The rising-star chef shares his favourite handmade pasta, comfort food cravings and where to find the best late-night Chinese food in the city.
Since opening in 2020, Albi has been on a rapid ascent. Chef-owner Michael Rafidi's modern take on traditional Palestinian fare earned the Navy Yard restaurant a Michelin star and a spot on the North America's 50 Best Restaurants inaugural list in quick succession.
Albi, which means 'my heart' in Arabic, is Rafidi's personal expression of his Palestinian heritage and American experience. "[Albi] is very Arab Palestinian to the palate, but it's American in the sense that we're trying to support all our local producers, farmers and fishermen," says Rafidi.
Palestinian heart meets American ingredients in dishes like this shish barak – dumplings filled with rabbit, morels and peas with jalapeño oil and garlic yoghurt (image: Rey Lopez)
It's a neighbourhood fine-dining restaurant, with dishes on both the tasting menu and a la carte offering designed to be shared. "It's the best of both worlds," says Rafidi. "There's fine dining, but also you can walk in any day and have a great meal."
Outside the kitchen, Rafidi is both embedded in the DC food scene and a world traveller, often bringing back inspiration to inform the ever-changing tasting menu at Albi. He shares the dishes, drinks and not-so guilty pleasures he can't get enough of.
Favourite childhood dish?
"Sfeeha, it's a lamb meat pie and the first thing listed on our menu because it was my favourite dish growing up. It's one of the things I used to steal from the fridge. You take a piece of raw pitta bread dough and put ground lamb, tomatoes, spices, chillies, sumac and tahini on it, and then it's baked in the wood-fire oven. It's basically a mini pizza."
A version of sfeeha appears on Albi's menu, baked in a wood-burning oven then served with toum and a za'atar dusted lemon (image: Rey Lopez)
Off-duty food rituals?
"On my days off I'm cooking at home with friends and family. Lots of barbecue – I do kebabs, grilled fish or vegetables in a simple way. I try not to think too much when I'm cooking at home. There might be noodles, and we go to the farmers' market every Sunday morning and get whatever's available."
Best place to get groceries?
"We always have beautiful produce in the fridge from the farmers' market, but I love to go to the different Asian markets – Korean, Chinese or Vietnamese – and get my pantry stocked with all the condiments and different noodles and rice. I veer towards more Asian flavour at home because I don't cook that at the restaurant. There's definitely less Middle Eastern food at home on Sunday and Monday!"
A dish you make for date night?
"Emily is pescetarian, so we typically cook vegetables – lots of handmade pasta dishes. If it's crab season, crab and corn pasta is something we make together."
Best late-night bite?
"As I get older, the late nights don't happen as much. I don't go out as much after afternoon service, but there are a couple of places in DC we like to frequent if it is late night. Jumbo Slice Pizza was a big thing we used to do after service. It's the biggest slice of pizza. There's also late-night Chinese restaurant Astoria that we go to quite often."
Cravings after travelling abroad?
"I'm always itching to get back in the kitchen after travelling. [When I go] on these trips and eat in different restaurants and see different cultures, I'm taking notes and always excited to get back. One piece of inspiration could make its way back in a different form – maybe a dish I had at a restaurant, or an ingredient I've never cooked with before."
Sweet or savoury snacks?
"I have a sweet tooth. Since my fiancée owns a bakery and I own a café and a bakery, the hardest thing to stay away from is all the little sweet treats, pastries and cookies. At Emily's bakery, canelés are the thing I like to steal the most. Or at Yellow, we have these ma'amoul cookies the pastry team makes. They're always super fire, so every time I see one, I'm taking it right off the shelf."
Yellow's hand-pressed semolina ma'amoul cookies are stuffed with fruity fillings such as quince jam or apple butter (image: Rey Lopez)
The best thing you ate last week?
"There's a restaurant I go to every other week in DC called Bar del Monte. It's a pizza spot and I have the arrosticini – they're basically Italian mini lamb kebab skewers with chilli oil and lemon. They're so good."
And the most ordinary?
"That's tough. We have hummus in all our restaurants and that's something everyone eats all the time. For me, it's probably every other day, whether I'm tasting or eating it with pitta and olive oil. It's the most delightful thing."
Maryland blue crab on hummus with woodfired pitta is a signature dish at Albi (image: Rey Lopez)
Your drink of choice?
"I don't drink a lot, but when I do, it's arak. It's the spirit of the Middle East. We always have the best in the restaurants and at home. After [we were announced as the winner of the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, as part of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026], I told my team to do an arak cheers in the restaurant. It's a special spirit to me. I grew up hating the smell, but after turning 30, it feels so nostalgic."
Your on-the-road comfort food?
"Probably pitta sandwiches. That's something I crave all the time. A kebab or shawarma sandwich are my go-tos."
The best-kept food scene secret in DC?
"There's a restaurant called Oyster Oyster. It's a vegetarian-ish restaurant that's only around 30 seats. It's not really a hidden gem, but when people come from out of town, I'll take them to an unexpected new vegetarian restaurant."
The ultimate order at Albi?
"The best way to order is to do the Sofra. It's a spontaneous menu that lets the chefs, servers and somms curate the meal for you. You can't leave without trying the sfeeha, the warak dawali and the kibbeh naya. We also have these dumplings on the menu called shish barak. They're meat-filled, or sometimes veggie-filled, dumplings glazed in a garlicky yoghurt sauce with chilli crisp. [I'd also recommend] the smoked trout in grape leaves and the lamb kebab.
"For dessert, knafeh is the dessert I grew up with. It's shredded filo dough filled with fresh cheese, drenched in a floral syrup with seasonal ice cream. Right now, it's apricot."
Traditional knafeh is given a modern update at Albi with floral syrup, brown butter and pistachio (image: Rey Lopez)
Albi is the winner of the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, as part of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026. Discover the full ranking and other special award winners.
(Header image: Rey Lopez)
