Zaytinya

www.zaytinya.com
701 9th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004

Just a couple of weeks after returning from Chicago, I surprised Katy with our next adventure to Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival, some sightseeing, as well as some of the best eats around.  With reservations for our first night, it was a non-negotiable for me to eat at Jose Andres' Zaytinya.  I knew the Mediterranean mezze cuisine was right up our alley, not to mention Top Chef contestant Mike Isabella was the executive chef prior to opening his first restaurant, Graffiato, just blocks from Zaytinya.

Seated at a small table near the open kitchen, we were overwhelmed by the 3 ring binder menu dropped in front of us presenting numerous different Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese wine and plates.  After deciding on a Lebanese Red, we sifted through the endless food selections until we landed on a flawless combination of treats to fill us up.  Crispy Brussel Sprouts with barberries and garlic yogurt were some of the best we've had; HUGE sprouts with the outer leaves crisp and a phenomenal dipping yogurt made these splendid!  The ouzo battered Black Cod with orange may have been the single greatest piece of fish I have eaten.  We also had the seared salmon with a butternut  squash puree, the braised goat and scallion hummus flatbread, and seared scallops.  Finally, what may have sealed the deal was a special of the night, the feta lamb phyllo with yogurt dill sauce which was light and fluffy, yet carried a punch of flavor!

Mediterranean food is not an abundant cuisine where we normally dine in Atlanta, but in Washington there are many ethnic restaurants and I can guarantee this tops the charts.  Not only was the food some of my favorite, Zaytinya is a fun and inviting restaurant that I would visit again and again were it not for the 600 miles between us; if it were only a bit closer, maybe 300...