Cafe Atlantico, Modern Latino Cooking at 8th and D Street in Penn Quarter - Closed

[AMTHoya]

I was going to post this a week ago, but for some reason couldn't...but here it goes anyway.

How good is Cafe Atlantico's pre-theater prix fixe deal? I'll give you a hint. Really really good. And a steal, at that - $25 per person including entrees that run to slightly less than that on the regular menu.

We started off the meal with the "Magic Mojito" which was pretty amazing - cotton candy in a martini glass, with mojito poured over it. Besides being, well, kinda cool - it was probably the best mojito I've ever had. I had already had Cafe Atlantico's mojitos, but I think I preferred this one because it didn't have ice in it, which kept it from inevitably getting watered down, as the other ones do (though I suck mine down so fast it doesn't get watered down for long). After we finished that, we followed up with a glass of Riesling each.

Followed up with foie gras and melon balls - this was a great combo, and also very fun to eat together over toast. The entree was a really excellent duck confit, with perfect sugary crispy yummy skin. And as a finale, their molten chocolate cake, which was good, though pretty typical for that dessert.

All in all, a good dinner with considerable savings. I'm definitely itching to go back and try the other options on the menu...especially the guac!!

[shogun]

We started off the meal with the "Magic Mojito" which was pretty amazing - cotton candy in a martini glass, with mojito poured over it. Besides being, well, kinda cool - it was probably the best mojito I've ever had.

Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. I have to hand it to Chef Jose and his beverage people: they have good 'bar gimmicks' that actually add to the drink, rather than just be for novelty's sake. See also: salt air.

[DonRocks]

[posted on eGullet 2003-2004]

Tonight was Café Atlantico, followed by a terrific dessert, followed by a late-night check-in at Rumba Café (perhaps more on the fine Rumba Café in an upcoming post).

The guacamole at Atlantico is the best I've had in Washington, the conch fritters (discussed earlier in this thread) are as good as you could possibly imagine, the scallops in a coconut crispy rice with ginger squid and squid-ink oil were disappointing, the scallops being overcooked and the sauce being too monolithic and dull, the foie gras in Torrontes with brioche is quite good but not special, the marinated quail with mango/anchovy raviolis and balsamic reduction is superb, and an incredible value at nine dollars. All dishes ordered as small plates, and I'm reminded once again what a terrific place this is to catch an early dinner at the bar.

The wine program is one of the best in Washington, but has a fatal flaw. Francisco Astudillo is a talented young sommelier who has assembled the single most interesting list of South American wines I have ever seen. Witness: 37 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignons, 16 Argentine Cabernet Sauvignons, 27 Argentine Malbecs, not to mention 30 sparkling wines (most of them Champagne including interesting pulls such as the LaSalle Chigny-Les-Roses Premier Cru for sixty dollars. Then there are the wines by the glass: 18 different varietals offered, almost all of them having at least two selections apiece - even unusual stuff by the glass such as Godello, Tokai-Furmint, Verdehlo, Torrontes, a German Pinot Gris. Nothing by the glass is priced at more than $10.00 - it's a fabulous by-the-glass list accompanying an interesting list in general, and the sommelier is engaging, knowledgable and eager to please, so what's the fatal flaw?

Well, you'll just have to read the next thread, because in this one, I'm not going to say anything but praise about Café Atlantico, so there!

Cheers,

Rocks!, but still....

[p.s. the fatal flaw was that the red wines were served too warm, but that problem is so widespread that it doesn't seem fair to single out Cafe Atlantico. Plus their mojitos are so good that they can cause a genetic mutation.]

[Nadya]

And for those of you who want to do brunch but are tired of standing in line for the privilege of eating two eggs, please consider Latin dim sum brunch at Cafe Atlantico.

It's never crowded. It's innovative. It's a good thing for impressing out of town relatives and friends or dates who are on the innocent side. It's a feast of gastronomic diversity for the same, what, $25? I guarantee that every other dish, when you put it in your mouth, will make you go, hmmm....awwwww....yum! Honorable mention goes to anchovy/mango ravioli and CA's own twist on the French toast.

Honestly, it's good enough to make your insufferable brunch companions not matter. And if it's someone you like, you'll have much more fun spoon-feeding them these beauties (during which you can raise your eyebrows and smile knowingly as your companion grows still...swallows and moans...see, I told you...didn't I tell you....listen to pumpkin) than trade back and forth dripping forks of your eggs over easy.

[Stretch]

And even if you're too shy to just about do it at the table like Nadya, a couple of Atlantico's killer mojitos with brunch will definitely put you in the mood for a little lie-down when you get home!

[Nadya]

Stretch, you silly sod.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, write steamy posts about it on a foodie forum.

Edited June 13, 2005 by Nadya

[CrescentFresh]

When handed my check last night at the bar at Jaleo, there was a booklet tucked in there announcing some events at Atlantico to celebrate its 15th anniversary in June.

Tuesday, June 7 Cata de Vinos, a South American wine tasting. No menu was listed (although I've emailed them to ask.) $120 pp inclusive.

Wednesday, June 15 Almaviva Wine Dinner. with winemaker Tod Victor Mostero. Menu prepared by Jose Andres and Katsuya Fukushima. Regalitos - Mojito soda - Carrot pisco sour, Oysters with pea puree, pea sprouts, snow peas, candied lemon mint, Tomato-Watermelon "Gazpacho", Chicken Caesar salad, "Steak and Eggs", Tres Leches 3 Ways. $125 pp inclusive.

Saturday, June 25 Art Auction and Dim Sum Celebration, featuring works by Latin American artists. Special dim sum brunch and cocktail party follows the auction. No price listed.

Monday, June 27 Dinner with Jose and friends. Guest chefs, Douglas Rodriguez, Ola, Miami and Guillermo Pernot, Pasion, Philadelphia. $150 pp inclusive.

