Pepe

Did someone say José Andrés? Yes, the time has finally time to delve into one of the masters of molecular gastronomy. After reading this I will bet you that your first three guesses are wrong. No I am not critiquing Oyamel, Jaleo, or Zaytinya. No I am not even lucky or wealthy enough to try American Eats or Minibar. I am here to talk about his latest project Pepe the gourmet food truck that is another step in the evolution of this booming industry.

Chef Andrés immense talent and celebrity have made him one the of the kings of DC dining. His famous creations such as the aforementioned Minibar and American Eats have almost monopolized the fine dining experience in the district. His latest project is Pepe, a food truck that has also taken the district by storm.    

(Photo via Yelp)

The menu consists of long thin baguettes called flautas which are adapted from everything José grew up eating in Spain. When news first broke of this trucks arrival I did my best to stay away for the first couple of weeks. Reading the initial stories that people waited in excess of 30 minutes in line I quickly discovered that I made the right decision. Once the smoke had settled I decided to monitor the trucks daily location and make the pounce at the right moment.

Ironically my first experience came at possibly the worst moment. I first sampled Chef Andrés sandwiches during this past months Sweetlife festival. The initial sampling was a bit of a surprise as a friend offered me to try a couple of his sandwiches in a state of drunken happiness. I tried my best to fend off the drunken munchies but eventually fell victim to my own gluttony.

(Pepito de Ternera) 

I was handed the Butifarra Burger to have for myself. As delighted as I was to have this I was barely able to eat it as I have been recovering from surgery to remove my wisdom teeth. I managed to devour a couple of bites of this sandwich which consists of a Spanish pork burger topped with alioli and brava sauce. The quality of the sandwich was off the charts, the pork was juicy which oozed with flavor and the sauces added the finishing touches. I was deeply saddened that my jaw would not cooperate with me during this experience so I gave the sandwich back.  In a movement of miscommunication I was given the Pollo Frito which consists of fried chicken, lettuce, and piparra peppers which is topped with aliolo and brava sauce.

The Pollo Frito was good but nothing like the Butifarra burger in my opinion. The fried chicken was fabulous but the complimentary ingredients did not shout out enough. Also the chicken did not scream with as many flavors as the aforementioned pork. Needless to say I was fairly impressed with the quality of food and not having to wait in line was another good perk. My initial experience enticed me to visit his truck again this past week at the campus of George Washington University. 

A bit weary at the prospect of having to wait in line I decided to arrive right when trucks usually open their doors (around 11:30-12:00). I was delighted when I turned the corner to see the truck with only a few lunch gathers standing next to it. I pounced in line and waited no more than 5 minutes to place my order. During that time I juggled between the Spanish Grilled Cheese and the Pepito de Ternera. In the end I decided on the latter as well as a Chocolate and Hazelnut Ice Cream Flauta. I placed my order and grimaced at the $19 price tag that this came with.

(Chocolate and Hazelnut Ice Cream Flauta)

The Pepito de Ternera consists of seared beef tenderloin, caramelized onions, pequillo pepper confit, and blue cheese. After taking my first couple of bites I knew that my money was well spent. The quality of the beef was astronomical, the pequillo pepper confit blended well with the juices of the beef and were perfectly complimented by the blue cheese. I was amazed yet again by the quality of food and puzzled how one can cook this in a truck. The portion size allowed me to follow up my sandwich with a dessert. 

I gently unwrapped what I call an aristocratic ice cream sandwich. While the weather was not ideal on that overcast day I dug in regardless. The sandwich was deviously good, while I am not a Hazelnut junkie I could easily imagine eating this on a weekly basis. I left with a smile on my face and wishing I was rich enough to go here on a weekly basis. 

In conclusion while expensive Pepe is a truck worth trying at least once. The quality of food you receive is better than any other fast food you can get. If you have a deep wallet try the Pepito de Iberico which at $20 is easily the most expensive item you can get in any food truck. You can also try his Sangria or Pepe Tonic which are non-alcoholic drinks! I skipped because I believe it is borderline blasphemous. Thankfully they accept credit cards so there is no need to bring cash. The service was on par and I guess I was lucky enough to not have to stand in a long line. So if you want to tour the 1% of food trucks then give Pepe a try. 

El Centro DF

Our tour of 14th St. continues with one of the newest and most chic restaurants on the block. El Centro DF opened it's doors this summer under the ownership of Chef Richard Sandoval who also owns the popular Masa 14 two doors down.

Chef Sandoval opened this establishment with the premise of serving classic Mexican food and drinks with a contemporary backdrop. Ever since it's opening night El Centro has been one of the hot spots in the neighborhood with long lines for both dining and drinking.

My first experience came on a Sunday afternoon about a week after they had opened. I decided to choose this location for a small family dinner on a nice summer afternoon. Upon entering I adored the chic interior which is coated with the classic decor of a traditional Mexican taqueria.

