Capturing the true spirit of Louisiana, a serendipitous blend of Old World traditions and New World resources, it is the only restaurant in the nation's capital to serve Louisiana cuisine at this level of elegance. Executive Chef Jeff Tunks, who worked in New Orleans over a number of years, has a strong affinity for the cuisine of the Gulf region, and his menus at Acadiana reflect the bounty of Louisiana, in the finest of seafood and premium meats. Acadiana is a contemporary interpretation of a Louisiana Fish House, blending well with Tunks' passion for fish as the restaurant focuses on the finest of coastal delicacies.

Burst onto the New Orleans culinary scene with acclaimed chef and native son John Besh at the helm. Its setting in a historic carriage warehouse makes for an elegant atmosphere of exposed brick, grand chandeliers, and rich paneling. Chef Besh's innovative menu is based on the classical techniques of Louisiana cuisine that add a splash of Euro-flavor from his extensive training in France and Germany. Regional farmers, seafood purveyors, and artisanal craftsmen provide all the products used in the restaurant.

Just on the heels of his critically acclaimed, James Beard- and IACP-nominated cookbook, Dam Good Sweet, Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth New Orleans Style [Taunton Press, 2009,] Louisiana native David Guas is preparing to launch his first retail outlet for his down-home goodness: Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery. A nostalgic tribute to his New Orleans hometown, his "homey, deep South café" will open in the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia in late October 2010 in partnership with the owners of the popular Washington restaurant group, Passion Food Hospitality. The contemporary façade opens to reveal ample space, complete with plenty of vintage Louisiana character, setting the scene for Guas' comfortable community gathering spot. The bustling corner of North Courthouse Road and 15th Street, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery swings into full southern goodie production this fall.

It does not look like a typical steakhouse, and the menu does not read like that of a typical steakhouse. Chef John Besh and Executive Chef Jared Tees savor the opportunity to explore their creativity within the traditional definition of that all-American institution, the steakhouse, with distinct influences from Louisiana and a touch of European flair.

Belgium is the bold-faced theme of this stylish casual hot spot by chef Robert Wiedmaier, modeled on a vintage Brussels train station. Here you’ll find a tempting array of mussel preparations and classic beef carbonade, along with extensive charcuterie and shellfish plates, and the area’s most comprehensive selection of Belgian beers – including some brewed exclusively for Wiedmaier.

This elegant Latin-inspired restaurant in the heart of the nation's capital has been sizzling since it opened. Located in the historic Colorado Building on 14th and G Streets, the name "Ceiba" pays tribute to the imposing umbrella-shaped tree found throughout the new-world tropics, and the menu is contemporary Latin American, specifically Yucatan (Vera Cruz and Cancun), Brazilian (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro), Peruvian, and Cuban.

David Guas, experienced and honored Pastry Chef is a private consultant, boutique pastry caterer, and dessert cookbook author. The name of his business is a nod to his roots in Louisiana and his culinary inclination; another strong influence is his Cuban heritage, through his Havana-born father. In 2004, David Guas' talent and creativity earned him the title of Pastry Chef of the Year from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. Bon Appétit magazine named him one of eight pastry chefs in the country titled "Dessert Stars" in an issue that featured his dessert.

The nation's capital welcomed DC Coast as a breath of fresh air when it opened ten years ago, and has made it a Washington institution ever since. The restaurant, the sleek interior of which reflects its situation in Washington's first Art Deco office building, is credited with reviving its downtown neighborhood. Executive Chef Tunks' culinary inspirations along with Chef de Cuisine Brendan Cox create an innovative Modern American menu that showcases the best from the various coastal regions: mid-Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and West Coast/Pacific Rim.

Domenica means “Sunday” in Italian, and acclaimed chef John Besh’s new restaurant of that name is a tribute to the lovingly prepared Sunday suppers in the old country, weekly occasions steeped in ancient tradition. Located downtown in New Orleans’ just-renovated historic Roosevelt Hotel, Domenica’s inviting interior is anchored by ample wooden tables just waiting to receive platters of artisan pastas, precisely cured salume of estate-raised pork, handcrafted gnocchi, fire-roasted vegetables and blistery-crusted pizzas – all created according to the ages-old techniques absorbed by Executive Chef Alon Shaya and his staff during their months of Italian immersion outside Parma. All that culture, custom, and wisdom applied to the freshest Louisiana ingredients gives a whole new meaning to ‘Sunday best.’