I know I'd want to see more info on these before I would consider shelling out the $.

[DonRocks]

I had lunch there last week, and the kitchen was doing an amazing job with seafood dishes under the able leadership of Katsuya Fukushima. Among other things, the scallop in a coconut crispy rice with ginger squid and squid-ink oil was great this time around, and the red snapper Veracruz "con Aguacate" was the best version of this dish I've had in all of Washington.

On another recent visit to the bar, the tres leches reminded me of just how refreshing and invigorating a dessert can be - even if you're feeling like a pudgy ball of sodium after an arduous weekend of scarfing barbeque and nachos in front of the tube, and you think you couldn't possibly enjoy a dessert for at least another month, you should still go to Cafe Atlantico and order the tres leches.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Woodleygrrl]

I am going to have to try this place again. The last time I went was during restaurant week and it was not that great. The choices that you were limited to must not have been representative of the rest of the menu.

I have a reservation for the minibar later next month and I can't wait to see how much it has changed in a year.

[lackadaisi]

I had brunch there on Saturday, and it was delicious. Unfortunately, we were too later for the tasting menu, but we had several very nice appetizers (too many mojitos to recall exactly which however).

[CrescentFresh]

When handed my check last night at the bar at Jaleo, there was a booklet tucked in there announcing some events at Atlantico to celebrate its 15th anniversary in June.

Tuesday, June 7  Cata de Vinos, a South American wine tasting.  No menu was listed (although I've emailed them to ask.)  $120 pp inclusive.

FYI, just as a point of restaurant sloppiness, I've not yet received a response to my email requesting more information.

[JLK]

A phone call will probably be much more effective.

[CrescentFresh]

A phone call will probably be much more effective.

Probably, but they shouldn't offer an email contact if they're not going to use it, and I'd rather get the info emailed to me so I can forward to others without having to transcribe. I guess laziness rules on my end too! But I'm not running a business.

[Nadya]

Anyone aspiring to the claim of gastronomical expertise, man-about-town-ness, and simply rocking good time - next time you are in the mood for brunch, please abandon steak and eggs. Flip eggs Benedict a well-trained finger. Leave pancakes to lovers of elastic waists.

Instead, head downtown to Latin dim sum brunch at Cafe Atlantico, simply the most sophisticated, refreshing and different gig in town. Not only you will get your Sunday kick-started with great food as opposed to "old, nasty odds and ends" (ref. A. Bourdain, p. xxxx). It will also lend you a reputation of someone "who really know how to live well in Washington."

Share the bites of gorgeous food that comes in sizes just enough for two tastings. Get giddy on fruity cocktails. Is there a worthier calling? I don't think so.

So, this Sunday morning. Cafe Atlantico. Me and a similarly inclined friend. These were the choices:

Duck confit with passion fruit oil. This is a little sister of a dish one gets at dinner. Although three times smaller, it retains the goodness of fatty, fork-tender duck flesh sliding off the bone at the gentlest prod of the said fork.

Tuna ceviche with coconut. The spinkling of toasted corn seeds on top gives a totally unexpected twist.

Spinach with pumpkin seeds and raisins. Simple but never fails. Comes as a side dish to duck confit at dinner.

Mango anchovy raviolis. Hello, food revolution. This is the dish that you may want to use as a platform to showcase the savoir-faire of You Who Knows About Food. Ravioli shells are made of paper-thin mango slices. "What's that white thing inside??", your companion exclaims. "Honestly, darling. That's just anchovy foam. Neat, no??"

Oyster with mango-lime oil. Perfectly shucked. Warning: Mango-lime oil is fabulous, but when you lick the shell trying to get the last drop and lacerate your over-enthusiastic tongue on the rough edge of the shell, the resulting scratch may hamper your enjoyment of acidic drinks. You ARE having drinks, right? RIGHT?

Jicama–arugula rolls, quinoa, corn, pomegranate & cabrales cheese. Very nice.

Conch fritters with a liquid heart. Tastes surprisingly hearty.

Seared baby corn with corn puree.

Pan dulce with cinnamon syrup. Still miss that French toast at your skanky neighborhood brunch place? Get your fill here in a tiny, very cosmopolitan execution.

Oh I could go on and on, especially as lunchtime draws near and I contemplate my choices (SlimFast in vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. All of them, vile beyond belief.) But I always leave Cafe Atlantico with the wistful sense of "I don't come here often enough." Or "I wish I could order four more and have room for it." It's the most delicious, unusual and suave take on this most undemanding meal of the week. The way Cafe Atlantico handles it shows ingenuity, taste and the impossibly languid approach to eating well one doesn't find very often on this side of the Atlantic.

Signed,

The Rude Euro .

Edited June 6, 2005 by Nadya

[babka]

My mother flew in from Iowa yesterday, arriving at National at 11 and needing to be at Dulles by 3 PM. After careful triangulation on the metro system we determined that two--and only two--restaurants would both let us to have a lunch worthy of her exceedingly paltry expense account and allow her to catch the 5A out to Dulles: Cafe Atlantico, off of Navy-Archives, then catching the bus at L'Enfant, or Pho-75 in Virginia, catching the bus at the Rosslyn metro.

Pho-75, however, is a half a mile from the metro. We checked the weather forecast Monday night. Cafe Atlantico, then.

And a fine, fine lunch it was. My mother caught the blue line by accident, so I sipped a mint-limeade at the bar while waiting. The bar was empty save for Jose Andres himself, flipping through a magazine and looking unusually calm. I tried desperately to think of something to say to one of my culinary heros that wouldn't make me sound like a nerd at prom--but, er, I _was_ a nerd at prom, and old shyness dies hard. I silently drank and thought quiet admiring thoughts instead.

