DC Restaurant Among 'Best In The Country,' List Says

WASHINGTON, DC — Bon Appétit revealed its 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024 list — which boasts nearly two dozen top dining spots across the country — and one Washington, D.C., venue made the cut.

“Whether we were immersed in a rack of ribs inspired by Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or a ‘Progressive Mexican’ tasting menu informed by a chef’s travels, we found teams working together in exciting ways,” the foodie editors said.

Representing cuisine in the District is Bar Del Monte, located at 3054 Mount Pleasant St. NW. The venue is open from 5:30 to close Thursday through Monday.

The restaurant opened in March 2024 in Mount Pleasant and is run by the team at 2 Amys, Washingtonian reported. “We have fried things, salad-y things, anchovy things, some little sausages,” 2 Amys owner Peter Pastan, whose son Oliver Pastan is heading Bar Del Monte, told the publication. “It’s supposed to be simple, neighborhoody, low-key, friendly. Just have a normal meal, if this makes any sense in Washington, DC.”

Here’s what Bon Appétit writer Amiel Stanek said about the restaurant:

“The pizzas at DC’s Bar Del Monte are excellent, which should come as no surprise. After all, chef-owner Oliver Pastan grew up in the kitchen at 2Amys, his parents’ iconic Neapolitan spot. But Bar Del Monte is not a pizzeria. Rather, it’s a celebration of the kind of rustic, ingredient-driven cooking found at the best Italian trattorias and Basque pintxos bars. … For the arrosticini, a specialty of Abruzzo, Pastan breaks down whole Virginia lambs into bite-size nubbins, then painstakingly alternates fatty and lean bits on skinny skewers before grilling them gently. The dish is not flashy, but it astounds: quality meat, aged and butchered with care, seasoned and grilled to taste like sweetgrass and fat and the barest whisper of smoke. When so many chefs are playing to phone cameras, this kind of salt–pepper–olive oil cooking feels especially bold—a reminder that simple food can be the hardest to make, and every bit as exciting to eat.”

Bon Appétit celebrated the restaurant industry with four awards. Its Chef of the Moment is Chuck Charnichart, the 26-year-old pitmaster of Barbs B Q in Lockhart, Texas. In Seattle, the Cambodian restaurant Sophon boasts our Best Beverage Program. This year’s Sustainability Stewards are Kate and Gustavo Romero, the duo behind Oro by Nixta, a Minneapolis tortilleria. And, the Best Dessert Program belongs to the bite-size Indonesian delicacies at Pasar in Portland, Oregon.

“Each honor, accompanied by a story digging deeper, goes to a restaurant that serves stunning food and a team that never loses sight of its mission,” the editors said.

See the full list at Bon Appétit.