The first thing you see upon entering is a small area where you can order take out or eat your food in a relatively quick manner. Behind this area is the dining area which is connected to an open kitchen which emanates with the rich flavors of Mexican cuisine. Once seated we were introduced to the philosophy of this restaurant which is to serve traditional food using fresh, sustainable ingredients.

Since they had just opened we were offered a free order of guacamole which usually runs for the steep price of $9.95. Within five minutes a gentleman came out with our guacamole which was made in front of us using a traditional Mexican spice grinder called a Molcajete. We were given a quick show in which our server grinned the fresh avocado, tomato, onions and cilantro that yielded some of the tastiest and freshest guacamole I have had in the US.

(Guacamole)

Our meal continued with the Cozumel Ceviche which was ordered as an appetizer. The ceviche was served with fresh avocado, corn, cilantro and tomato's which were piled on small crispy tortillas. The ceviche was spot on, the fish was fresh and flavorful and the presentation was as elegant as the overall flavor.

Our entrees quickly followed. My father order the Carne Asada which was beautifully executed. My sister ordered the Chicken Zarape which was equally as good. Since this was a taqueria I decided to order the El Pastor tacos which consist of pork belly, grilled pineapple, cilantro, onions and salsa verde which are served with rice and black beans.

(Cozumel Ceviche)

The tacos were pristine, the saltiness of the pork belly countered well with the sweetness of the grilled pineapple. The salsa verde added another dimension of flavor that produced a masterful dish. The black beans were served how I love them, mashed with a hint of grated cheese. Overall I enjoyed my dish as well as the overall meal.

This great experience made this a must go spot which I have frequented in the past month. Since then I have had the opportunity to sample their fish and steak tacos which were equally as good as the pork belly tacos. I have also nibbled on Jalisco Shrimp and Crab Enchilada which was also rather tasty.

(Al Pastor Taco's)

Despite the magnificent food a majority of my time here has been spent on their rooftop for their drinks which includes a very extensive Tequila list with over 200 brands to choose from. I am glad to say that El Centro offers some of the best cocktails I have had in the city including one of my new favorite drinks and which brought tom my attention after a long conversation with one the bartenders. This individual introduced me to the tequila mojito which offers a new spin to this classic cocktail.

Their late hours and basement dining area just add to the mystique and further entice me to continue to dine here. Everyone I have taken here has fallen in love with the cocktails, service and late night dining options.

All in all El Centro DF offers all the qualities that make this a great place for both food and drinks. The rooftop bar is a hot spot all summer which I will visit many times. The restaurant serves great food that is a little on the pricy side but well worth it for the flavor and execution that is the norm for any restaurant owned by Richard Sandoval. I highly recommend trying this place both to eat and drink. Their late night carry out menu is also an added boost to one of the better restaurants in the highly competitive 14th St. area.

Chix

Our U St. expedition continues with Chix, a restaurant dedicated to healthy eating and environmental sustainability. Owners Lukas Umana and Victoria Garcia built this establishment with the premise of serving healthy, natural latin inspired dishes at affordable prices.

Their two main goals are providing healthy dining options and promoting environmental friendliness. The is done by purchasing local organic products as well as using recyclable materials and wind power via clean currents. From top to bottom Chix promotes this ideology with the hope of spreading this positive message.

My first visit came on a Saturday afternoon right after a long run. I went solo so I decided to order for take-out. I was also fairly hungry so I decided to order 1/2 of a chicken which comes with 2 sides. Their chicken comes in three different marinades all of which sounded fairly tasty.

I decided to go with the Chix chicken with noodles and cheese and brown rice with beans. The meal cost me $12 which is not that bad for the amount of food you are getting. I received my order promptly and walked home to quench my appetite.

(Chix Chicken with noodles and cheese & black beans with brown rice)

I started off with the chicken which was moist and flavorful. The seasoning was spot on but flavor did not penetrate deep enough. I found the inner portions of the meat to be a bit bland which was disappointing because it had potential. What did elevate the flavor was the spicy green salsa that accompanied my meal. While not as spicy as advertised when I chose it the flavor paired well with the moist chicken.

After eating half my chicken I decided to move on to my sides. I started off with the brown rice and beans which I topped off with spanish crema. The moment my tung came into contact with these ingredients I was whisked away to my younger days when I ate spanish food on a daily basis. Next I approached the vermicelli noodles which are baked with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs. I found them to be average at best mainly because they lacked any blast of flavor.

Overall my first experience was average, there were no high points nor low points. The food was spot on but it wasn't spectacular. For my next visit I decided to try their Caribbean curry chicken wrap. The wrap consisted of chicken, brown rice and an assortment of vegetables all topped off with a curry mustard sauce.