My mother finally stumbled in. She's been a fan of Cafe Atlantico since well before I moved here seven years ago, and she's not shy at all. She also, fortunately, didn't recognize Andres, so we just sat at a table under the window and I didn't whisper anything until he'd left. We split the soup, the ceviche, and an order of the day's special, soft-shell crab.

The soup was, as usual, brilliant, sweet potato with crunchy things and a dollop of crema. Whenever the weather decides to cool, I want an Atlantico-Corduroy soup cook-off. Winner gets to shout: No--

well, you know, at the loser.

Ceviche was tuna chunks under a lump of fat, soft avocado, and it was very good, though it was the soup we went dueling over for the last scrape. Soft-shell was also very nice, I think--by the time you split a soft-shell in two, though, hunks of meat have gone squirting in every direction and it's a little hard to find one with just the right crunch left. I wasn't such a fan of its warm tomato, olive, and something else base, which overpowered the faintly sweet crab--but if you pulled it out, the base was tasty when piled onto the surrounding chips.

My mother swore she was too full for dessert and I was leery of falling asleep at my desk, so we passed, though not until I'd detailed the past wonders of Mr. Klc's baba in a futile attempt to change both our minds. Instead, we metro'd down to L'Enfant plaza and bought a pint of plums from the Tuesday farmers' market to eat while waiting for the bus. They were good, but I fell asleep anyway.

Edited July 27, 2005 by babka

[jm chen]

Because somebody -- I think it was Capital Icebox -- asked about the brunch recently.

Ohhhh, it's good brunch. So good for parents, so good for everyone. Have some avocado-jicama ravioli that aren't really ravioli. Have the vanilla potato thing. Have whatever comes with coconut rice.

Forget what exactly the dishes are called, as I have, but remember that it's just about all delicious.

I have always wanted to get the One Of Everything deal but have never done so. Which means I definitely need to visit again.

[clayrae]

A cautionary note about the Deluxe Tasting Latino Dim Sum:

The food is fabulous, don’t miss the cauliflower quinoa cous cous, potato and vanilla mouse, and sweet potato soup.

However, there is more food than two people can consume comfortably. After trying the Vegetarian Tasting with three people (which was perfect), my mom and I went back to try the Deluxe Tasting. After three hours and twenty seven plates, we were feeling rather sick. The portions were much too large for two, three or four bites each, rather than one or two. We could barely bring ourselves to taste the last five or six dishes, which was a shame because everything is so good.

In short: bring friends!

[Al Dente]

What's the price tag on brunch at Cafe Atlantico?

[mdt]

What's the price tag on brunch at Cafe Atlantico?

Click. Check out the Latino Dim Sum menu.

or see below.

dimSum.pdf

Edited August 16, 2005 by mdt

[mame11]

Who needs foodtv when you can have a birds eye view of the kitchen at Cafe Atlantico? Not only was the food really good last night but the entertainment was also great! My friend and I were often transfixed by the kitchen activity.

The food:

Mojitos were great. I asked the server which one I should order and he suggested the house Mojito. It was very good but next time I am getting the Magic Mojito, it is just too pretty!

Tableside guac was so fresh and good. I don't know why I can't make it that good at home?

The conch fritters were not what I expected. They were more like stuffed hushpuppies than conch fritters. The "ravioli" were fun though, yummy avocado filling.

Two starters comprised my main course: the jicama/arugula salad and the tuna ceviche. The salad was an incredible mixture of tastes and textures. The salad was actually rather deconstructed in that what I would normally consider the base, the arugula, was actually more of a topping and that which I would consider a topping was the base, sweet corn. Not only was it incredibly fresh, I know for a fact that I could not recreate it at home. The tuna ceviche was fabulous.

My friend had the salmon. It was good too.

Overdid the desserts... tres leches AND the chocolate dessert. The chocolate cake was a bit dry but who cares it was still really good!

Can't wait to go back. Will request the same ringside table!

[JLK]

Can you say more about those intriguing-sounding ravioli? Are they on the menu or were they a special?

[ustreetguy]

Can you say more about those intriguing-sounding ravioli?  Are they on the menu or were they a special?

I believe she is referring to the faux-ravioli where the "pasta" is actually thinly shaved jicama with avocado as the filling. It's been on their brunch dim sum menu (only $3.95!) for quite sometime.

[mame11]

I believe she is referring to the faux-ravioli where the "pasta" is actually thinly shaved jicama with avocado as the filling.  It's been on their brunch dim sum menu (only $3.95!) for quite sometime.

Yes, that is exactly what they are! www.cafeatlantico.com has the full menu listed. Must go back for the arugla salad... yum

[Nadya]

Bumping the thread to remind one and all that Latin Dim Sum brunch rocks.

Try cigala (wee lobster) with vanilla oil. Try red snapper with avocado puree. Try fork-tender duck confit with skin crispy with caramelized passion fruit juice and just enough gorgeous fat. Try conch fritters. Try anything. It's all good.

[bigpinot]

I've been to CA's Latin Dim Sum about 3 times, but not in the last year and a half... They used to bring you refills of any of the little dishes upon request. The missus and I would generally eat 3 orders of guac, at least 2 orders of duck confit, and many, many desserts. Anybody know if they still allow this? Every time we ate there we left thinking, "This is the best deal in town!! If everyone eats like we do, they'll be bankrupt in no time!"

[mhberk]

Oops!  Sounds like we'd better rethink the whole evening. 

Indique would be a good choice for us but our friends don't care for Indian food.

Have you thought of Cafe Atlantico? They are just a few stops down from Cleveland Park and they usually have something available even though it doesn't show up on OpenTable. That's what we did this evening when we cancelled our reservation at IndeBleu.

