is a Food Network competition veteran and judge, and winner of Chopped Next Generation.
The Dōgon opening also brings Onwuachi together again with Sheila Johnson, Founder and CEO of Salamander Collection, with whom he has built a special relationship. The pair created The Family Reunion, which has quickly become the premier gathering of culinary professionals of color in the country and takes place at Johnson’s Five-Star Salamander Middleburg resort in Virginia. Salamander Collection was recently voted Best Luxury Hotel Brand by readers of USA TODAY for the second consecutive time and is the largest Black-owned luxury hotel company in the United States. Dōgon’s unveiling is part of recent enhancement program at Salamander Washington DC, which also showcases a brighter and more residential design, striking gathering spaces, modernly refreshed guest suites designed by Thomas Pheasant, and a soon-to-open expanded two-story Salamander Spa.
THE DINNER MENU
The Dōgon menu is a vibrant celebration of Afro-Caribbean cuisine, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Creole influences. Guests can enjoy bold and flavorful dishes that honor the traditions and flavors of these regions as well as those that are inspired by D.C.’s diverse communities. Sample menu highlights include:
Small Share
- Carrot Tigua: Pickled Onion, Peanut Crustacean Stew, Burnt Carrots
- Piri Piri Salad: Cucumber, Toasted Almond, Avocado
- Charbroiled Oysters: Croatian Butter, Parmesan, Red Stew
- Hoe Crab: Plantain Hoe Cake, Shitto Whatever, Aji Verde
Large Share
- Grilled Wagyu Short Rib: Red Stew Jam, Mad Pickles, Baby Greens
- Braised Cabbage: Toasted Coconut Vin, Lobster Oil, Charred Squash
- Steamed Branzino: Coconut Mussel Curry, Crispy Okra, Callaloo
- Chicken and Rice: Berbere Roasted Chicken, Jollof Rice, Herbs
THE COCKTAIL PROGRAM
Onwuachi partnered with nationally acclaimed mixologist Derek Brown to create Dōgon’s craft cocktail program. Inspired by a shared love of Washington D.C., Brown’s cocktail program seamlessly blends Dōgon’s culinary style and offers a range of spirited and spirit-free cocktails. The menu features Black-owned brands and creative takes on classic cocktails that pair perfectly with the food and ambiance. A few notable creations include:
- Flower Pot Punch: This under-recognized classic cocktail was invented at the famed pre-Prohibition Hancock’s in DC by Black bartenders who historian Charles Wheeler noted practiced a “lost art.” While there is no known recipe from which to work, Brown features ingredients thought to be used including Ten-to-One Rum, fresh lemon and lime, Cane Collective Caribbean Spiced Pineapple Syrup and El Guapo Cajun Grenadine.
- The Astronomy Club: Named in honor of Benjamin Banneker, this non-alcoholic drink features Calabash Jasmine Jones Tea from the Black-owned tea house Calabash Tea & Tonic. Additionally, it includes fresh lemon, El Guapo Creole Orgeat, Aquafaba and All the Bitter Lavender Bitters.
THE DESIGN
The incredible story of Benjamin Banneker, the Dogon people and its lineage of astral observers has also fueled the design of the 140-seat Dōgon, which will offer dining room, private dining room, lounge, bar and (additional and seasonal) outdoor seating options. Undertaken by Modellus Novus, which previously collaborated with Onwuachi at Tatiana, the interior has transformed the night sky into architectural language. Guests are immediately transported into a distinctively dramatic atmosphere where Kriskadecor metal chain curtains welcome guests at the entrance, referencing Banneker’s Gunter’s Chains – a device he used to measure and survey.
Bathed in a cool moon-lit glow enhanced by three recessed-lit ceiling domes, the restaurant’s main dining room brings to the fore various hues of the night—rich blue, soft lilac, silver mist—through a range of scales and materials. Chairs and banquettes upholstered in a dark blue corduroy introduce a rich, shadow-playing texture, while dining tables topped with Rosso Luana marble instill a planetary atmosphere through their dynamic swirls of blues and purples. The marble tables are lit by low, candle-like lights by Bocci, while arm pendants hang delicately from the ceiling above and sconces align in unison on the columns, evoking the sensation of a starlit sky throughout the expansive dining room.
Installed in clusters between the columns, the lounge seating allows small groups of guests to congregate and enjoy relaxed moments of respite from the city beyond. Modellus Novus chose these architectural and interior elements to allow Dōgon to transition seamlessly between day and night service, essential for a hotel’s hallmark restaurant. By day, the space’s textured and metallic finishes, such as the gun-metal bar tiles, coarse, plaster columns, and blue-tinted mirrors installed opposite the main dining room windows, create a bright atmosphere of quiet vibrancy; while as night descends, these materials’ colors and textures shift to a rich, saturated chroma.
In the spirit of Onwuachi’s first restaurant Tatiana, which disrupts what Chef Kwame considers a prevailing custom of “invisible men and invisible women cooking invisible food for invisible children,” Dōgon’s kitchen design similarly showcases the work of the restaurant’s team. The expansive open kitchen anchors the dining room and appears as a luminous, transparent box visible from every space in the restaurant. In fact, the kitchen counter offers a very special intimate dining experience cultivated by Onwuachi.
THE DETAILS
Hours: Open for dinner from 5-10 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday
Website: www.DogonDC.com
Phone: 202-786-6032
E-mail: [email protected]
Instagram: @DogonDC | @ChefKwameOnwuachi | @SalamanderHotelDC
About Salamander Collection
Salamander Collection is privately owned and operated, and based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, D.C. Founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson, it has a luxury portfolio featuring the Forbes Five-Star Salamander Middleburg, an equestrian-inspired property in the Virginia countryside; Salamander Washington DC, an elegant hotel located along the capital’s vibrant Southwest waterfront; Half Moon, the storied resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, featuring three distinct experiences including the acclaimed Eclipse; Aspen Meadows Resort, which features sweeping views on 40 beautiful acres in Aspen, CO’s west end and newly renovated Herbert Bayer-inspired accommodations and arrival experience; Hotel Bennett, a spectacular grand hotel in Charleston, SC, overlooking the city’s historic Marion Square; and Innisbrook Resort in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, which hosts the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship each year on its famed Copperhead Course. www.SalamanderHotels.com.
