Plume
Photo: by Stirling Elmendorf
Thomas Jefferson’s creativity and culinary passions inspired the renovation of the Downtown beaux arts hotel that bears his name. When its doors reopen in late August, bec fins will discover several sumptuous settings for indulging in seasonal New American fare. In Plume, its formal dining room, the silk padded wallpaper’s hand-painted scenes of Monticello will be set off by the glow of a 200-year-old chandelier. Quill, a handsome bar/lounge with VIP rooms, features 18th-century maps of Jefferson’s European wine journeys. Finally, the Greenhouse will serve breakfast and cafe fare beneath an elegant atrium, while the Private Cellar boasts vaulted ceilings and a wine dumbwaiter modeled after Jefferson’s (16th and M Sts. NW; 202-448-2300).