BTW, we had an excellent meal (and evening) at Cafe Atlantico this evening! We had a choice from 6-8 apps and 6-8 entrees with no upcharges (unless we wanted the guac and that was $10 but didn't count as one of our three meals. It was totally separate)! I got the red snapper, my wife got the duck confit (which she gave two thumbs up for), our friend got the Salmon and our other friend got the Portabello mushrooms. We were all very impressed. I asked our server if I could have a menu, but forgot to collect it when we left (sorry).

Well, it's off to Galileo on Wednesday...

[mhberk]

Here's their RW menu:

ENTRADAS

Guacamole

A Mexican classic prepared table-side and served with flour tortillas 10

Not included on restaurant week menu.

Soup of the Day

This was a roasted tomato soup drizzled with olive oil and coconut milk. My friend REALLY enjoyed it!!

Sopa de Higado de Pato con Maiz y Hongos

Foie Gras soup with a floating island of corn and chanterelles

Ensalada de Arugula con Maiz, Cabrales y Frambuesa

Jicama and arugula salad with cabrales cheese, corn & raspberry

Callos de Mar con Arroz de Coco Crujiente

Scallops with coconut rice, crispy rice, ginger, squid and squid ink oil

Our other friend got this one and she gave me a bite. The scallops were perfectly seared and sat on a mound of coconut rice. The slight sweetness of the coconut was a great compliment to the other ingredients and the crispy rice added a surprisingly nice texture.

Fritura de Lambi como la hacen en Santo Domingo

Dominican Conch Fritters with a liquid center, jicama-avocado raviolis and mango oil

Salmon Ventresca envuelto en Piña

Seared Salmon belly with pineapple, avocado scallion sauce, frisse and crispy quinoa

Atun en Ceviche al Coco con Aguacate

Tuna and coconut ceviche with avocado

My wife got this one. Although the flavors were right on, I felt that there was a little bit too much avocado that took away from the flavor of the tuna

Camarones con pure de Auyama y aceite de Vainilla

Shrimp with candied pumpkin seeds, pumpkin puree, lime air and vanilla oil

This was the one that I got. Very nice flavors. The shrimp were prepared well and the other ingredients provided a nice contrast. My only complaint is that the ingredients together weren't as appealing as they would've been separately.

PLATOS FUERTES

Hongos con Huitlacoche al Queso Blanco y Remolacha

Roasted Portobello Mushroom with huitlacoche corn mushroom, latin cheese,

roasted beets and beet oil

One of our friends got this one and she seemed to enjoy it. The presentation looked nice, but I can't provide anything else about this dish other than that.

Salmon con Quinoa y Cous-Cous de Coliflor

Seared Salmon, cauliflower-quinoa “cous-cous,” buttery papaya,

avocado mash and papaya-vanilla oil

Our other friend got this one and she seemed to be in ecstasy with every bite.

Veracruz con Aguacate

Daily special with a sauce of tomatoes, olives, onions, capers, and fresh lime with avocado

I got this one. The daily special was red snapper. The fish was done perfectly. The skin was slightly crisp and the flesh was nice and tender. I did, however, feel that the other flavors of the dish were slighly over powering in contrast to the snapper. Also, I think the avocado was more of a garnish as it added nothing to flavor of the dish. The meal was extremely flavorful and I would absolutely order it again!

Pato con Espinacas y Pepitas de Calabaza

Duck Confit with sautéed baby spinach, pumpkin seeds, raisins and passion fruit oil

My wife got this one and she RAVED over it!

Chicken Ceasar Salad

Cornish Hen, grilled breast and confit leg with our organized “Ceasar Salad”

Faisán con Mole y Sandía

Baby Pheasant wrapped in bacon, served with deconstructed mole and seared watermelon

Churrasco de Res con Pure de Platano, Hongos y Salsa de Cabrales

Flank steak with a plantain puree, plantain chips, mushrooms and cabrales cheese demi-glace

Feijao Tropeiro

Grilled Chicken breast with black beans and pork, white rice, farofa,

oranges and sautéed collard greens with garlic

We also had a selection of two desserts:

Coconut Sorbet (which my wife got)

Chocolate Souffle - This was prepared on top of a chocolate sauce (with the consistency of a pudding) and a side of bannana salad (which was tossed in a simple syrup and lime juice) along with some thick whipped cream.

[qwertyy]

Chef will be interviewed on the Kojo Nnamdi Show today at 1:30pm on WAMU 88.5FM.

DC Restaurateur Jose Andres

He's credited with introducing Washington DC to the Spanish appetizers known as Tapas. Now Jaleo's Executive Chef Jose Andres is introducing them to the rest of the world, with his new cookbook. He joins Kojo to discuss his passion for food and friendship.

[cjsadler]

My step-brother was in town Sat, and we were catching a show at the Improv later, so we decided to take advantage of Cafe Atlantico's pre-theater menu. This a pretty good deal at $25 for three courses (due to the flash, I can't provide a direct link, but the menu is on their website), which includes some not-inexpensive ingredients (foie gras, lobster). The shrimp I had to start was a minibar-ish presentation, including lime foam and candied pumpkin seeds. Interesting, but I was wishing I got the foie gras terrine. The lobster veracruz that my step-bro and I had was half of a quite small lobster, but was cooked well, with the head portion being replaced by a stuffing that included more lobster meat. I thought the salmon with quinoa-cauliflower 'cous-cous' and papaya that my girlfriend had was probably the best dish, though. Salmon with a fruit salsa of some sort is something of a cliche on these 'deal' menus, but this was really good. The dessert choices seemed uninspired (molten choc cake or coconut sorbet), but the cake went well with its accompaniments (banana 'espuma', bananas in lime syrup and a bit of chocolate flan). Great service too.

[sstamour]

We were at Cafe Atlantico twice this weekend...once on Friday for the minibar (where we took notes and pictures and will be posting that later), and then once on Sunday for the dim sum.

