Agua 301

Posted on March 13, 2016 by melsmosaic

Yards Park, DC. Visited what is labeled as a ‘modern Mexican’ restaurant. Don’t know if that’s the middle ground between tex-mex and authentic Mexican, but of course had to give it a try. So, the place is Agua 301.

The time of the visit was oh-so-fortunately in the evening which meant happy hour was at hand…margarita, on the rocks, no salt. I took a sip and sort of jumped back. Waited, took another. Took a sip of my friend’s as a comparison. Then truly confirmed…they don’t skimp on alcohol. I guess that’s good? While I appreciate tequila in my drink I very much appreciate the lime in a margarita. I had to send it back. I could not drink this. It was straight alcohol. Some people might love this…anyway.

Of course came to this place for dinner to also check out the food.

Guac was also on happy hour. Ordered that ASAP. For $6 you got probably a softball size serving of great guacamole. Some nice chunks of avocados were in there, too. Tasty! Paired nicely with their unique salsa.

For dinner, I had to get their Ceviche Pescado Blanco. It was extremely unique. It was mixed with some salsa and other unknown, good flavors.

My friend went for the Camarones en Crema de Chipotle, which are pan seared shrimp in a chipotle cream sauce over Spanish rice. Good flavor and nicely cooked.

Overall, dinner was good. But, service was marginal. We were there around 6pm on a Friday and the place wasn’t too busy. It was tough to attract or find the waiter and it took a long time to get drinks and food. Considering they don’t take much time to cook, it was odd.

Cheers to the Weekend

Posted on March 11, 2016 by melsmosaic

Have been sipping a range of drinks recently so thought I would pass them along as we enter the weekend. They hit all the choices out there — beer, wines, liquor. The rundown as the 5 o’clock whistle approaches.

Beer: It’s Flying Dog’s 25th Anniversary and I heard about their anniversary brew, Tropical Bitch. It’s a Belgian-Style IPA, 8.0% ABV. Per the description, “pineapple and mango dominate with subtle passion fruit and sticky sweet, yet crisply bitter, hop notes.” Was finally able to snag a 6-pack. Yeah, it’s ok. Fairly bronze in color and just off in taste, for me. Not that impressed (personally, keep that in mind). I keep opening more to see if I like it and not so much, but the color is very cool. It’s about $8-$10/6 pack.

White Wine: Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. Nice and light, with subtle citrus notes. Has just a perfect body to it. Also has the convenient screw top. Perfect to enjoy with some cheese or seafood, or totally on its own. This is around $10-$15/bottle.

Red Wine: Napa Cellars Pinot Noir. I’ll let you guess where it’s from. It has just a nice balance of subtle chocolate and berries. Perfect. What I loved is that I was able to pick some up for $10/bottle vs. the normal $20!

Margaritas: Jose Cuervo Light Margaritas (pre-mixed). Addiction in a bottle. Only 95 calories a serving. Just don’t read how small the serving is, ok? It’s just perfect to throw some ice in a glass and pour this on top. Then grab the chips, salsa and guac. Can usually find this for $12-$15/bottle.

Drink on, my friends.

Boudro’s

Posted on December 11, 2015 by melsmosaic

Continuing travel took me to San Antonio, TX. I had only heard good things about Boudro’s so had to check it out. It is known as a Texas bistro per their website. Was able to snag a table outside — though it only in the upper 40s in late November in TX (why???). They do have nice blankets to cover you if you get cold.

Of course, a margarita is the #1 priority here. It came in a nice martini glass in this case. Very smooth and a perfect start to the evening.

The menu had way too many great options on it, but guacamole was a must. They make it at your table, too. It was delicious! They use orange juice in it, versus a more traditional lime or lemon. They also use roasted tomatoes which made it even better. You can snag the recipe from their site.

When going to restaurants I usually try to order something I won’t make at home so I finally opted for the Mesquite Grilled Quail. I was able to get grilled veggies vs the traditional pepper jack grits with fried parsley and jalapeno chips and chipolte demiglace due to my lactose issue. This stuff was amazing! I hadn’t eating quail for ages. The flavors all around were amazing.

I can see why this restaurant has such a great reputation. Check it out when you’re in San Antonio.

Zquila

Posted on December 11, 2015 by melsmosaic

While traveling I of course had the opportunity to check out some new restaurants. First stop was in Ft. Collins, CO at Zquila. The name alone drew my attention.

Despite the cold weather, one must order a cold drink at an establishment like this with ingredients similar to the name. Margarita on the rocks, no salt, please.

At first glance this drink looked odd, too clear. But at first sip I was sold. I could have had a few more.

Ordered some guac to hold the table over and then since it was a cold day opted for some soup; went with tortilla.

It was a bit greasier than I expected but still very delicious. Nice mix of chicken and veggies. Perfect for a cold day.

This restaurant is totally worth checking out.

Level

Posted on September 12, 2015 by melsmosaic

Was in Annapolis recently and visited Level, a small plates lounge for cocktails.

Of course there were many to choose from, but the bartender helped me decide on the Angels & Demons — essentially a(n amazing) margarita. The components — el jimador tequila, st. germain, micro cilantro, habanero pepper, lime, agave.

Deadly! Could have easily enjoyed several rounds. Didn’t stay for dinner, but looks like a place worth checking out.

City Perch

Posted on January 16, 2015 by melsmosaic

There are some new restaurants/bars opening in the area and I was lucky enough to check one out courtesy of a client. We visited City Perch in North Bethesda/Rockville, MD at Pike & Rose (outside of DC).

Quite the diverse menu, from drinks to food. With several of us there, we covered the menu quite well. I started with the Montgomery Blues — Greenbrier Small Batch Gin, Blueberries, Rosemary, Jack Rudy Tonic. Delicious and the fresh rosemary was a nice addition.

Some of the others at the table were Dark + Stoutly — Stonewall American Rum, Ginger, Flying Dog ‘Pearl Necklace’ Stout. It was very similar to a black & tan. One of them enjoying it stirred it to see if it would combine but it separated again.

Another at the bar was the Forbidden Garden Margarita — 100% Garden Margarita — 100% de Agave Reposado Applejack, Apple Cider, Applejack. I tried some of that — very nice. Was there really alcohol in that? That is what can cause some problems.