Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant opened Tuesday inside The Morrow Hotel in D.C.’s Union Market District.
The menu at the New American restaurant, Marcus D.C., combines Samuelsson’s “personal” international flavors with local influences from Executive Chef Anthony Jones, who is a Maryland native.
What’s on the menu
Samuelsson told WTOP that 60% of the menu is “of the sea,” with notable dishes such as “Mel’s Crab Rice” with pickled okra and an uni béarnaise — an ode to Jones’ childhood growing up near the Chesapeake Bay.
Another standout is the “Swediopian,” a dish of cured salmon, goldenberry broth, fennel and a teff crisp — a clear nod to Samuelsson’s upbringing as an Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef.
There are also larger dishes for two, such as the mambo-sauced “Chuck B’s Roast Chicken,” and a grilled whole bass with crab curry.
The menu also features starters such as the “Blue Cornbead” with yassa butter and berbere.
On the menu, “there’s a back and forth between Anthony’s journey, my cooking journey,” Samuelsson said. “We’re playing with kind of the identity, the idea of being Swedish, Ethiopian and American.”
Celebrity chef sets up shop in DC
As first reported by Eater D.C., Marcus D.C. is just one of three venues Samuelsson will open in the hotel this spring.
The restaurant is on the ground level of the hotel, in the same space that formerly held chef Nick Stefanelli’s French restaurant, Le Clou. The other two venues are the rooftop bar, Sly, and the Goodie Lounge, which is a cocktail lounge on the 11th floor that is expected to open in the fall, according to Samuelsson.
“Marcus D.C. is extremely unique because collaboration between Anthony, myself. Anthony coming from the DMV, having a very strong sense of connection to the area, but also to the local and the seasonality of the restaurant.”
Jones has held roles at acclaimed spots that include Michael Schlow’s Alta Strada and Conosci, and more recently, Jones was the executive chef at Dirty Habit in Hotel Monaco. He is also a winner on Food Network’s “Chopped” food competition TV show.
Jones has worked with Samuelsson at Red Rooster Overtown, Samuelsson’s restaurant in Miami.
Samuelsson’s restaurant group also includes Red Rooster Harlem in New York, Hav & Mar in the Chelsea Arts District, and Metropolis at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in lower Manhattan. There are other “Marcus” restaurants in Atlanta and New Jersey, plus several international locations in places including The Bahamas, Canada and Ethiopia.
Marcus D.C. is actually Samuelsson’s second foray into the D.C. restaurant scene. His short-lived Marcus National Harbor was among original restaurants at MGM National Harbor when it opened in 2016. That restaurant closed after about a year.
As a celebrity chef, Samuelsson has also won eight James Beard Foundation Awards and was the guest chef for the Obama Administration’s first state dinner. He has also been featured on several TV programs, including “Chopped,” “Top Chef” and Netflix’s rebooted “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend.” He is also the author of the memoir “Yes, Chef” and the cookbook “The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.”
But the hard-hitting team heading Marcus D.C. doesn’t end with Samuelsson and Jones. Executive Pastry Chef Rachel Sherriffe has worked in the kitchens of Jean-Georges in New York and in the D.C. area at Rooster & Owl and Ellie Bird. And the bar program was developed by consulting mixologist Glendon Hartley of the award-winning Causa/Amazonia and Service Bar.
Marcus D.C. is just steps from the NoMa-Gallaudet U Metro station, at 222 M Street NE.
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner only. Entrées range from $33 to $48.
WTOP’s Jeff Clabaugh contributed to this report.
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