I had been to the dim sum brunch once before, and there were tables open the entire time, so I just assumed reservations wouldn't be needed. Granted, the last time it was just two of us, this time it was 3.5 (three adults and one 3 year old). When we got there, the hostess told us she could seat us, but would need the table back in an hour and fifteen minutes. We decided to go ahead and take it anyway. Frankly, I was glad to hear that they were pretty much booked with reservations, this is something that I definitely want to stay around.

Now, you can order any of the plates ranging from $2 or so up to $9. Or you can do the deluxe tasting menu (which is all you can eat) for $35/pp. Personally, I think this may be the best deal in town. For a 30-odd course tasting menu, the portions are very large...if two people order it, you'll probably not want to finish each plate, otherwise you end up halfway through the meal counting the number of courses left and wondering how you're going to manage to taste everything. This time, we ordered it for three. I expected three people to be able to finish off what they would bring out. What I didn't expect is our waiter to bring out double orders of dishes he thought we would enjoy - and by that, I mean double orders of the most expensive items (duck confit, seared cigala). As he was doing this, he reminded us that we were more than welcome to request additional orders of anything we liked (we didn't, we weren't even able to finish off everything they did bring out, and didn't eat anything the rest of the day!).

I'm used to places doing all you can eat brunches. I'm not used to paying $35 for all you can eat dishes like foie gras, scallops, duck, cigala, and a host of other expensive ingredients all excellently prepared. I think we very nearly spent more on the cocktails than we did on the meal itself (I'm doing my best to work my way through their cocktail menu - I had the tres mango daiquiri and dirty secret, which was rose champagne with lavendar and vanilla this time).

Standouts of the brunch have to be the duck confit with passionfruit oil (I love passionfruit, and the skin on the duck is one of the best things I've had), the hot and cold foie gras soup (although I enjoyed it much more at the minibar than I did at the dim sum), the pan dulce, the seared cigala, the crispy rice/coconut rice/squid dish, oysters with mango lime oil, conch fritters, caviar with potato mousse and vanilla, red snapper, salmon-pineapple ravioli with crispy quinoa (again, though, the minibar version was superior), and the guacamole. Don't ignore some of their vegetable/fruit dishes either, the shaved pineapple with plantain powder is surprisingly good, the spinach with pumpkin and raisins is quite tasty (and I really don't like spinach), the asparagus with oranges is a classic, and I love the seared watermelon (now with a citrus vinaigrette, though it was better with the balsamic syrup they used to use). Even the traditional dishes, like the egg with black beans and pork stand up well to the surrounding creativity (I couldn't stop eating the black beans, even though I knew I should be saving room). I was quite surprised by the turnip soup with apple puree, I expected to hate it (I don't like turnips), but I finished it and considered asking for another one - the match of the creaminess of the turnip soup with the sweetness of the apple puree, and the differences in temperatures (yes, this is another hot and cold presentation) was so good.

There were some dishes I didn't particularly care for (what's with all the beets lately?), and some that just aren't very memorable (seared corn, both jimica raviolis, the fried egg with veracruz sauce), but I can't imagine not having that experience on a menu of this size.

Also of note, our server (Alex) was great. We told him about the need to turn the table over, and he made sure things came out very quickly. About 20 minutes after we were seated, the hostess came back and told us there was a cancellation, so we could keep the table as long as we liked. We let Alex know, and told him we'd prefer a little bit more of a leisurely pace, and he slowed the dishes down accordingly. We ended up spending close to 3 hours there, and he was happy to accomodate whatever time frame we wanted.

[porcupine]

Standouts of the brunch have to be the duck confit with passionfruit oil (I love passionfruit, and the skin on the duck is one of the best things I've had),

That dish alone is worth the price of admission, isn't it?

[Monica Bhide]

I have always done random tastings at Cafe Atlantico for some article or another - like having a drink at the bar or ordering one dish to write about it. Well, I finally managed to have lunch there yesterday. It was worth the wait and every bite reminded me of why Chef Kats is such a genius. Bravo! The scallops with squid ink and the salmon alone were dynamite. I am so glad I ws able to go and I hope that I can do it again -- this time at minibar which I have not had the pleasure of eating at yet.

[DonRocks]

Such gossip, such gossip I hear...

[Jonathan]

such a tease, that don is.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Ten assorted Rockweilers or SFDRUNKASSES had Latin dim sum brunch at Cafe Atlantico yesterday. It was pretty much a mixed bag, and frankly, I was underwhelmed. We started the table with 5 orders each of the duck confit, the fried egg with mashed black beans and pork and the red snapper with avocado puree. As reported above, the duck confit was great. However, the pork was MIA on the fried egg with mashed black beans and pork. If there was any pork there, it was not discernible. After that first round, we went with 5 orders each of the conch fritters with liquid heart, mango anchovy ravioli, and quail 2 ways with Latin spices. The fritters did not wow me; while they clearly are fritters, all they tasted like were hush puppies to me. There was a cold liquid custard in the middle which I was unable to identify other than to "yes, there were a liquid heart in there." The quail porition was very meager and I was unable to identify the sauce that accompanied them as being "Latin." The ravioli didn't do it for me, I just did not care for the blend of mango with anchovies.

After that, everyone was pretty much on their own. I had the carne asada which was good and I shared some of the pan dulce with cinnamon syurp. The pan dulce was great, sort of a Latin french toast with some machengo cheese in the middle. Other people had other things and I will let them chime in . Here are some pictures:

The duck confit and the red snapper with avocado puree:

The fried egg with mashed black beans and "pork"

The conch fritters with liquid heart:

Oh yeah, former VA Governor and presidential aspirant Mark Warner was having brunch with his family at the next table.

PS: The online menu is slightly out of date.