For the epicurean-minded, a pilgrimage to the North Shore is rewarded with a true farm-life experience, from house-made preserves, charcuterie, and eggs cultivated on property to an elegantly aging French colonial stucco building the color of light moss, blending harmoniously with the surrounding greenery.

Chef John Besh had long wanted to bring back from extinction the great old brasseries that used to thrive in New Orleans. 'Alsace meets New Orleans,' is how they characterize the cuisine, explaining that the old brasseries were the time-honored establishments of late 19th-century German and Jewish immigrants -- whose influence on the food and culture of the city was profound.

Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s elegant haute French flagship restaurant that regularly tops the best-of lists in the nation’s capital was rated the top restaurant fro food in Zagat’s 2011 Washington DC/Baltimore Restaurant Survey, as well as one of the top five restaurants for service.

Chef Robert Wiedmaier’s latest venture, Mussel Bar is located in Bethesda Maryland and offers a contemporary evocation of the roadside dives outside Brussels where he used to haunt after hours with his fellow cooks. Besides the delectable selection of mussels, Mussel Bar offers a tempting array of flat-crusted savory Belgian tartes – a northern European cousin of the pizza.

PassionFish, located in the popular Reston Town Center, is the next generation, twenty-first century rendition of the group's first restaurant, DC Coast, , taking its tri-coastal seafood theme to a global level. The menu and food concept are driven by nationally recognized Chef Jeff Tunks and Chef de Cuisine, Chris Clime, whose 'passions' lie in sourcing a premier selection of seafood for his establishments. The cuisine of PassionFish represents the bounty of the world's oceans, lakes, seas, and waterways reflecting the flavors and natural resources of the Mediterranean, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Acclaimed Chef Jeff Tunks and his Chef de Cuisine Cliff Wharton, native of the Philippines, have been delighting diners at TenPenh with southeast Asian-influenced cuisine, encompassing flavors from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and The Philippines, not so foreign as to frighten away the uninitiated, but exotic enough to refresh the most worldly of palates. The restaurant's interior is a medley of rich orange, ruby red, and burnished gold silks, punctuated by Asian antiques and custom-made contemporary furnishings.

Tucked away on a quiet hill in Charlottesville, Virginia is the casually elegant Clifton Inn, a fine Relais & Châteaux hotel whose history, like so much in the area, is linked directly to the family of Thomas Jefferson. The stately main house and out buildings offer cheery and comfortable rooms and suites. The extensive grounds are a peaceful refuge featuring a croquet lawn, an infinity pool, and the area’s only clay tennis court. Chef Dean Maupin’s exquisite American cuisine highlights the bounty of fresh local Virginia ingredients.

In just four years, this exclusive hotel with four private casitas tucked away within 300-acres of Texas country, welcomed the Relais & Chateaux distinction. The Inn at Dos Brisas is the only hotel in Texas to hold such a prestigious title. At this luxurious yet rustic farm and culinary destination with its collection of vegetable and flower gardens, horse barn and stables, fields, and main ranch house, guests can treasure the seclusion of the property or partake in the offerings on the farm at the hand of Executive Chef Jason Robinson.

Soniat House, in the quiet residential heart of New Orleans’ storied French Quarter, recreates for its guests the gracious and elegant comforts of nineteenth century Creole life. The fine boutique hotel is in fact a collection of three neighboring townhouses built for the family of Joseph Soniat, a prosperous Louisiana planter, that have been reunited and meticulously restored to their original grandeur. The thirty-three guestrooms and suites, each individually decorated and furnished with fine antiques, luxurious finishes and sumptuous bedding, are united by lacy ironwork galleries, sun-dappled courtyards, handsome salons, and graceful spiral staircases. The atmosphere of old fashioned charm is discreetly enhanced by essential modern conveniences like wi-fi and bathside telephones.