DC may be America’s most transformed city. Over the last 20 years, population growth, demographic shifts, and a wide-scale redevelopment have brought dizzying generational changes, and where and how we eat is a key part of that story of change.
DC was once a pretty quiet place that went to bed early and didn’t have much to say for itself foodwise, with only a few spots for a quality meal. A couple of fancy steakhouses, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Au Pied de Cochon, carry-out wings with mambo sauce…oh, and Kramers Books if you wanted something to eat after 9pm on a weeknight. Very little of our food was grown or made locally, huge parts of the city lacking access to fresh groceries, and much of the area’s surrounding farmland lost to development. It was, by most accounts, a pretty bleak food landscape.
Oh, have things changed….
If you’ve been in this town for a while, you’ve witnessed and been part of this transformation. You provided the basic demand-side driver—wanting to know where your food originated and demanding greater access to quality produce for all. You vigorously sought out local sources and got to know the folks who make and grow your food. Supply met you with an array of farms and artisan workshops taking root, and better grocery stores, farmers’ markets, cafés, and gastronomic palaces springing up across the city.
We now have an incredibly diverse and thriving food scene, from the bountiful, fresh ingredients we bring home from our markets to the extremely high-quality food delivered as medicine to the sickest among us. These days you can explore the rolling Catoctin hills along the upper reaches of the Potomac, stroll in Brooklands, take a walk in Anacostia, or drive out River Road, and you’ll stumble on great food. For those who have arrived recently to this delight of choice, welcome! We now have good food of every kind—high quality, thoughtfully sourced and prepared, made by people who care deeply about the work of feeding us.
Although the changes are far from universal and have led to displacement for many, we’ve emerged as a more cohesive city, with fewer abandoned spaces, shrinking food deserts, and at least a slight narrowing of the economic and racial gap. This is partly because of the astonishing numbers of neighborhood farmers’ markets and food incubators that fanned out all over the city to bring good food to all.
Where Supply & Demand Meet Each Week
he DMV has an impressive number of farmers’ markets—more than any other U.S. city. Let that sink in—more than metro areas many times our size, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, despite our smaller population. While in the New York metro area, shoppers seeking fresh, local produce often have to compete with more than 200,000 people, we truly punch above our weight, with one farmers’ market for every 30,000 residents.
There are more than 50 markets operating year-round in the DMV, and nearly 175 supported by our long growing season. Large festival-like events, such as the Bethesda Central Farm Market, Eat LoCo in Ashburn, and Old Town Alexandria, attract huge crowds. At Sunday morning’s massive Dupont Circle market, lines form for the latest viral food trends.
There’s been a conscious effort by many to ensure that the great food at these markets is not the exclusive domain of the wealthy. Programs like FRESHFARM’s Produce Plus and Market Share feed many in our community, especially those who struggle with food security, with fresh, locally grown produce. We’re fortunate in this region to have access to markets that allow us to shop close to home and buy directly from the farmer. Many of us have made trips to our local markets a regular part of our lives, forming a deeper connection to the people and the farms that produce our food.
We’re connected at an elemental level to our food—whether it’s learning about what our lamb chops ate, how the apples are hybridized, or how the arugula is watered. These markets not only bring the bounty of each season directly to us, they keep more value in the hands of those who do the majority of the work planting, harvesting, and bringing the crops to market.
Farmers’ markets provide a unique ecosystem for entrepreneurs to test and scale their businesses. Brenda Cromer Brown, co-founder and CEO of Frontier Kitchen, points out that while major corporations can spend millions on customer research and focus groups to fine-tune a recipe, a local vendor can gather the same kind of real-time feedback each week at market. Dedicated DMV customers vote with their ever-expanding interest in and knowledge about the authenticity of their food—and with their wallets. Whether it’s putting down the wooden tasting fork with a polite thank you or loading up their tote bag with that spicy kimchi.
