Chef Kwame Onwuachi believes that every restaurant should have a story, because when it has a story, it has a soul. That mantra is evident at his much-lauded New York spot Tatiana, which is named for his sister and inspired by the diverse cuisines available in the neighborhoods of his youth in the New York City borough of The Bronx. And it carries through to Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi, which debuted September 9 in Washington, D.C.

Dōgon is named for the West African Dogon tribe and inspired by D.C. surveyor Benjamin Banneker, an Africa- American mathematician, astronomer and inventor who helped create the city’s boundaries. Banneker’s ancestry can be traced back to the Dogon tribe in Mali, which some anthropologists believe had advanced knowledge in science, math, and engineering dating back hundreds of years.

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The 140-seat restaurant is located at the newly renovated Salamander hotel. An open kitchen anchors the space, and the dining room is joined by a lounge, bar, and private dining room, plus additional patio space as the seasons allow.

Dōgon was designed by Modellus Novus, the firm that previously collaborated with Onwuachi at Tatiana, and it’s bathed in hues of blue and lilac. Three recessed ceiling domes bring moonlight into the dining room, and low, candle-like lights and pendants are meant to evoke the sensation of a starlit sky.

The restaurant serves cuisine through a self-described Afro-Caribbean lens, drawing from Onwuachi’s Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and New Orleans Creole background. Dishes are made to share, and include small plates like carrot tigua with pickled onions, peanut crustacean stew and burnt carrots, and a piri piri salad with cucumber, toasted almonds, and avocado.

Naho Kubota

Larger plates include lobster escovitch with Scotch bonnet peppers, and grilled wagyu short rib with red stew jam, pickles, and baby greens. The menu is bookended by breads (coco bread with malted sorghum better and cornbread with spiced shiro butter) and two desserts: shaved ice and rum cake.

Dōgon’s chef de cuisine is Martel Stone, a North Philadelphia native who’s inspired by contemporary Black diaspora cuisine and previously worked with Onwuachi as the executive sous chef at Kith/Kin in D.C.

Onwuachi enlisted Derek Brown, who has run some of D.C.’s best bars over the past two decades, to create the cocktail program. The menu features several Black-owned brands and serves creative takes on classic cocktails. One standout drink is the Flower Pot Punch, which was invented by Black bartenders at the pre-Prohibition Hancock’s bar in D.C. Brown’s version calls for rum, fresh citrus juices, spiced pineapple syrup, and Cajun Grenadine.

Scott Suchman

Dōgon and Tatiana give Onwuachi a foothold in two culinarily diverse cities that played significant roles in his upbringing and career. He’s plenty busy with these two ambitious projects, but only time will tell where his path leads.

“New York is my home, and Washington, D.C., is my second home,” Onwuachi said. “They are two of the finest and most diverse places in the world, and my team and I are currently focused on running each location’s best restaurant. To that end, you must be committed to delivering excellence every day, as success creates high expectations. But success also brings opportunities, and I always keep an open mind on what’s next.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s getting some backup in its lawsuit against TikTok. 

Attorney generals from 13 other states and Washington D.C. are joining a Utah lawsuit alleging that TikTok violated consumer protection laws. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok promotes compulsive use and exposes young people to mental and physical risk. 

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes says today marks a win for children and families. 

“Today is a win for children and families in America,” he said in a press release. He said that TikTok’s aggressive actions “endanger and exploit minors for financial gain.”

The Utah Division of Consumer Protections is a pioneering force behind this lawsuit. It was launched a year ago this week. 

In December 2023, the Utah Attorney General’s Office successfully compelled TikTok to comply with the Division’s subpoenas. 

Reyes said in a press release that these subpoenas led to “evidence that the social media giant built a revenue stream from the exploitation of minors on its platform.” 

“We are unwavering in our mission to protect our youth from the harmful influence of online platforms that exploit their vulnerability,” said Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Margaret Busse in a press release.

The Division will participate in a hearing on Thursday, Oct. 10. That will determine whether or not the public can see redactions in its complaint over TikTok LIVE.

KSL NewsRadio’s Emma Keddington contributed to this report. 

A 5-year-old boy who died over the weekend was found naked and unconscious in squalid conditions inside a Northwest D.C. apartment, according to court documents.

Police and paramedics were called to a third-floor apartment at Connecticut Avenue and Albemarle Street before 10 a.m. Sunday. Paramedics tried to revive the boy, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A detective noticed an apparent contusion above his right eye and a possible abrasion on his neck, court documents say.

A witness told police the boy’s father, Deandre Pettus, admitted punching his son before calling 911, court documents say. The same witness told police Pettus said “he had been punching the decedent about his body … and that he was lying when he told first responders that the decedent had run into a wall and fallen.” The witness also mentioned to police “seeing Deandre Pettus punch the decedent on prior occasions.”

In court documents, a detective wrote, “Through the entirety of the apartment, unsanitary conditions exist with large amounts of garbage, clothing and assorted property strewn about in every room.”

“Soiled dishes were observed stacked in the sink, on the counters and on the stove. This room, like others, has garbage and debris all over the floor.”

“Our condolences go out to the family of the 5-year-old, whether it’s the mother whether it’s the grandmother,” Chief of Police Pamela Smith said. “This young man was a student at one of our schools, and so this is certainly a tragedy that doesn’t just impact his family, but it impacts those who have relationships with him in our community.”

The little boy attended Murch Elementary School in Northwest.

So far, the medical examiner has ruled the child’s death as undetermined.

Pettus is charged with cruelty to children. He was released Monday on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from children.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not ask for a hold or GPS monitoring.

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