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Being a cheffy brasserie, of course there’s a $70 fancy chicken for the table: a brined, spice-rubbed bird served feet-on with wood fire-roasted breasts, a pot of confit thighs in rich chicken-fat sabayon, and crispy fried legs. Or opt for caviar service-either classic or a more playful (and less expensive) “chips and dip” version with trout roe, a creamy ranch-style custard, and butter-fried potato chips. Diners can indulge in homemade breads, composed charcuterie plates, and cheeses to start. Seafood towers-small and grand-will parade from a custom, walnut-and-brass raw bar. The warmly lit space, designed by Natalie Park (also behind Dupont Circle’s Anju), provides plenty of opportunity to splurge. Uni-brioche toasts accompany a Maryland crab salad with grapefruit sabayon. Baker also tapped former Bourbon chef Andrew Cleverdon as chef de cuisine. Photograph by LeadingDCįor dessert, pastry chef Aisha Momaney is ready with soufflés sauced tableside with creme anglaise, and a decadent bananas Foster sundae. “We basically shoved out the shrimp and plugged in carrots.” Vegetarian dishes include this celery root “tatin” with miso-apple cream and agave glaze. “I think Dauphine’s has the best BBQ shrimp in the city,” says Baker of his downtown New Orleans-inspired neighbor. There are also plenty of vegetables on the menu, such as barbecued carrots dressed in a Worcestershire-heavy sauce with cornbread croutons. New Orleans comes to mind in dishes like oyster gratinee, which is served with grilled bread for mopping up the creamy Creole-spiced sauce. A fried whole fish with nuoc cham, herb salad, and crispy garlic pays tribute to his hometown’s big Vietnamese population and dining scene. A hamachi crudo-with Tajin spice, pineapple, guajillo-chili dressing, avocado mousse, and cilantro-is inspired by Houston’s al pastor taquerias. Some of the nods to Baker’s favorite food cities are more obvious than others. Hamachi crudo is inspired by tacos al pastor. Named after Baker’s late mother, Michele’s draws from three big culinary forces: her native New Orleans, Baker’s native Houston, and the chef’s classic French training, which he says is always “the backbone of the kitchen.” So what does that look like on the table? Not your typical brasserie fare. A riff on a lobster roll with a creamy salad, micro celery, and toasty brioche. An intimate omakase tasting bar will debut in the coming weeks. The 132-seat dining room and heated outdoor patio will be joined by a branch of Baker’s all-day cafe Baker’s Daughter. Chef Matt Baker of Ivy City tasting room Gravitas will soon debut his next restaurant, Michele’s. The playful French-American brasserie and raw bar will open on Wednesday, November 3 inside downtown DC’s trendy Eaton hotel.