(Caribbean curry chicken wrap)

Heres the wrap (no pun intended), overall the components were all very tasty but the curry failed to step up to the challenge. It failed to penetrate deep into the chicken (again a problem with the seasoning) and didn't mesh well with the corn and green peppers. I simply ate this meal because I needed to eat, I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.

All in all Chix serves average food at fair prices. While their food didn't blow me away I think I will continue to be a customer there to support their ideology which aligns with my principles. They do have a great lunch special which consists of 1/4 of a chicken with 2 sides for $6.50 which is as good as you can get in this city.

On a side comment they should probably reconsider changing their logo as it looks fairly similar to the old twitter symbol. Just an observation.

Pica Taco

There is an age old saying that the simplest things in life are always the best. This philosophy can be best applied when it comes to food. Every culture has that one meal that is so easy to make yet tastes so magnificent. In Mexican cuisine this dish is the taco which takes us to our next restaurant.

Pica Taco recently opened two locations in what was a traditionally Hispanic neighborhoods of Columbia Heights (more towards U St.) & Adams Morgan. They pride themselves on serving patrons authentic Mexican cuisine.

If you are looking to introduce yourself to Mexican cuisine look no further. While it may not fully encompass everything Mexico has to offer they do a good job replicating the food. If you are a novice you can dig into a traditional Mexican sandwich, also called a torta or you can go with what you know and have a cheesy enchilada.

I on the other hand came for what I heard they do best which is their magnificently delicious and traditional tacos. My first visit came when I was looking for a quick hangover remedy on a cool Saturday morning. I decided to go with their breakfast tacos which are made like any Latin family would make them.

Taking my fist bite brought back memories of eating breakfast at home. These tacos were spot on in both flavor and preparation. The eggs were prepared in a traditional Latin method using fresh bell peppers topped with cheese and black beans. After my meal was done my hangover had disappeared and I was ready to conquer the day.

(Breakfast Taco's)

My next visit came during a quite Monday night. I decided to grab a quick bite to eat right after work. The weather was nice so I decided to walk home and with this place relatively near my house I decided to eat here. I was bit hungry so I decided to order one fish, a barbacoa and a chicken taco. I was also pleasently delighted to see that they had a vast selection of imported sodas as well a solid choice of Mexican beers.

I decided to go with my favorite, a bottled coca cola which is made with real sugar not corn syrup. I got my order and took a seat at which point I could not help but draw the parallels between this place and the run in the mill taco stands I used to go to in Honduras. From the simple menu to the bottled sodas everything seemed to be exactly the same.

I started off with the chicken taco which I topped with salsa verde (green sauce). The chicken emenated with flavor and spice which blended well with the fresh cilantro and pico de gallo. Next I went for the barbacoa which was juicy and succulent and faired just as well as the chicken. I saved what I thought would be the best for last. Mexico is renowned for their fish taco's as most of you know so the hype I put behind it was extraordinary. I am saddened to say that it did not, in fact the taco was actually bad. The tilapia lacked any real flavor and the accoutrement added no extra flavor to salvage the dish.

(Barbacoa, Fish & Chicken Taco)

Aside from that minor disappointment I really did enjoy my tacos. As I left I saw a big black sign on the wall which said "El Torro Burrito". Looking at it with a modicum of interest I discovered that it was a food challenge. I later told a couple of friends about this and was met with unprecedented enthusiasm.

We decided to sign up for the challenge which consists of eating a 4 pound burrito in 45 minutes. I knew that I could never accomplish this feat but did not shy from the challenge. We joined another group of friends and convened on the U St. location on a Saturday afternoon. I arrived late but was in an utter state of shock to discover the sheer amount of attention that this had garnered. The restaurant was literally packed with people cheering on these brave souls.

(El Torro Burrito Challenge)

Originally I had an intuitive plan which called for an excruciating workout prior to the challenge in an attempt to gain the extra hunger I needed to slay this gigantic beast. Those plans were quickly derailed by the massive hangover that I woke up to. I tried all day to get over it but there was no budging, in fact when I arrived (late I might add) I was still feeling the side effects of last nights debauchery.

Needless to say I toughed it out and tried my hardest but on this day I was not able to channel my inner Adam Richman and failed miserably. I would like to point out that I did not throw up as did one competitor but I probably ate the least.

(45 minutes later this is all I was able to eat)

I have to say that the challenge was very exciting, the crowd definitely amplified this feeling and I don't regret trying it. For those that are interested the challenge happens every couple of weeks and the burrito only costs $15 which is a steal. You can see the highlights of this challenge by checking this video out.

All in all I have nothing but good things to say about Pica Taco. They serve great authentic food, the service is spot on, the prices are fair and the atmosphere is solid. So if you are in the mood to eat south of the border I would recommend giving this place a shot.