When Chef Jeremiah Langhorne opened The Dabney in 2015, his goal was to make it a showcase for the bounty of the Mid-Atlantic region. Washington, D.C., was going through a restaurant renaissance 10 years ago, he said, and the timing was right to introduce something other than a steakhouse or French or Italian restaurant.Â
He builds dishes around local seafood, like Cape May scallops and Chesapeake Bay oysters and crab, as well as produce, grains and meats sourced from tri-state farmers with long-standing relationships to the restaurant. The menu allows people to come in and experience the food in whatever way they like, whether it’s sitting at the bar having a beer and a small plate, sharing family-style entrees, ordering a la carte off the whole menu or splurging on a prix fixe multi-course dinner.Â
The Dabney is a Michelin-starred restaurant without pretensions. Chef Langhorne encourages conviviality—from the wood-fired hearth in the center of the action to the flexible menu and warm service style.Â
Although he never attended culinary school, Langhorne was mentored by some of the most esteemed chefs and restaurateurs in the world. Listen as he shares his inspiring journey from pizza deliveryman to staging in top kitchens around the country, how he attributes much of his success to supportive industry mentors, and how he continues to evolve The Dabney while staying true to his original vision.
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Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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