Dinner at Jaleo

I have mentioned it before, but I love us some Mexican/Spanish food, so finding ourselves in Chinatown after a drink at Poste we decided to try dinner at Jaleo.  (Over two years ago we tried the happy hour they used to have and had a terrible experience at the bar, so…it was time to give the venue another chance and actually try out the food…)

We were seated outside on the corner of 7^th & E St and the poor waitress had about nine tables all to herself, which was a bad call on the managers part that night, but thankfully we waited through it and were thankful we did because the tapas ended up being fabulous.  The menu was extremely tough to navigate for a newbie… all the dish names were in Spanish so we were left to read the descriptions on most to decipher what they actually were.  I ended up selecting two dishes off the list they had for a people who wanted a three course meal because I figured those had to be favorites.

We ordered:

Setas Aljillo Con La Serena – sauteed seasonal mushrooms with la serena potato puree.

Pollo Al Jjillo Con Salsa Verde – grilled marinated chicken served with parsley puree and garlic sauce

Patata Bravas – potatoes spicy tomato sauce and alioli

Croquetas De Pollo – traditional chicken fritters (which came in this awesome presentation below)

The flavors of each and of them all together were great!

I would definitely go back and would recommend this place, with a small warning that the service might not be fabulous but that the food is worth it.

 

Details:
Jaleo
480 7th St NW
Washington, DC 20004
202.628.7949
Serve: Lunch, Dinner, Drinks, Brunch
Price: $13.00 – $24.00

Drinks at Ambar

One day I had a conversation with a bartender about he thought it was a joke that now a lot of his colleagues called themselves mixologist… I laughed along with him because someone that makes a rum and coke or pops the top off your Bud Light definitely doesn’t  deserve the title, but last Saturday evening after the Nats game a few of our friends made our way over to Matchbox on Barracks Row.  Since the wait was supposed to be 30 minutes we decided to take our buzzer and pop over next door to Ambar and grab a drink.  We hopped up on our barstools and took the drink menu for the bartender and listened as he explained that we probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend the menu and to check the glossary at the bottom or ask him if we had questions.  When I heard glossary along with the words cocktails and wine I knew we were in for some kind of treat…not sure if it was going to be good or bad.

With a “I have no idea what I’m ordering” we each asked for one of their specialty cocktails with the basically the only ingredient I recognized being the word lime… after watching the bartender put a drop of this, a splash of that, a shake here, a pour there… he definitely deserves the title of mixologist.  These cocktails were not something you could just produce at home, this man had skill.

I ordered: Podgorica

A guy friend ordered: Zagreb Rakia Sour

And a girl friend ordered: a Skoplje.

Out of the three we all loved mine.  It was slightly sweet/tangy like a margarita but flavorful and not overwhelming.

I think we would definitely go back and try the Balkan tapas and another drink from the menu.  The interior design was beautiful and the menu looked intriguing.  It would certainly be a place to stop in if you find yourself on Barracks Row in need of a unique drink and meal.

Details:
Ambar
523 8th St SE
Washington, DC 20003
202.813.3039
Serve: Drinks, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Happy Hour
Price: Drinks $9.00 – $12.00

Drinks at Lauriol Plaza

Before I moved to DC, one of my girl friends in NC, who used to live here, told me the one place I had to visit was Lauriol Plaza and try one of their frozen swirl margaritas.  Well throughout the years that I have lived here I think I’ve visited Lauriol Plaza at least a dozen times.

The Mexican cuisine at Lauriol is really great too, but in my mind it is the margaritas that stand out.  They can come by the glass or the pitcher, and taste so good that you either get a brain freeze or find it hard to stop after one.  I’ve tried all of them over the times and I keep coming back to the strawberry/margarita frozen swirl…it’s the best one.

So if you happen to find yourself thirsty and just a little north of Dupont Circle, pop in for a swirl at Lauriol.  I promise you that you’ll find ways to make your way back.

Details:
Lauriol Plaza
1835 18th St NW, Washington, DC (at 18th & T St)
202.387.0035
Serve: Drinks, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Price:
Margaritas: $6.50-$31.95
     Food: $6.45-$18.95

Dessert at Sprinkles Cupcakes

If you live in the DC metro area you already know that in the past few years the cupcake scene has taken over…we have cupcake stores and cupcake food trucks everywhere… but when you have cupcake options, especially if they are just blocks apart, the discussion always becomes ‘which cupcake is better??’

In my own opinion (and yes, ask someone else and they will probably have a different one), I think that Sprinkles on M St. in Georgetown has the best cupcakes.

Sprinkles stands out to me because of their flavors and the freshness of their cupcakes.  Instead of just being a plain yellow or chocolate cake cupcake base with frosting, they have flavors that are banana bread or pumpkin bread as the base and topped with delicious icing.

Plus, the cupcakes are baked throughout the day, meaning they are more likely to be fresh when you swing by to devour one.  And if the flavor and freshness argument isn’t enough, Sprinkles usually doesn’t have too long of a line, so it’s just a few minutes between you and your fabulous dessert.

Details:
Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery
3015 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
Serve: Dessert
Price: $3.50