HotelChatter

Ducasse's three-Michelin-starred contemporary French fare is a highly anticipated boon for Washington foodies. The formula follows the success of Adour at St. Regis New York. The District's Adour is being led by executive chef Julien Jouhannaud, a 29-year-old prodigy who earned his stripes in Le Louis XV in Monaco, Mix in Las Vegas, and the Harbour Grill in Singapore's Hilton Hotel.

You may recall the St. Regis closed for a top-to-bottom renovation back in September 2006 and has been reopened in its restored glory since this past February, complete with its traditionally snooty details like Louis XVI chandeliers. With Adour, St. Regis hopes to convince everyone they're, like, totally modern and not at all stuffy (just don't tell that to their bespoke butlers).

The hallmark of Adour's menu is wine pairings (with some 500 bottles in its cellar) and locally sourced produce and meats, with fresh and seasonal ingredients when possible. So if you can't shell out for a night in the colossal 2,510-square-foot Presidential Suite, which starts at a mean $10,000, perhaps you can instead satiate your St. Regis lust with one of Adour's savory apps, from organic chicken and foie gras to tuna tartar with avocado wasabi ice cream. Or, you know, just sip a glass of vino at the bar for a glimpse of the scene.