Martel Stone

The Climb

Martel Stone’s route to the line started in the United States Navy, then moved into restaurant work at The Founders Inn and Spa in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where service and repetition set the foundation. At Press 626 Wine Bar in Norfolk, Virginia, he advanced to sous chef, then carried that experience to Washington, D.C., where he served as executive sous chef at Kith/Kin. By 2021–2023, Martel had taken on the executive chef role at The H at The Gathering Spot, where the job put him at the center of a kitchen with its own pace and standards. Since 2024, he has served as Chef de cuisine of Dōgon, where the cooking is grounded in the African diaspora and kept in motion rather than fixed in place.

Today

The role demands command, but the cooking points to something broader than management. Stone describes the other part of the job just as directly: “I also need to create dishes that push the cuisine forward.” That idea is clearest in the branzino with mussel curry-shrimp dashi sauce, shito crisp, and cilantro. It is the dish identified as pushing the cuisine forward by merging cultures, and it does so through composition rather than force. Curry branzino has also been called his best argument, a compact example of how Stone lets spice, seafood, and cross-cultural technique share the plate without flattening any one of them. Other dishes extend the same approach in different registers. Mom Dukes Shrimp brings warmth and recognition, while berbere-laced chicken and rice adds aromatic depth and comfort. Taken together, they describe a restaurant table where diaspora is tasted through heat, texture, and ingredients meeting one another with purpose.

Signature

Martel's signature dishes include curry branzino, Ben's Bowl, Mom Dukes Shrimp, and berbere-laced chicken and rice.

In Their Words “I also need to create dishes that push the cuisine forward.”

Recognition

Martel's honors include 2026 StarChefs D.C.-Maryland-Virginia Rising Stars Award Winner (2026).