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Given all the recent hype about big name restaurateur/chefs coming to the DC area and the prominent location, I am going to assume that the opening of MXDC by Todd English has been quiet on purpose. Aside from some very recent blogosphere and local media mentions over the past week around the June 19th opening, there really hasn't been much chatter. You'd think this restaurant sprang out of the recent 14th street sink hole- it seems to have popped up overnight. There is also no website for the restaurant, no online menu to be found, and no owned social media presence. MXDC is located in the space formerly occupied by Galileo III and Butterfield 9. English's team made only minor cosmetic changes to the interior of the space. There is now a bar on the second floor and the kitchen is closed off. The security cameras are still up. For a place that just opened the service was efficient, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. The two of us had dinner there on Saturday night kind of on a whim. I walked by on Friday and saw that it was open (I work around the corner and didn't even realize anything was going on in the space), googled and read the recent minimal commentary, and then found an 8:30 reservation on Opentable. The restaurant was never more than 2/3 full the entire time we were there which was about 90 minutes. Since it isn't online some details about the menu. The menu is broken up into a series of sections of small plates designed to be shared: soups, ceviches, guacamoles, quesadillas (also described as flatbreads), tacos, bocadillos (per the waiter the other stuff that didn't fit into the aforementioned categories) and family style entrees all served with rice and beans. The menu is both seafood and vegetarian heavy. There are also sides and desserts along with a tequila list, beers, wine by the glass and cocktails. Small plates ranged in price from $8 to $18. Entrees were $25 to $35. Cocktails the now standard $10 +/-. Here's what we ordered and some brief tasting notes: Chips and three kinds of salsa (chipotle tomato, tomatillo jalapeno, habanero ginger): Served to every table. The chips taste industrial. The salsas are thin and aside from the third pack relatively little heat. They're fine, nothing to write home about. You can tell he's thinking "I could bottle these". Crab Guacamole $14: Crab meat, onions, a little jalapeno over oddly thin/smooth guacamole like it was made ahead in a robot coupe. Why don't they make it in a molcajete tableside? As this seems to be industry standard at this point. Tropical Ceviche $14: Good sized portion of tuna and crab with watermelon, coconut milk, jalapeno and onions. This was better when you got some watermelon in a bite otherwise it was just ok. Jicama Ensalada $9: Jicama and smoked watermelon over arugula. This could have been a lot better than it was. The smokey watermelon was really the standout. Pork Belly Tacos $13: Three small pork belly tacos topped with some pickled onions and a cilantro sprig. A respectable dish but nothing to write home about. Cochinita Pibil Arepas $14: Hands down this was the standout dish of the night and what you think really great Mexican food should taste like. The spice was well balanced the pork a texture perfect. The little arepa "sliders" were crispy delicious. Only problem is that you get two per order. These are awesome. Chocolate Semifreddo $10: Our waiter talked us into this one. We had been thinking of getting the rosemary tres leches cake. But he said he just didn't like it at all. Semifreddo is a misnomer based on what we got (it wasn't anywhere close to frozen). A good sized bar of chocolate mousse scented with orange over a crispy dark chocolate base. Tasty with a nice light texture. Plating was sloppy. Churros and Cajeta $8: My understanding is that cajeta is goat milk dulce de leche. Having spent time in Argentina, I now make my own dulce de leche. I wish this cajeta had that kind of thick, creamy texture instead it was warm and liquidy. The churros come hot, S-shaped, and with a very light dusting of cinnamon and sugar. Summer Smash Cocktail $10: Tequila, pineapple syrup, lemon, dolin blanc. Basically a Mexican style sangria with big pieces of fruit. Sweet, but not cloying and refreshing. Mexican Mule $12: Tequila, home brewed ginger beer, lime. Listed as a "house bottled" cocktail this had no ginger taste to speak of nor did it come in a bottle. If they skipped the home bottled BS and just use a good bottled product like Fentimans, this could be a really solid cocktail. Cocoa Picante $10: Cocoa tequila, lime, agave, jalapeno water and Cointreau. This drink is mind-blowingly good. There is a camp who believes it isn't entirely fair to judge a place by the food produced during the first week it is open. But given the provenance of MXDC it doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to expect them to be able to hit the ground running. Certainly the quality of service suggested a pro was running the place. Good Mexican food is deeply flavorful, complex, and soulful. Unfortunately, the flavors of the food at MXDC are muted and insipid.The food at MXDC is attractive but lacks any sort of depth, soul or personality. Not unlike the impression Todd English leaves when you see him interviewed. It feels like he is testing out a new high end casual dining concept to take nationwide like his pub at City Center in Vegas (which is actually pretty good). The menu screams replicable corporate concept. I expect people will compare this restaurant to Oyamel or some of the other higher minded Mexican casual dining concepts popping up along 14th street or in Arlington. This restaurant won't compete with the likes of Oyamel. It doesn't even close to being as good nor does it have the same convivial atmosphere. Nor is this anything like what you'd get at a Rick Bayless outpost in Chicago or O'hare. I won't describe the meal as a waste of either money or calories but I see no reason to go back except to sit at the bar and get a cocoa picante cocktail and the arepas.- 23 replies
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