The Grill Room’s a gold mine of talent thanks to its recent acquisitions. Former Palena chef /owner Frank Ruta is now commanding the kitchen inside the Capella Washington DC Georgetown. He brought along his all-star pastry chef, Aggie Chin, who has received nods from Food & Wine, among others. Aggie’s desserts stand out because she has a knack for balancing sweet and savory—like her parsnip cake. Finally, The Grill Room also brought in master sommelier Keith Goldston to jazz up the wine program. Don’t worry—the Champagne cart is still rolling around.

We snapped Frank’s buckwheat and Yukon Gold potato gnocchi studded with Honshiimeji mushrooms, sweet potato, wild rice, goat cheese fonduta and Reggiano. It was the first dish he added to the new menu. The winter menu is heavy on meat, like a suckling pig trio, to aid diners who are in snow-covered hibernation mode. Also look for braised beef cheeks & venison loin duo, dry-aged Shenandoah Angus ribeye and a roasted Muscovy duck breast.