By Nicole Gill Council CouncilMag.com

Seven years after leaving the DMV, Chef Marcus Samuelsson is back in the region with a colorful, flavorful restaurant at The Morrow Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Marcus DC menu draws on Samuelsson’s roots as well as local flavors under the guidance of Executive Chef Anthony Jones, a Maryland native.

Stepping into Marcus DC, patrons are greeted by the bright colors and large tables meant for sharing. The circular tables and semi-circle banquettes say bring your party of five, you can all fit here. The open kitchen allows diners to get a peak at the process, while refrigerated cases showcase ribeye and tuna undergoing the dry-aging process. A private dining room features artwork high on the wall.

The Marcus DC menu offers a culinary experience that combines a variety of flavors.

The menu does away with the traditional headings of appetizers, entrées and sides. Instead, it uses “Table Talk,” “Impressions,” “Nourishers,” “Gatherings” and “Companions.”

It’s an ideal setting for celebrating special occasions.

We visited Marcus DC on a Thursday evening. While there’s seating for larger groups, there is an intimacy to the space. There is enough spacing between tables that you don’t feel like you’re on top of guests at the next table. Note, the backs of the banquette are close together, so you may overhear another table’s conversation.

The mix of unexpected flavors stood out. Blue cornbread featured flaky sea salt and chives with berbere honey on top and Yassa butter for spreading. Crispy pork belly is a surf and turf iteration as it is served with tiger prawn, apricot mustard and a spiced sauce.

The aromatic roasted channel sea bass with its mussel broth looked more like a curry than a broth. It was a treat to have mussels on the plate, along with the spinach and fennel. The dry-aged ribeye came with trumpet mushrooms, berbere crust and black garlic jus.

And let’s not forget the crispy sweet potatoes. Have you ever had sweet potatoes topped with crème fraiche and trout roe? Nope. It was a delight. The berbere spice once again added a lovely layer of flavor. Bergamot sorbet rounded out the meal with a bright, sweet and tart citrus profile.