Once an owner figures out the formula for a product that’s both profitable and well received, markets offer an accessible way to scale without a hefty investment. For example, Andrew Arguin, the owner of Wine’ing Butcher in Ashburn, uses farmers’ markets to sell seasoned and portioned meats. Instead of investing in multiple brick-and-mortar locations, his team deploys products to as many as 10 different markets each weekend, minimizing the capital needed to expand.
Hot Tables-The Stars & Bibs Forever
The big tire man came to town with his guide a few years ago and put our city on the world map for high-end dining. Today, Washington, DC, boasts the highest density of Michelin-rated restaurants per capita of any city in the U.S.!
With renowned chefs, exquisite meals, and professionals working at the highest level, we have at least 111 great answers to the question of ‘why go out.’ Expertly crafted dishes deeply connected to food traditions and curated with precision.
While the vast majority of meals in the city will be enjoyed at less extravagant establishments, these Michelin-rated restaurants are laboratories for the elevation of food science and theater available to the lucky few. It’s a thrill to watch and eat the mastery and creativity of these committed professionals who have chosen to express their art through food and drink.
Fans follow the personnel moves, openings, and closings with rapt attention. Food at this level is theater, but as iconic food critic Tom Sietsema puts it, “It’s sort of a celebration of life. A good meal makes your life more fulfilling. It’s like with music, a great book, or a postcard view.”
International Cross Roads
The Washington metro area is a unique international crossroads, home to a vibrant mix of immigrant populations and expat visitors from all over the world. Large populations of Salvadorans, Ethiopians, and Caribbean communities are joined by an amazing array of other people who have settled in the region.
Rather than being concentrated in tight neighborhoods like most other U.S. cities, these immigrant populations are spread across the area, which may make us one of the most diverse places in the country. Four Maryland cities stand out as the most ethnically diverse places to live in the U.S.
This geographic distribution means that hidden culinary gems are scattered throughout the area, from Hmong to Hungarian, Persian to Peruvian eateries—all waiting to be discovered and enjoyed at the end of our forks, our chopsticks, or picked up with a piece of injera.
As the seat of government, Washington, DC, is home to a vast network of embassies, the World Bank, and international organizations, adding a rich global flavor to the local food scene. The people who choose to live here, drawn from all corners of the globe, bring their culinary traditions with them and are also eager to delve into different food traditions.
This diversity makes discussions like “Which is your favorite Uzbek place?” or “Where is the best Bungeoppang?” a lively conversation.
(Still) A Diverse City
Race has shaped the city’s identity throughout its history, and the last two decades of rapid development have brought both growth and displacement. While DC is no longer a majority-Black city, Black residents still make up 45% of the population, and our food remains deeply influenced by African-American foodways. Beyond half-smokes and whiting, these culinary practices reflect the resilience and creativity of the communities that have called DC home for generations.
The impact of Black food culture is celebrated by leaders like Maame Boakye and Nina Oduro, who founded Black Women in Food, an initiative that highlights the role of Black women in the ever-expanding culinary scene. Chef Ramin, who leads the Sweet Home Café at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, emphasizes, “African American food is at the origin of America and the beginning of our foodways and culture. The foods enslaved people brought to the Americas, their cooking methods, and the contributions of other cultures, have all shaped the texture of American cuisine.”
Young chefs like Kwame Onwuachi of Dogon are working to bring the tastes of the African diaspora to high-end dining. As part of that work, Onwuachi helped create The Family Reunion in Middleburg, Virginia, the biggest food festival focused on celebrating the origins of African-American cuisine.
Despite progress, race still plays a defining role in access to high-quality food. The city’s predominantly Black wards have the fewest full-service supermarkets, but they also host a growing number of community-based programs designed to increase access to healthy food. These initiatives provide residents with opportunities to buy fresh produce that might otherwise be unavailable.
