Zaytinya DC

I am so happy to say that Zaytinya did not disappoint! So many expectations and no, everything was not spectacular, but overall it was a delicious meal. I particularly enjoyed the seasonal mushrooms, imam bayildi, the spice rubbed sirloin of beef, and tagine. Not so impressive was the calmari and mahanek. With my limited middle eastern/mediterranean cuisine experience, I believe Zaytinya tries to improve the traditional dishes by incorporating extra ingredients and flavors, which I really appreciated. Also, I expected this meal to make a nice dent in my wallet, but surprisingly, it was not bad at all. For stimulated taste buds and a gratified stomach, $30 is a bargain. I can't wait until I have another group of friends that I can bring to Zaytinya.

4/5
http://www.zaytinya.com/

Rustico Alexandria

Mmmm tasty and wide beer selection. Their pizza is unique and has a lot going for it, only downside - it's definitely got that oil that you despise sitting on top. The ragout was fabulous. Pricey, but definitely different and in a good way.

3.5/5
http://www.rusticorestaurant.com/

Dos Caminos NYC

Since I am sooo backed-up, I'm going to make this short and sweet.

Good food, good flavors - lots of sweet, spicy, and tangy going on, definitely spiced up Tex-Mex. Worth the price? No, not really. I am impressed however that one of the Top Chef contestants this season is the executive chef at Dos Caminos. Sangria was real tasty - it was like punch.

3/5
http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/dos_caminos_third_avenue/index.php

Alero U DC

Walking down U Street, and not knowing where we wanted to go for dinner, my friend and I settled on Alero. She thought Mexican/Latin sounded good. The atmosphere of the restaurant was a nice mix of trendy and laid back. We surveyed the drinks first and were impressed with the sangria options. We both ordered a glass of rose sangria, sadly, they were out so I got the red and she got the white. They were both good. The menu had your standard fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas, but it also featured a couple interesting options like duck and crab. I ordered the enchilada con mole poblado and my friend ordered the tacos de cochinita pibil, my original choice. My entree was great. The mole was gooood and I've tried quite a bit of mole. It was a nice balance between sweet and tangy. I loved it. My friend's tacos were tasty, the acidity of the dish definitely made it more memorable. It was a simple meal, but a pleasant surprise and probably one of the better, more interesting, Tex-Mex places I've been to in the district.

3.5/5
http://www.alerorestaurant.com/main.html