DC yet again: Eating Memorial Day Weekend

Cafe Atlantico Once Again [Saturday Brunch]

After receiving numerous complaints about why my food blog isn't being updated, I realized I just couldn't go any further with my sixth programming assignment, without giving a throughtful rendition of my eating adventures in DC during Memorial Day Weekend

I simply had to try the Chef's Deluxe Tasting at Cafe Atlantico for Saturday brunch, and M really got a treat when I offered to pay for his Vegetarian tasting. Small plates of latino dimsum came in sequences:
Salmon with buttery Papaya, Sweet Potato Soup with Mexican Cream, Duck Confit with Passion fruit oil, Spinach with Pumpkin seeds and raisins, Asparagus with Oranges and Oyster with Mango-lime oil for the first course.

Oyster with Mango lime oil


The second course proceeded, with the Huitlacoche & Wild Mushroom Quesadilla, Potato and Vanilla Mousse with American Caviar, Jicama Arugula rolls with Quinoa, Corn pomegranate and Cabrales cheese, Salmon Pina ravioli with scallion sauce, Shrimp with butternut squash and lime and last but not least, scallops with orange oil. The seared cigala with vanilla oil was almost too rich and filling for me to enjoy properly. I was stuffed almost to the point of bursting, but encouraged myself to dig into the Cauliflower-quinoa cous-cous and the tuna ceviche with coconut. I also managed to steal some of my companion's hot and cold foie gras with corn soup!



Potato and Vanilla Mousse with American Caviar


The food was too good to be true, and I had to sample everything before i sent away the last couple of plates: the Beef with Tamarind sauce, the quails two ways with latin spices and the remains of the seared cigala with vanilla oil. My fault lay with indulging in the freshly prepared table side guacamole that was served in a stone bowl


Freshly made spicy Guacamole with Boniato and tortilla chips served in a stone bowl


The last meal I had with V and M was dessert at La Tomate, this italian restaurant in Dupont circle. I ordered a glass of Port along with a chocolate torte that came with mixed berries and strawberry coullis. I had asked the waiter to heat it up a bit, and when it came out , little chocolate squirts were seen to be oozing out of the torte that mixed well with the berries and coullis. All in all it was a great weekend, I got to say goodbye to V before she left to go to TX, and got the most of the long holiday.


Warm chocolate torte with mixed berries and strawberry coullis