Jose Andres Founder, ThinkFoodGroup
Franco Nuschese Owner, Cafe Milano
Fabio and Maria Trabocchi, Owners, Fiola Restaurant, Fiola Mare, Del Mar, Sfoglina and Casa Luca
Until a few years ago nobody came to Washington for the food, but, once here, they had to eat. Today, it’s gourmet heaven and the best known Washington monument may well be Jose Andres, with his smorgasbord of creative, high quality eating places and his two stars in the Michelin Guide (for Minibar). The other side to the Spanish-born chef (now a proud U.S. citizen) is his food-based global activism and philanthropy. In March, he was saluted on stage at the Academy Awards for his disaster relief efforts hurricane-ravaged areas like Puerto Rico where he was first on the scene serving 100,000 meals a day to deprived survivors. Franco Nuschese’s Cafe Milano is Washington’s live Mount Rushmore, where a frieze of political leaders and celebrities provides a nightly spectacle of some of the most powerful and best known jaws in the country working through traditional Italian dishes. Members of Trump’s Cabinet had settled in at Franco’s even before they could find their way to the White House. The Trabocchis’ Fiola Mare in Georgetown competes with Cafe Milano for prestige dining, and the couple’s five high-end, high quality restaurants reflect their respective homelands: Chef Fabio is Italian, and Maria is from Spain. Their newest concept Del Mar at the Wharf has gained national attention for its supremely executed dishes and impressive decor.
Fiola in Penn Quarter has earned a Michelin star.
