Here are the First Michelin Stars for Restaurants in Washington, D.C.

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Stars fell on the nation's capital today — restaurant stars, that is — as Washington, D.C. joined New York, Chicago and San Francisco as the only American cities with their own 2017 Michelin Guides. For those who might not be familiar with the fine-dining world, Michelin Guides highlight the best places to eat in each appointed city and feature restaurants (and chefs) that are awarded Michelin Stars for exceptional food and service.

In total, 12 DC restaurants won awards, with three places — Pineapples and Pearls, Minibar and The Inn at Little Washington — garnering two stars and nine spots — Rose's Luxury, The Dabney, Blue Duck Tavern, Kinship, Plume, Tail Up Goat, Masseria, Fiola and Sushi Taro — landing a single, but still-coveted star. Interestingly though, none were awarded the coveted three stars.

"We were thrilled to see over the past few years in Washington the emergence of a unique culinary signature — Mid-Atlantic cuisine," said Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guide. "A host of local chefs, many of whom have worked and trained in other parts of the country, not to mention other countries, have come back to DC to use superb local products, transformed in unique ways, to create truly remarkable food."

Michelin provides the following explanation of what its stars mean: One star is for "high quality cooking, worth a stop;" two stars mean "excellent cuisine, worth a detour" and three stars are awarded for "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

In addition to the stars and reviews, 19 restaurants were given "Bib Gourmand" rankings for being overall good-value places to eat. Listed alphabetically, they are: Bad Saint, Bidwell, Boqueria, Chercher, China Chilcano, Das, Doi Moi, Jaleo, Kyirisan, Lapis, Maketto, Ottoman Taverna, Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, Red Hen, Royal, Thip Khao, 2Amys and Zaytinya.

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An awards reception is being held this evening at the French ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C., with many of the newly-starred chefs in attendance. The 96-page Guide for each city sells for $12.99 and each will be released on the following dates: San Francisco on October 25, Chicago on November 7 and New York City on November 17.

As always, remember to pay for your meals with a credit card that'll help you earn more toward your next dream vacation, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which gives you 3x points on dining and travel purchases worldwide.

Where are your favorite places to eat in DC? Tell us about them below.

Featured image of Chef Patrick O'Connell courtesy of The Inn at Little Washington.