Critics' choice: Delights from the African diaspora

Mahari

Chicago

"Mahari brings not just the vibrant cuisines of the African diaspora to Chicago, but also chefs blazing their own paths," said Louisa Kung Liu Chu in the Chicago Tribune. Rahim Muhammad and his mother co-own the Hyde Park restaurant, whose dining room, with its woven-grass ceiling, creates "an escape from the everyday." Mahari's strong communal vibe starts in the kitchen, where cooks from across the Caribbean, West Africa, and the American South contribute to a menu overseen by Muhammad. His Louisiana upbringing and Le Cordon Bleu training shine through in a "spectacular" prawn and polenta dish and "stunning" salmon calas—a savory twist on New Orleans' breakfast rice cakes. A Haitian chef creates the pikliz, a peppery condiment, used for the popular lamb burger while a friend of East African heritage makes the meat-and-lentil-filled sambusas. Muhammad's mother, known as Mama Shawn, makes the desserts, which are "endearingly homestyle," a sharp contrast to her son's elevated mains. But community is everything here. Visit for a birthday and it'll be celebrated by Caribbean drumming and a room-wide toast. 1504 E. 55th St.

Kabawa

New York City

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Plenty of restaurants "seem focused on making guests feel rich," said Matthew Schneier in NYMag.com. At Kabawa, where the menu's directive reads, "Love yuh self. Eat yuh guts full," chef Paul Carmichael and crew dedicate themselves to making their diners happy. Kabawa is Carmichael's "ode not just to his own Bajan upbringing but to the entire Caribbean diaspora," and it's an exercise in deliciousness. A meal at the counter that wraps the open kitchen is interactive and boisterous, and usually begins with roti that you use to scoop up chickpea curry and other dips. Carmichael, who has earned this perch in the Momofuku empire, "knows how to coax deep, almost outrageous flavors from even simple dishes." His duck sausage has "a coffeelike richness and subtle heat," and you're not likely to find a more tender square of goat than what Kabawa serves in a stewy dried-scallop curry. I do wish the dining room wasn't so dark, but that doesn't kill the joy Kabawa cultivates. Sure, the three-course prix fixe costs $145. But you leave "lighter in pocket and in spirit." 8 Extra Place

Elmina

Washington, D.C.

At Elmina, former Top Chef contestant Eric Adjepong is "putting the food he knows from childhood on a pedestal," said Tom Sietsema in The Washington Post. In a sleek, three-level space, the son of Ghanaian immigrants offers diners two ways to engage. "One is to belly up to one of the two bars and graze from a menu of dishes rooted in West African street food." You can't miss with kelewele—fried ripe plantains with peanuts—or chofi—fatty, juicy turkey tail that's also fried and eaten with a "bold and funky" shito sauce. The $105 four-course tasting menu, served in the upper-level dining rooms, might open with a "sunset-colored" corn bisque or mashed eggplant with roasted tomato and goat cheese. "The prize among second courses" is the fufu. Here the pounded plantain and cassava are served atop a bar of braised goat that sits in a peanut soup, all of which I so obviously enjoyed that a server exclaimed, "Slap your momma, right?" All signs point to success for Elmina. "Amen to that, and pass the fufu." 2208 14th St. NW