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Dōgon, Kwame Onwuachi’s highly anticipated restaurant set to debut in Southwest DC’s Salamander Hotel (formerly the Mandarin Oriental), marks a significant return for the James Beard Award-winning chef to the city’s culinary scene since departing Kith & Kin in 2020. Scheduled to open soon, the restaurant promises to pay homage to DC’s rich Black history, with Onwuachi emphasizing the importance of storytelling in culinary endeavors.
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Taking inspiration from Benjamin Banneker, the pioneering Black astronomer and cartographer who played a pivotal role in mapping the original borders of the District of Columbia, Dōgon aims to spotlight a lesser-known figure in the city’s narrative. Despite Banneker’s significant contributions, his legacy often remains overshadowed by that of his white counterparts like Pierre L’Enfant.
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Banneker’s ancestral ties to Mali’s Dogon people, renowned for their astronomical expertise and celestial traditions, serve as a central theme in Dōgon’s design concept, led by the acclaimed New York firm Modellus Novus. While specifics regarding how Banneker’s legacy will manifest in the restaurant’s ambiance and cuisine remain limited, patrons can anticipate a culinary journey influenced by Afro-Caribbean flavors, as well as Onwuachi’s diverse heritage, which spans Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Creole backgrounds.
source: The DMV Daily
Also See: Benjamin Banneker Appointed To Survey Layout Of D.C. On This Day In 1791
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Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Forthcoming DC Restaurant Honors Benjamin Banneker was originally published on mymajicdc.com
