Eat
Chef Matt Baker at Gravitas. Photo by John Rorapaugh.
Choose Your Own Dining Adventure
September 30, 2022 @ 12:00pm
At District Fray, we love to highlight local pioneers of the D.C. food scene. This month, we shine a spotlight on Chef Matt Baker, who leads the 101 Hospitality restaurant group, encompassing a series of five unique dining experiences throughout D.C. chef Baker’s culinary influence on the city, his commitment to supporting local farms and vendors and his extraordinary team — dedicated to hospitality, sustainability, and supporting women and minority groups — inspired us to share 101 Hospitality’s overall awesomeness.
The Team
Chef Matt Baker
Owner of the 101 Hospitality restaurant group, chef Matt Baker operates five notable dining venues in D.C.: fine dining new American restaurant Gravitas; the Conservatory at Ivy City, a rooftop bar and lounge above Gravitas; Michele’s, a fine dining venue in the Eaton hotel; Lorraine’s, a special chef’s counter dining experience within Michele’s; and finally, Baker’s Daughter, a café with multiple locations around D.C.
Chef Baker’s restaurants showcase his multi-faceted culinary style influenced by growing up in Houston, having a mother from New Orleans, living in Miami and helming a restaurant in Singapore. In D.C., he lent his culinary skills to several restaurants before opening the Michelin-starred Gravitas in 2018. His love of seasonal produce is apparent at all his venues, as well as his mastery of decadent flavors. Follow Matt Baker on Instagram @chef_mbaker
Chef de Cuisine Rachel Bindel
Chef Rachel loves to recreate food memories at Michele’s, where she collaborates with chef Baker on Lorraine’s “restaurant within a restaurant” tasting menu experience. She keeps a food diary of recipes from every restaurant where she’s worked to help her continue to learn, grow and develop her culinary ideas. She values zero waste and sustainability and tackles these issues daily in her work. Follow Rachel Bindel on Instagram @lilbindel
Director of Operations Carla Changwailing
Changwailing has worked in the restaurant industry for more than 20 years. She’s continuously inspired by her ever-growing obsession with food, wine and spirits. She has honed her knowledge and skills from a variety of dining concepts and from living in different regions of the U.S. Joining the D.C.-area dining scene is the culmination of two decades of education and practice. She is thrilled to learn from and contribute to the diverse team at 101 Hospitality. Follow Carla Changwailing on Instagram @makingandmixinglife
Corporate Bar Director Judy Elahi
Elahi’s commitment to inclusion helps set her apart from other bar directors. She utilizes spirits and ingredients from women- and minority-owned artisans at Gravitas, Michele’s and Baker’s Daughter. She also dedicates her time to women’s rights events, such as this past summer’s cocktail-making fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. Follow Judy Elahi on Instagram @_freshpressed_
Corporate Executive Pastry Chef Aisha Momaney
Chef Momaney spent many years in New York City’s food industry before bringing her talent to D.C. Her time in New York and her childhood in Vermont, along with the people in her life, inspire her culinary creations. She is known for devising desserts comprised of less sugar and more natural sweeteners and local ingredients. You can sample her desserts at Gravitas, including coconut rice pudding with blueberry compote, corn ice cream and milk chocolate custard. Follow Aisha Momaney on Instagram @amomaney
The Restaurants
Baker’s Daughter
With locations in Ivy City, downtown and Chinatown, there are plenty of opportunities to sample the delicious breakfast and lunch items from the Baker’s Daughter. Like Chef Baker’s other venues, the menu changes depending on seasonal flavors — but you can count on goods like breakfast tacos, egg and cheese sandwiches, a sinfully fine grilled cheese with cheddar and gruyere melted on buttery brioche, avocado toast and other items guaranteed to make your day better. The sweet end of the menu is downright dreamy, featuring dulce de leche brownies, red velvet whoopie pies and s’mores rice crispy treats. 675 I St. NW, DC; 1201 K St. NW, DC; 1402 Okie St. NE, DC; bakersdaughterdc.com // @bakersdaughterdc
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CMB at Home
CMB at Home is chef Matt Baker’s latest concept, designed to be enjoyed from the comfort of home. Each month, CMB at Home features family-style meals for two or more people for purchase, inspired by the same culinary influences that shape the menus at his other restaurants — and his dinner table at home. cmbcatering.com // @cmbathome
Conservatory
For a rooftop dining experience in a grand urban garden, visit the Conservatory above Gravitas. The beautiful setting is only enhanced by the delicious food and drink offerings, which include a watermelon panzanella, grilled halloumi with a fig gastrique, chocolate chess pie and a knock-your-socks-off espresso martini with rum, oat milk and allspice dram liquor. 1401 Okie St. NE, DC; conservatorydc.com // @conservatory.dc
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Gravitas
This epic fine dining Michelin-starred venue in Ivy City offers an exquisite dining experience, with both a full tasting menu and a plant-based tasting menu deserving of its accolades for creativity and seasonality. Dishes include green tomato gazpacho, ratatouille pave and coconut rice pudding with blueberry compote and poached raisins. In addition to the impressive tasting menus, the restaurant offers a special separate chef’s counter intimate dining experience, plus a less expensive three-course Taste of Gravitas menu every evening from 5-6 p.m. and all night at the bar. Guests can also enjoy regularly scheduled cooking demos from chef Baker and pastry chef Momaney. 1401 Okie St. NE, DC; gravitasdc.com // @gravitasdc
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Lorraine’s
This restaurant within a restaurant — named after Baker’s mother — offers a regularly changing 14-course tasting menu. Only 10 seats are available, with one seating on Thursdays and two on Fridays and Saturdays. Sample the truffle-topped artichoke soup, chef Baker’s mother’s favorite, which may be the creamiest and most decadent dish in town. The menu can be tweaked for some dietary restrictions, but vegetarians cannot be accommodated at this time. 1201 K St. NW, DC; michelesdc.com/lorraines // @micheles.dc
Michele’s
Michele’s pays homage to chef Baker’s late mother and features food from his childhood in Houston and his mother’s time in New Orleans, as well as her favorite dishes. The seafood-centric menu changes often, but you can count on treats like fresh oysters; buttery, parmesan-topped seasonal bread; local produce-inspired salads; and addictive truffle fries. The dessert menu includes dynamite dishes like bananas foster with vanilla bourbon ice cream, flourless chocolate cake and a lemon lavender tart. The cocktail scene is equally as tempting as the food, with drinks like the Yellow Brick Road, made with citron, clarified citrus, saffron, turmeric chai and pink salt. 1201 K St. NW, DC; michelesdc.com // @micheles.dc
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