Oyamel

401 7th Street NW,
Washington, DC‎
(202) 628-1005‎
http://www.oyamel.com/

I love Oyamel. I usually go here for girl's nights, but my mom was in town and my husband and I thought it would be a great place to go for dinner. It was. My mom was a little hesitant because Oyamel is Mexican food. It is not the heavy, flavorless standard fair, but rather a light interpretation of interior Mexican flavors.

Before I get to the food, I just want to mention the atmosphere and the drinks. The restaurant is filled with Neiman Marcus inspired butterfly mobiles, Mexican masks, and bright colors. Maybe it's because I lived in New Mexico, but I love the festive atmosphere. You can't help but be in a good mood when you enter the restaurant. I recommend the Oyamel Margarita. It is a standard margarita served in a martini glass with salt foam, rather then a salt rim. The foam is light and delicious. I also recommend the "Frutas Agumadas," mango juice and mint combine with chili and tequila. It is slightly sweet, and slightly spicy--an intriguing alternative if you don't feel like a margarita.

The food really is good. I have eaten here on several occasions and although some dishes are definitely better then others, I have never been disappointed. I am a big fan of tapas because you get to try lots of different things and if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it. On this visit, we started with two types of ceviches--blue marlin and wahoo. The marlin was spicy and delicious. Ever since I first ate Marlin in Honduras, its been one of my favorite--but hard to find--fish. Marlin reminds me of a white fleshed salmon, and it works well with grapefruit and Jalapeno (the way Oyamel serves it). The "verde" wahoo ceviche lived up to it's name and was covered in avocado. I preferred the delicate balance of the Marlin ceviche, but the wahoo was delicious. We also had guacamole (good, but not as good as mine. Of course, I am biased), a special bean tapa (fabulous), hearts of palm salad, grilled flank steak, and an amazing chicken tamale. To top it all off, we each had a taco. I had the relatively standard grilled chicken taco with onions, guac, and peppers, which was good, but not amazing. I highly recommend the fish tacos (the fish melts in your mouth and is sauteed, not fried) and, if they have it, the braised goat tacos.

We ended our meal with coffee and warm chocolate cake with mole and vanilla ice cream. We were so full, but it was a great end to a fabulous meal.

Evo Bistro

1313 Old Chain Bridge Road,
McLean, VA‎
(703) 288-4422‎

http://www.evobistro.com

We decided to go out to lunch today.  Our usual routine is to dutifully eat lunch at our desk, so this was a bit of an occasion.  We decided to go to Evo because 1) tapas are fun and 2) we really needed a glass of wine.  Evo has traditional Spanish Tapas, but with a Middle Eastern flare.

We were not disappointed.  Evo is kind of the place for "Mclean Ladies Who Lunch" to go and eat.  This actually isn't a bad thing.  The bistro with its high ceilings, blown glass fixtures, and wine wall, has a great atmosphere. Yes, you heard me correctly, there is a wine wall.  Evo has many wines on "tap."  You can purchase a card and taste as much or as little from the individual wines as you wish!  If you don't have to drive, it could be fun, delicious, and dangerous!

Although Evo has a full menu, I highly recommend getting tapas and sharing. They are delicious, and it's simply more fun to share your food.  We ordered two per person, which was just right.  First, my favorites.  The calamari was delicious.  It was lightly coated and cooked perfectly (I cannot stand heavily breaded overcooked rubber) and served with three delicious and intriguing dipping sauces.  I also recommend the Sweet Peppers stuffed with mushrooms and cheese, the tomato mozzarella salad, the spinach with chorizo, and the chicken kabobs served with saffron hummus.  We also had a portabello mushroom with goat cheese, empanadas, and the tortilla Espanola.  The mushroom had potential, but was kind of flavorless and the tortilla has way too much potato.  The empanadas were fine, but underspiced.  Also (and this is a completely personal preference) I prefer my empanadas with a flour/corn meal crust rather than a fried puff pastry.

I highly recommend Evo if you are looking for a place with excellent service,  plentiful drinks, good food, and a fun atmosphere.