Fried Yukon potato, spicy tomato sauce, smoked paprika, confit garlic aioli. Happy hour $5
Beso, San Francisco CA
You all know that I love patatas bravas so I was pleased to see that this version was pretty good. The fried potatoes were perfectly cooked and the tomato sauce was very yummy.
Sangria. Happy hour pitcher $24
Squash, fresh cheese, tomato ginger aioli. Happy hour $6
Vinoteca, Washington DC
Mmm, these were SO delicious! I loved the texture of the croquettes and they tasted great with the tomato ginger aioli.
Breadline sculpture, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
Golden raisin, caperberry, smoked chili, sunflower seed. Happy hour $9
Vinoteca, Washington DC
I really liked this dish too! The beef was delicious and the garnishes complimented it perfectly. I also thought the presentation was simple and pretty.
National World War II Memorial – “Philippines”.
Chorizo de revilla, manchego. Happy hour $7
Vinoteca, Washington DC
Mmm, I love this basic tapa but I love it even more with cheese and chorizo on top! This place was great and the bartender was friendly and on top of service.
Venta Morales tempranillo. Happy hour $5
Ew, this wasn’t very good.
Luther Place Memorial Church, Thomas Circle.
Fried potato with spicy tomato sauce and aioli. $7.50
Jaleo, Crystal City VA
Mmm, this was SO good! I’m not even a fan of THAT much aioli, but the dark flavorful tomato sauce help to drown out the excessive amount of aioli. Patatas bravas are one of my favorites tapas and Jaleo did right by it. I’m in heaven!
Sunset over Arlington.
Housemade grilled pork sausage with sautéed white beans and aioli. Almuerzo rapido (3 items) $20
Jaleo, Crystal City VA
This pork sausage was yummy especially with the fried white beans. My favorite part was the texture of the beans with the crispy bits. This was definitely a hearty little plate.
Potomac River with Crystal City in the distance.
Shrimp sautéed with garlic. Almuerzo rapido (3 items) $20
Jaleo, Crystal City VA
Wow! Garlic shrimp is probably one of my favorite tapas items and this version rocked! I absolutely loved the garlicky sauce and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. I wanted a huge bowl of that sauce to dunk pieces of bread into. Noms!
Old Dominion Boat Club, Alexandria.
Traditional chicken fritters. Almuerzo rapido (3 items) $20
Jaleo, Crystal City VA
Mmm, these were really good! The interior was softer and more moist than most croquetas and I kind of liked it! It was a nice contrast to the hot, crispy exterior. They also tasted great!
Arnold Palmer. $3
Arlington sunset.
Sweet onion, organic potato, parsley, piquillo pepper aioli. $7
Coqueta, San Francisco CA
Ok, the service here was better this time around, but there’s still something about it that irks me. It’s awkward and mostly aloof. Puh-lease! Anyway, this tortilla was delicate and delicious (I’ll give them that).
Limonada: roasted sparkling lemonade, rosemary, seasonal fruit. $3
Freshly dug, crispy new potatoes, lightly smoked, braves salsa and garlic aioli. $8
Coqueta, San Francisco CA
I must admit that despite my horrible dining experience here, these patatas bravas were frickin’ amazing! These were probably some of the best patatas bravas I’ve ever had, and that’s saying a lot. I’m still skeptical of this restaurant, but at least I know that they have a dish that I’ll enjoy.
Duck and pork meatballs with tart cherry and tempranillo puree and crisp shallots. $12
Coqueta, San Francisco CA
These meatballs were yummy and very moist. Can you really go wrong with duck and pork ground together?! Certainly the service went wrong…
Olive oil poached head-on gulf prawns with black garlic and chili. $14
Coqueta, San Francisco CA
Ok, these prawns were pretty darn delicious, so it almost helped me forget the horrible service (but not really). The prawns were cooked perfectly and the heads were SO tasty. Then I got annoyed that you only got 3 pieces for fourteen bucks. Such a tease!
Vittle Monster 