Celebrating Michelin with Rose’s Luxury x Bresca x The Dabney

Mondays are way more fun when they include giggles and good bites, as was the case on September 30, the eve of the release of the 2020 Michelin Guide for D.C.

In celebration of the still to-be-announced list, three 2019 Michelin awarded restaurants joined up for a collaborative dinner. Rose’s Luxury served as host, with the team featuring some of their own creations alongside plates from The Dabney and Bresca.

All three restaurants were 1 star awardees in the 2019 Michelin Guide – and this dinner was proof of their worthiness (and a compelling argument for an upgrade in star status!)

The sold out dinner event featured a prix fixe menu that included over 10 different dishes, priced at $150 per person + tax.

Allison Rose was my dinner companion for the evening. When we arrived, we ran into none other than the incredibly beautiful gastronome Adahlia Cole. She was already singing praises of how great the food was… so I knew it was going to be an epic dinner!

Since it was our first time catching up in almost two weeks, Allison and I shared a toast with a couple of cocktails from the menu. The beverage options were curated by Rose’s Luxury and The Dabney. The featured selections were mostly spicy, smokey flavor profiles.

A trio of hors d’ouvres were brought out were brought out to start. Of course, no dinner at Rose’s Luxury is quite complete without having their signature “Happy Oysters”. I wish I could have a dozen of these to start every dinner: the restaurant makes each slurp that much more delightful by adding black truffle, wildflower honey, and meyer lemon. The puffed beef tendon with was the most interesting to eat, while the crispy corn hush puppy was a delicious take on an essential southern comfort food.

Then came the second setting, which was a collection of small plates. The scallop crudo and late summer succotash were both solid dishes, and the cacio e pepe monkey bread was a delicious savory take on what is normally a sweet treat.

The star of the show (and our entire dinner, in my opinion) was undisputedly the salt and pepper catfish. This is a dish I will crave ever after this night. Each bite reminded me of back home, down south- this is some of the best catfish I’ve ever had in D.C., even putting my favorite fish joint to shame. If I could order this off menu, I would probably have it every night. The filet was fried to perfection and the breading was perfectly seasoned.

There were two options for the main course: Elysian Fields Lamb and Roast Guinea Hen. A quick glance around the dining room and the lamb was clearly the most popular option, so that is what we opted for.

The platter was a huge serving… likely enough for a group of 3 or 4 people to share! It featured lamb served three ways: fresh, fluffy pita bread with vadouvan yogurt and cucumber salad to accompany the kabobs, a farro verde crusted chop, and sliced lamb loin. I usually do not go for lamb, but each preparation was executed outstandingly well!

The best part of any meal is dessert. No critically acclaimed establishment would have you fall in love over several courses only to let you down at this juncture, so we knew we were in for a treat! Since desserts were not mentioned on the prix fixe menu, I was a bit nervous to see how many would be featured and what they would be.

Rose’s Luxury excels at combining multiple, unexpected flavors, so it was clear that the ice cream sandwiches with truffle shavings were the brainchild of their team! I love truffles and I love ice cream, but I was a bit skeptical of having them combined. Once again, the culinary genius of Rose’s Luxury was reaffirmed… this was a to die for combination!

The dessert from Bresca was the tropical ambrosia from their regular in-house menu. It has a foundation of diced mango, with passionfruit and tapioca enclosed in a meringue “shell”. I love to give it a hard hit to crack it open, then scoop all of the flavors onto my spoon!

The Dabney‘s contribution was also a dessert from their everyday menu: baked virginia! It is created from a soft, chocolate chess pie and topped off with peanut ice cream. So good! This is actually one of my preferred desserts when dining there.

To finish things off, diners were treated to a tray of miniature treats! The sorghum molasses cookies from The Dabney, a cream meringue dollop from Bresca, and a chocolate truffle with powdered mint on top from Rose’s Luxury!

Outside, Allison and I got a photo with the Michelin man at the cute photo booth they had set up. What a nice way to memorialize a night of amazing food and amazing people!

I love all three of these restaurants, and it is no surprise that they all again earned a spot on the 2020 Michelin Guide for D.C. If you have not had a chance to dine at Rose’s Luxury – I would wholly recommend a visit, and soon. The food is always innovative, surprising, and unexpectedly delicious! It is quite clear that everyone in the house has an enthusiasm for food, and it is a contagious feeling. The hospitality and service is also unmatched. It feels like I’m eating with family whenever I go!