Washington, D.C., home of red meat-loving politicos and lobbyists, now has a district of casual, lively, new restaurants, many serving ethnic foods, often adapted to the small-plate concept of tapas and mezzes. It’s called Penn Quarter, an area off Pennsylvania Ave. loosely between 6th and 14th Streets, and bounded by H Street. Who would have thought D.C. dining could be this much fun?
With reviews of ZAYTINYA (soaring, airy, bright, main dining room and Aegean blue-and-white decor evoke sunny Mediterranean islands, a perfect fit for the all-mezze menu from Greece, Turkey and Lebanon); CAFE ATLANTICO, where chef Jose Andres has been transforming Latin American food into tapa/mezze-style "bites" for several years; CEIBA, which focuses on contemporary Latino cuisine drawn mainly from the Yucatan, Brazil, Peru, the Caribbean and Cuba; POSTE, an American brasserie in the historic, restored 1841 General Post Office building; and ZOLA, in the popular, new International Spy Museum. By Joan Scobey. With 10 photographs. |
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| Zaytinya's soaring, light-filled main dining room (Photo credit: Maxwell MacKenzie) |
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