While Al spends the month of July in New York on the farm, it’s given me an opportunity to get a lot of work done. Since I knew much of the weekend would be spent on a work project, Friday night was a chance to get out with some friends in Washington, DC.

The evening started with reservations at one of my favorite restaurants, El Centro, D.F. with our friends John and Colleen. Al and I had an excellent experience there back in May, and I was thrilled to return to this rustic Mexican restaurant on 14th Street. It’s easy to run down the menu of incredible food and drink options, but I would always recommend the spicy margarita and guacamole to start.

elcentroDF-2

The combination of the restaurant’s food and atmosphere is tough to match, and if you have room for dessert it’s a must. On this trip I stuck to the Al Pastor tacos as an entree. Between the three of us, we ordered about 5 different kinds of tacos (both meat and seafood) and there were rave reviews all around. Since it’s National Tequila Month, the chef was easily able to talk us into the incredible Dolcezza Anejo Tequila Gelato to finish off our meal.

elcentroDF-1

Just like our first trip, the experience was once again incredible at El Centro, D.F. A special thanks to their General Manager and Chef for helping make the incredible experience. Al has already told me she wants to make plans to go as soon as she’s back in town.

For as much as I love wine, my knowledge of beer is lacking. That being the case, I took advantage of our friend John’s knowledge on Friday and we headed down to Churchkey following dinner. For those who’ve been in the past, it’s a darker area upstairs with a long bar, cushioned bar seats, and a lot from which to choose.

churchkey-1

In the spirit of trying new things, I ordered my first tart beer to get things going. After seeing it was aged in wine barrels it piqued my interest and was definitely one the more interesting things I’ve tried. It wasn’t overly sweet and had complex flavor. “Complex flavor” is code for “I’m not really sure what flavors I tasted” – but there were several.

Following that I went with the familiar Great Lakes Brewing Company, and their Edmund Fitzgerald porter. Though I commonly avoid darker beers in the summer, I must have autumn on my mind and had to go with a familiar name.

If you haven’t been to either of these places yet, go and go often. El Centro D.F. offers some of the best Mexican food in the area, while Churchkey’s beer menu has been duly noted. Let us know what you think…

Cheers!

Scott
El Centro D.F. on Urbanspoon
Churchkey on Urbanspoon