Bar Vasquez - "New World" Argentine by the Owners of Charleston

[Ericandblueboy]

I'm spending the night at Admiral Fells Inn just to check this place out.  The menu looks as creative as Del Campo when it first opened, but slightly cheaper.  Will report back later.

[Ericandblueboy]

Bar Vasquez is cavernous - a converted 3 stories warehouse with dining set on probably all 3 levels.  We were seated on the first floor, next to musicians who played Gypsy King-like music (but not exactly, since I didn't recognize any songs).

To sum up my experience in one word - underachieved.  The menu read so well that I was disappointed to find rather mediocre execution.

Two dishes were pretty darn good:  (1) Locro - spicy tripe soup with well cleaned tripe and a flavorful soup (2) Broccoli a la plancha - cooked but still crunchy, nicely seasoned.

Two dishes were bland:  (1) veal tongue - very tender but had no seasoning (2) Patagonian red shrimp with spaetzle - again, nicely cooked but lacked seasoning.  There were quite a few shrimps, maybe 6 or 7.

Two dishes were so so: (1) crab croquettes (2) chicken empanada

One fail - sweetbread (grilled mollejas) - chewy and off tasting.

If this place improves, I'd go back.

[Ericandblueboy]

Went back to Bar Vasquez.  It is much improved.  We started with CAMARONES A LA PLANCHA - perfectly grilled Patagonian Red Shrimp, tender but slightly crispy on the exterior.  WOOD-GRILLED LENGUA DE TERNERA was another winner, tender tongue with a criolla sauce (similar to chimichurri).  Not pictured but a great value is the prime skirt steak, tender yet full of flavor.  The only miss was the crab bucatini - bland red sauce with equally bland crab meat.  We also had some broccoli.  I wonder why DC can't support a decent Argentine restaurant.

[MarkS]

Given that the owner are Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf this place should be great.  I'll have to check this out as I am a huge fan of Cindy Wolf who IMHO runs one of the best restaurants in the DMV, Charleston. 

[MarkS]

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