[Barbara]

I pretty much agree with JG's review except that I really, really liked the mango/anchovy ravioli and would go back for that and the duck confit anytime. I also liked the conch fritters more than he did, but won't be having any dreams about them.

The one item we ordered that should be avoided is the "Tomato and Watermelon Skewers." For around $3 or so, we got three tiny (less than an inch) cubes of tasteless watermelon with half a grape tomato stuck on with a skewer. The vinaigrette with cilantro just didn't work at all.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I pretty much agree with JG's review except that I really, really liked the mango/anchovy ravioli and would go back for that and the duck confit anytime.  I also liked the conch fritters more than he did, but won't be having any dreams about them.

The one item we ordered that should be avoided is the "Tomato and Watermelon Skewers."  For around $3 or so, we got three tiny (less than an inch) cubes of tasteless watermelon with half a grape tomato stuck on with a skewer.  The vinaigrette with cilantro just didn't work at all.

I also will add that, while I didn't have any, I heard that the squid was difficult if not impossible to locate in the coconut rice, crispy rice and "squid." Another item with a listed ingredient MIA?

[crackers]

My mojito was really good. Well-muddled . . . like the service. There were 15 different dishes shared around the table. I enjoyed the delicate mango ravioli with anchovy, and the sweet carne asada, and would go back for the wonderful duck confit and warm pan dulce. The quinoa "cous-cous" with cauliflower was tasty but not worthy as a stand-alone dish. It would have been good as a bed underneath the otherwise unexciting quail. The coconut rice, crispy rice and squid had no squid that I could find or taste. It was a good piping hot coconut risotto.

The one item we ordered that should be avoided is the "Tomato and Watermelon Skewers."  For around $3 or so, we got three tiny (less than an inch) cubes of tasteless watermelon with half a grape tomato stuck on with a skewer.

The price of those three wan cubes of watermelon was $4.50.

It's springtime - the dim sum menu needs some serious weeding and re-seeding.

ETA: damn. I don't wanna be a hammerhead.

[Barbara]

ETA:  damn. I don't wanna be a hammerhead. 

Too late. ($4.50??? REALLY?? )

[Nadya]

Well, funny enough, I ended up at Cafe Atlantico at dinner on Saturday night (Jaleo was too crowded) and had a bloody fantastic meal. Duck confit was everything I wanted, just enough fat, crispy sweet skin, and succulent flesh. In addition, it was juicy enough to cover the spinach and turn a boring, "this is good for you" side into a "let me indulge in another forkful" companion to duck.

Had conch fritters and jicama-avocado raviolis for starters and loved them as always. I wonder if what they gave you guys at brunch was dinner leftovers they didn't bother to warm up?

Desserts at CA never inspired me as much as savories but I did have a very serviceable warm chocolate cake/souffle thing with whipped banana pudding.

My friend had tomato soup with a dollop of creme fraiche and micro cilantro that I really enjoyed for its delicate but tangible smoky flavor of roasted tomato.

Pacing was rather efficient and a bit on the fast side. I think our apps came out before the answers to "how was your week" ran out of steam. So to ward off the PEA , Premature Entree Arrival, I had to deliberately leave one fritter on my plate and shoot dirty looks to overenthusiastic busboys..."no I'm NOT done...go refill someone else's glass..."

And the drinks were great! great! And sitting in a beautiful restaurant, all dressed up and warm and indulgent, with a great view of torrential downpour turning unfortunate pedestrians into wet rags in matter of seconds, well, that was priceless.

[Meaghan]

Has any one had this cocktail? It sounds a little crazy, but it could be good...

Dirty Secret

Rosé Champagne blended with fresh lavender and vanilla

$8.50

[DonRocks]

Has any one had this cocktail? It sounds a little crazy, but it could be good...

Dirty Secret

Rosé Champagne blended with fresh lavender and vanilla

$8.50

A new dish of note is called Andrés' Cold: Duck!

This is where chef stands in front of you and sneezes.

(Suggested wine pairing - Paul Masson's Crackling José)

[Lydia R]

Katy McLaughlin has an article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal that notes the internet's assistance in allowing chefs to find farflung restaurants or former stagieres (unpaid interns) that have flattered them with imitation. Other "victim" restaurants mentioned in the article include Craft and WD-50.

I understand, given the large investment ($100K/yr in his test kitchen) Chef Andres makes in his intellectual property, that chefs need to protect themselves -- but I still shake my head when I remember DCFoodie's experience at Buck's...

'That Melon Tenderloin Looks Awfully Familiar...'

At minibar in Washington, chef Jose Andrés is known for his avant-garde tapas menu, including foie-gras cotton candy, lobster served with a lobster broth injection and melon tenderloin. So when he came across an online review and blog about a former protege's new restaurant in Tokyo's Mandarin Oriental Hotel, he was more than a little interested to read that the menu included ... foie-gras cotton candy, lobster served with a lobster broth injection and melon tenderloin.

That's when Mr. Andrés got in touch with his lawyer. Claiming that these and other dishes being served at the hotel's Tapas Molecular Bar were his inventions, he wants the Mandarin Oriental to pay him a license fee -- or change its menu. The Mandarin Oriental's lawyers are attempting to resolve the issue "amicably" but believe "the case is groundless," says Jill Kluge, group director of communications. Tapas Molecular Bar chef Jeff Ramsey did not respond to requests for comment.

[DC in DC]

A group of 6 did Latino Dim Sum this morning, and like others upthread, we found it underwhelming. Service was off- took quite a while to take our orders, waters not refilled, and orders missed entirely (and without apology once the oversight was pointed out). There were a few items that were decent (red snapper, duck, the french toast), but most were misses: the oysters were pronounced "not fresh;" the chips that accompanied the guac tasted stale; the tuna tartare was flavorless; and many of the dishes were extremely salty (the spinach and the coconut rice spring to mind). Overall, our impression was that the kitchen was on autopilot, and there was no "spark" in any of the dishes (or the service). (Both my husband and I formed similar impressions after eating, separately, at Zaytinya last week...unchanging menu, indifferent service, soul-less food.)

