Washingtonian: 8 Ways DC’s Food Scene Changed in 2022

For a restaurant, there are benefits in serving a set prix fixe menu: more predictable food costs, less ingredient waste, and, thanks to often-steep cancellation charges, a decrease in no-show diners. Among the dining rooms that have nixed à la carte ordering (save for an occasional bar menu) this year: Mid-Atlantic-inspired Shaw destination the Dabney(now $170 a person), Rose’s Luxury on the Hill ($95), 14th Street hot spots Seven Reasons ($90) and Bresca ($84 to $148), and the neo-French hotel eatery Michele’s ($85). Thing is, there are fewer benefits to the diner—high tabs and those cancellation fees, for example. And not everyone wants to face a long multi-course meal on a random Tuesday night. Whether this is a trend with staying power remains to be seen. Navy Yard’s Albi tried it, then brought back its à la carte options after just a month.