UPDATE: A day after I posted this, the chef who runs the whole Zaytinya/Cafe Atlantico network gets nominated as GQ’s Chef of the Year! If that’s not a(n a)rousing endorsement, I don’t know what is.
Warning: There are no photographs in this review for three very important reasons.
- The lighting was low and romantic.
- No room in my classy purse for a camera anyhow.
- Totally distracted by a boy who was both adorable and treating me, so it would’ve been maximum rude. (I am looking at you, Miss Wright.)
Given Mike Isabella’s notoriety and recent booting off of Top Chef to return to his delectable hunting grounds of Zaytinya in DC (one of my personal favorite restaurants), it is understandable that even several days in advance, their reservation-friendly tables were packed until 10:30. So after that failure, I forfeited my restaurant-choosing duties to the person who would be paying for it, and he selected a restaurant owned by the same conglomerate, Cafe Atlantico. Words cannot describe how much happier your life will be after going to this upscale casual neuvo latino eatery. But they’ll try their damnedest.
Drinks
Do yourself a favor and get them. Not off the wine list–go for their signature cocktails. Their mixologist is some kind of genius. I had a special for the night, the Mississippi Manhattan, which as far as I can remember included Maker’s Mark whiskey, meyer lemon juice, and tupelo honey syrup. The server actually lit a bit of lemon zest oil on fire before dropping the zest into my drink. I was in love by then. When I tasted this divine, unintimidating lemonade, I was in love forever, with a passion that only Bella and Edward can truly understand.
Kyle got a Salt and Lime Air Margarita, which was a normal margarita with light salt and lime foam on top. You think it wouldn’t make too much of a difference, but all of that divine lime taste and just the interesting texture of the drink made it tears-of-joy-inducing. Oh, I also hear that their mojitos are the best in town, so that’s something else to keep in mind.
Guacamole
Everyone and their mother will tell you: Jo is not an avocado person. I try to avoid it in sushi. I definitely try to avoid it in my Mexican food. I’ve had two good guacs before in my life, and I’m telling you now that this is one of them.
They’re made tableside in a stoneware bowl with just two wooden spoons. First the server asks how hot you’d like it (we went for medium and I barely tasted the heat). Then he rubs the bowl down with lime and puts in some diced onion, peppers, and other stuff I couldn’t see due to the aforementioned dim lighting and distraction. Then he just takes three avocado halves, drops them in, and mashes away. No mayo, no nothin’. I was completely stunned, especially when the bowl was handed to me and I swooned at the taste of it. Sometimes, all it really takes is the right combination of fresh ingredients–don’t let no one tell you different.
I ordered an appetizer (scallops and squid with puffed coconut rice), and while it was cooked perfectly, the thought of it was totally trumped by…
My Entree, the Best Entree Ever
Kyle got a skirt steak, which was a perfectly delicious skirt steak and I will not fault him on it.
I got the duck confit, which was served with parsnips, dried cherries, fresh herbs, almonds, and horseradish yogurt. The parsnips were sliced long and thin and looked like fettuccine, and they were served tossed with a bunch of fresh parsley. But the duck… oh my good lord the duck. The meat flaked on my fork like fish meat, and I just pulled it off and ate it like that. The skin had the dried cherries on it, adding a little tartness, but was otherwise lightly glazed with sugar. The sweet burst of fatty skin plus the perfectly brined duck just exploded in your mouth with just completely overwhelming levels of flavor.
I was entirely undone as a human being.
Dessert
We got quince sorbet with rosemary in it, and it was good. But not as good as that duck.
Cafe Atlantico: go there, but bring your smelling salts, because I guarantee if you pick the right things off the menu, it will give you the vapors for certain.