Owner: Ashok Bajaj
Chef: Nicholas Stefanelli
Cuisine: Italian
The Buzz: What do you get when you mix one of GQ's 50 most powerful people in DC, restaurateur Ashok Bajaj, with rising star chef Nicholas Stefanelli? A transcendent Italian restaurant, according to The Washington Post's
Tom Sietsema. The elegant dining room sports chrome lights and black-and-white photographs, but it's Stefanelli, who has cooked at some top Italian restaurants, including New York's now-shuttered Fiamma, who puts the shine on dishes like roasted turbot with squid ink vinaigrette. Bibiana’s cured meats, including house-made lardo, are available as appetizers, or on an especially decadent pizza.