[TheCacaoTree]

Starting Monday, August 21st, Cafe Atlantico will be featuring the hand crafted, fine and dark chocolate truffles of local chocolatier Sandra Escobar (The Cacao Tree) on the dessert menu. While I'm biased (Sandra is my sweetie), everyone seems to melt with joy when they eat her creations. I encourage you to check them out next time you are at Atlantico. More info on her website, www.thecacaotree.com

Thanks!

Michael.

[TheCacaoTree]

Thank you to everyone who went this week, the first week of the deal. Cafe Atlantico sold out of the truffles and is getting wonderful, positive feedback, and placed an order for more! We're very excited and and we appreciate your good taste and support!

Starting Monday, August 21st, Cafe Atlantico will be featuring the hand crafted, fine and dark chocolate truffles of local chocolatier Sandra Escobar (The Cacao Tree) on the dessert menu. While I'm biased (Sandra is my sweetie), everyone seems to melt with joy when they eat her creations. I encourage you to check them out next time you are at Atlantico. More info on her website, www.thecacaotree.com

Thanks!

Michael.

[ron]

My wife and I recently had our first dining experience at Cafe Atlantico in DC. What a great evening. The specialty drinks were terrific, especially when poured over spun sugar which melted into the glass.

We especially enjoyed the fish dishes, the snapper and the scallops were fresh and delicious. But I must say that the highlight of the meal were the dessert truffles provided by local chocolate artisan, Sandra Escobar of The Cacao Tree. A perfect ending to a perfect meal.

[DanielK]

Made our first ever trip to Cafe Atlantico today before TITUS ANDRONICUS at the Shakespeare Theatre.

We went for the pre-theater meal. It's now $30 for 3 courses, rather than the $25 mentioned uptopic, but still a considerable savings over menu price (which I calculate to $40-$50 for the 3 courses, depending on your choices).

We started at the bar with cocktails and guacamole. Screw you, Rosa Mexicano. Come take lessons. I had “Caribbean Affair by Ernest Hemmingway” (Rum, Fresh Grapefruit and Lime Juice, vanilla sugar). I watched the bartender squeeze the grapefruit. Great cocktail.

For dinner, we had:

Terrina de hígado de pato con piña y platano crujiente (Foie-gras terrine with pineapple, plantain dust and tamarind oil)

Soup of the Day (Garlic soup)

Res a la Parilla con Puré de Malanga (Grilled Flank Steak with a malanga puree, malanga chips and demi-glace)

Pato con frisée y pepitas de calabaza (Duck confit with frisée, pumpkin seed, pine nuts, raisins and passion fruit oil)

Sorbete del Dia (Passionfruit)

Bizcocho templado de chocolate con banana (Warm chocolate cake with Venezuelan chocolate flan, banana-lime salad and ‘espuma’ of banana)

The foie gras was wonderful, but that soup was absolutely fantastic. I usually say that Tom Power is unrivaled in this town when it comes to soups, but this gives him a run for the money.

I loved the flank steak, cooked perfectly to medium rare, but the duck was near orgasmic. I've never had a better confit, and I could eat a plateful of just the skin.

I really enjoyed the chocolate cake, but was so-so on the sorbet. My wife however, who thinks that there is no more perfect food on this planet than passionfruit, thought it wonderful, so I defer to her taste.

I don't know how we've avoided coming here in the past, but that will change. I look forward to exploring this menu more. And I think I had the best seat in the house - we were on the second floor, in a 2-top on the railing. I glance to the right, and look down into the completely open kitchen. And a glance to the left gives me a perfect view of Minibar and the flat-screen TV. My wife remarked that between the show to the left, the show to the right, and talking with her, that I completely missed out on ogling the hotties at the table next to us. Sacrifices in the name of food...

[Pat]

According to today's Post Reliable Source, Jose Andres and his partner have bought out the other investors in Cafe Atlantico and are using the space to expand Minibar.

[jiveturk21]

Are you freakin kidding me!? Going from 6 to 36 seats is one thing, one thing that I don't particularly like, but selling the name of his restaurant to a corporate sponsor is another thing altogether. He owns 3 Jaleos, Oyamel, Zaytinya, Cafe Atlantico and MiniBar. I am under the impression that he is still planning on opening Bar Jose along with a hotel in LA and will now have his own TV show. Does he really need to sell the naming rights?

[dcs]

Does he really need to sell the naming rights?

I kind of like the sound of "Cafe Atlantico's Chock full o'Nuts MiniBar."

[Apples & Bananas]

I'm sure if we all pitched in a few dollars we could probably claim it. DonRockwell.com's Minibar.

That has a nice ring to it.

[monsterriffs]

I kind of like the sound of "Cafe Atlantico's Chock full o'Nuts MiniBar."

"minibar brought to you by Nuts & Gum: Two Great Tastes Together At Last!"

[cfl19]

Anyone been to Cafe Atlantico recently? Am going there tonight for the first time and what to know if there are any can't miss/should miss items.

[giant shrimp]

Anyone been to Cafe Atlantico recently? Am going there tonight for the first time and what to know if there are any can't miss/should miss items.

haven't been there in several months, but a mojito and guacamole is always a good place to start. (if you're feeling somewhat jaded, i'd also look for secondary ingredients that look like they may have spilled over from minibar, such as lime air, ham powder and pop rocks, although the sum of the cooking here is much more down to earth.)

[synaesthesia]

Not been in ages, but I really loved the duck confit with passionfruit oil. Welcome and please report back on what you have. =D

[brettashley01]

Went recently and really, everything we had was delicious. The huitlacoche mushroom dish was to die for. I don't think we had a bad bite between the 4 of us- and we ranged from feijoada to salmon to bass(?).

