Martel Stone
Dōgon | Washington, D.C.
February 2026
Martel Stone was serving in the Navy when a bite of an exceptional French omelette changed the course of his career. After his tour, he moved to Hampton Roads, Virginia, and dove into his first job in the restaurant industry, working at The Founders Inn and Spa under Chef Jarrod Himes. A few years later, Stone got his first sous chef position at Press 626 Wine Bar in Norfolk.
In 2016, on a trip to Washington, D.C., Stone ran into Rising Stars alum Kwame Onwuachi at Union Market. Onwuachi reached out to Stone not long after, inviting him to join the team at Kith/Kin, his acclaimed Afro-Caribbean restaurant. There, Stone developed as a chef and leader, learning from Onwuachi and working his way through the kitchen before eventually becoming executive sous chef. In 2021, he became executive chef of The H at The Gathering Spot, where he spent the next two years. Stone then went on to cook and judge for shows on Food Network like “Chopped,” “Alex vs. America,” “Worst Cooks in America,” and “Bobby’s Triple Threat,” ending up on the 2024 Food Network Hot List.
After a few years, Stone started a pop-up called Black Supper, where he explored the intersection of African, Caribbean, and American South diasporic cuisines. In 2024, he reunited with Onwuachi, joining Dōgon as chef de cuisine. Building on the mission of Black Supper, Stone is digging even deeper at Dōgon through dishes like his branzino with mussel curry-shrimp dashi sauce, shito crisp, and cilantro, merging cultures and propelling guests’ curiosity one bite at a time.
2026 StarChefs D.C.-Maryland-Virginia Rising Stars Award Winner