Surrounded by Abundance
Three growing seasons and a rich agricultural landscape surrounding Washington, DC, form an incredibly rich foodshed. Rural Maryland, the Tidewater, the Piedmont, and the mighty Chesapeake Bay form a bountiful growing area that feeds us with an abundance of fresh, local ingredients. The Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, located just outside the city, serves as one of the largest protected agricultural areas in the nation, covering over 90,000 acres. Despite the historic loss of agricultural land to development, many farms in the region are increasing their output and producing higher-value products. Farm incomes in many counties are on the rise.
The proximity to local farms means that restaurants and markets can offer fresh, hyper-seasonal fare that reflects the true flavors of the Mid-Atlantic. The combination of rich farmland and waterways, access to diverse ecosystems, and a dedication to sustainable farming makes our region among the most productive and varied in the country. The foodshed is essential to the sustainability of the broader food system, supplying everything from artisanal cheeses, oysters, pork, and rockfish to salad crops for local markets and restaurants, often making its way to our tables just hours after being harvested.
Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Addicks recently announced an innovative program to support sustainable farming practices modeled on the LEED green building code, making it easier for farmers to navigate available resources and receive recognition for their sustainable practices.
Brain Food - The Intersection of Food Policy and Science
DC’s position as the nation’s capital makes it a global epicenter for food policy and science. Home to key organizations such as the USDA, the National Food Policy Center—and a host of universities and think tanks—Washington is a place where conversations around food systems, nutrition, sustainability, and climate change’s impact on food security take place every day, all helping to improve lives on a global scale.
Experts from around the world converge in DC to discuss everything from agricultural subsidies to climate change’s impact on food security. The region also serves as a laboratory for cutting-edge food science research—whether it’s developing new techniques in food preservation or investigating the links between food and public health. As food policy experts work to shape legislation that influences everything from school lunch programs to food labeling, DC is ground zero for discussions on how food can improve lives on a global scale.
Fast-casual Gone National
Cava, &Pizza, and Sweet Green may no longer seem noteworthy, but these homegrown success stories have made a massive impact beyond the DMV, transforming the way we eat on the go with relatively health-conscious, minimally processed fare. We won’t write much about these big players, but we’re kinda proud of the ‘fast food’ we’ve sent out to the rest of the country.
Pop-ups, food trucks, ghost kitchens, accelerators, and incubators—oh my!
The DC food scene’s rich ecosystem of maker spaces, food halls, and food incubators, like Frontier Kitchen and Union Kitchen, provides key stepping stones for entrepreneurs to get their start and scale. It serves as a launching pad for many, like Timber Pizza, which began with just a pickup truck with a pizza oven trailer.
No longer confined to traditional brick-and-mortar locations, many chefs are embracing pop-ups, food trucks and micro-restaurants. These flexible concepts allow them to experiment with bold ideas without the heavy overhead of opening a full-scale restaurant. They can connect directly with locals, gain exposure and build a loyal following while keeping the costs low.
DC’s food halls, gourmet markets, and long-standing institutions like Eastern Market offer the perfect platform for local food entrepreneurs to test their concepts and grow. Union Market, a key player in this transformation, helped launch many successful food businesses and set the tone for what’s to come.
The maker community, deeply rooted in the region, is thriving—thanks to a highly educated population with discretionary income that values local, artisanal products. Dozens of distilleries, hundreds of wineries and scores of cheesemakers, cured meat producers and seafood artisans are all contributing to a competitive and diverse market that feeds DC’s food scene.
The Only Constant is Change
It is a time of considerable change and uncertainty for the region, but we believe that food has the power to keep us strong and united. Food brings people together—whether it’s gathering around a table with family, sharing meals with neighbors, or working as a group in a community kitchen to celebrate culture and tradition.
We are committed to doing our part to harness the power of food to foster connection and resilience. We look forward to sharing these stories, showcasing the diverse people and experiences that make our region unique, and celebrating how, even in the most uncertain of times, food remains a source of strength and unity
