Before reached its one-year anniversary, chefs and owners Miguel Guerra and Tatiana Mora discovered their plant-based restaurant made history.听
The Latin American restaurant earned its first Michelin star, making Guerra the youngest Venezuelan chef to receive a Michelin star and Mora the first Venezuelan female chef to earn the honor, as reported by .听
Not long after, the James Beard Foundation nominated the D.C. restaurant in the New Restaurant category, though .
鈥淢ita, for me, is a vegetable experience,” Mora told 91欧美激情. “We try to expose or demonstrate the ancestral food in a holistic way 鈥� because I am so spiritual.鈥�
Part of what makes the inventive Shaw restaurant stand out is that Mita is one of only five Hispanic restaurants in the D.C. Michelin Guide to have a Michelin star 鈥� among Elcielo, Imperfecto, Causa and Xiquet 鈥� and it is the only eatery of the bunch that is plant-based. But diners don鈥檛 need to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy the experience.
The menu may have some items that sound familiar, such as arepas or ceviche, but everything presented 鈥� and dutifully explained by the front-of-house staff 鈥� invites ooh鈥檚 and aah鈥檚. The tricky-to-please 聽鈥淢ita is in part a lesson in ingredients you might not have sampled鈥� as well as 鈥渁n example of unexpected marriages.鈥�
The arepa dish is one of Mora鈥檚 most-loved on the menu with the multiple versions of the corn cakes accompanied by three dips: an orange-colored dip from the chontaduro fruit with notes of passion fruit and pineapple, a sour cream made from cashews and heart of palm with a chili oil drizzled on top and, finally, guasacaca, which is an avocado-based sauce.
One of the most wow-worthy dishes on the tasting menu is undoubtedly the pachamama. The dish is inspired from a revered deity in Andean cultures who is regarded as the fertility goddess. The several bites of food 鈥� yucca crisp, salt-baked celery root, black bean mole, aj铆 amarillo and more 鈥� are placed atop a glass box filled with dollar bills, marshmallows, chocolate coins, among other items.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a journey through Latin America,鈥� Guerra said. 鈥淲e wanted to have something that’s unique to Venezuela, but we did not want to create a Venezuelan restaurant, but we felt like there has to be something that represents us.鈥�
Before Mita opened at 804 V St. NW in D.C., the concept was a pop-up in the La Cosecha food hall in Union Market District. Now, diners can enjoy the four-course menu at the bar for $75, the six-course tasting menu in the dining room for $105 or the 14-course tasting menu for $165 per person.听
On advice they would give to others in the food and beverage field, Mora said, 鈥淏elieve in yourself because I think that the limits are in your head.鈥�
Guerra said, 鈥淚f you believe in what you’re doing and you stay true to it, I think you probably will be successful.鈥�
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