On that note, anyone been to the dim sum brunch?

[Pete]

On that note, anyone been to the dim sum brunch?

Paula and I really enjoyed the dim sum brunch back in July. The online menu is fairly representative of what we had, and we probably plowed through about half of it. I definitely recommend it for something different.

[kturkey88]

Haven't been in a few months, but I loved the tuna tartare with avacado app.

[brettashley01]

Just a report back on the dim sum brunch. Shared: huitlacoche and mushroom quesadilla (to die for, wow i love that fungus); Tuna ceviche with coconut; Fried egg with Veracruz sauce (a mess but a delicious mess), Seared cigala with vanilla oil (sort of a spiny lobster. would have preferred to have lemon rather than vanilla oil; didn't even taste the vanilla in there); guacamole tableside and the malanga chips. All delicious. Other than an obviously hungover server, the staff was super attentive and esp. concerned with making sure my experience was an allergy-free one. Would def. go back.

[heh]

I would add that the chef's dim sum tasting menu ($35 for non-vegetarians and $25 for vegetarians) is a pretty good value and you get to sample all of the highlights from the menu. DIm sum brunch only offered on Sundays now, FYI. Famous duck confit has been replaced with pork belly. Not quite the same, but delish.

[diddy]

why did chef katsuya fukushima leave?

[DonRocks]

why did chef katsuya fukushima leave?

He's spending his time shuttling back-and-forth to Los Angeles as part of the opening crew of The Bazaar.

[dag556]

I'm headed to Cafe Atlantico tonight for drinks... Can you order food at the bar?

[dcandohio]

I'm headed to Cafe Atlantico tonight for drinks... Can you order food at the bar?

Yes, I've eaten at the bar. It get crazy busy in there, so be prepared to be jostled while you nosh.

[bookluvingbabe]

Anyone been lately? Going for lunch later in the week. Thanks!

[NolaCaine]

I had my second lunch at CA today and it was very yummy. Both my dining companion and I had the Vera Cruz which today was a nicely baked trout covered in a (tasteless) foam. The taste was perfect and it was not overcooked. The trout was accompanied by a nice assortment of olives, baby onions, and baby tomatoes (which were super sweet). Also on the plate; very thin pita slices and a small pile of guacamole. The Guacamole was lime-yer than i've experienced in the past and really liked it.

My companion enjoyed the Mango Soup which is PERFECT and I had the warm white chocolate mouse. It was very yummy but not next level like the mango. Maybe it's just that time of the year when I want light and fresh, not put-me-to-bed rich. That said, I think the portion sizes were perfect.

I want to go back for cocktails, an entire serving of Guac, and that Mango Soup.

[DonRocks]

I want to go back for cocktails, an entire serving of Guac, and that Mango Soup.

I also suspect this trio may be (or could be) 100% vegan, so vegans take note.

[Anna Blume]

Two things:

1) My visiting friends went to CA for the first time last Thursday (instead of the Bombay Club which The NYT is apparently recommending for good cheap eats) and truly loved it. I don't recall everything they said they had, but they really liked the guacamole and 'organized' (re? dis?) Caesar salad. A leitmotif during their trip has been wobbly tables. Valiant server tried to remedy their plight and everyone was gracious.

2) This is Terri's restaurant now, but update on news above is that, while hatless, Kats is back more or less for good. He says D.C. is his town.

Then one question:

Anyone tried the Friday night market dinner yet?

I've only seen the CA team roam the street on Thursday afternoons looking for inspiration. Looks like fun.

[silentbob]

I would add that the chef's dim sum tasting menu ($35 for non-vegetarians and $25 for vegetarians) is a pretty good value and you get to sample all of the highlights from the menu. DIm sum brunch only offered on Sundays now, FYI. Famous duck confit has been replaced with pork belly. Not quite the same, but delish.

An out-of-town friend and I got the tasting menu two weekends ago. Pork belly is definitely the highlight. Conch fritter was tasty too, unfortunately it was more fritter than filling. Everything else was on the good-but-not great level. I really wanted to like the soups and mousses more but one flavor tended to overpower the others, not sure if that's by design.

I agree that it's a pretty good value overall (especially because you can get seconds of any dishes).

[kirite]

We recently had the legendary brunch at CA and it was great. Although the venue is a bit the worse for wear after twenty years of traffic , the food and wait staff were outstanding. The little plates were exceptional and very inventive. We each ordered three--four would have been better. This is a labor intensive restaurant with servers delivering and removing at just the right pace. I plan to return and try the vegetarian tasting menu.

[catharine]

We had the Latino Dim Sum brunch here on Sunday as well and thought it was wonderful. The pacing of the dishes was perfect. It was definitely a good value, but we didn't leave stuffed. Our favorite dishes were the pork belly confit with passion fruit oil, the conch fritters with a liquid center and the surprising pan dulce with cinnamon syrup.

[ktmoomau]

Cafe Atlantico had been on my list of places I wanted to eat dinner every since we went to Minibar two years ago. I had been for their Saturday brunch, which I really like, but never for dinner.

So Hubby and I had a date Friday night to Cafe Atlantico. I started out with their special cherry blossom drink with lavender and cherry. It was very good, and not overly sweet, because of the tang of the cherry, but definitely a little sweet. I ordered the grapefruit and shrimp appetizer and Matt had the conch fritters. I really liked my appetizer it was really light and acidic. The shrimp and grapefruit were mixed with chayote noodles and some greens (arugula I believe) and it all mixed very well. Matt's conch fritters were great though. They were nicely fried, but not tough, and had a great side of jicama guacamole on the side. I really liked these. He had the margarita with the salt foam, and loved it. I thought it was really fresh tasting.

I then got the passionfruit martini, which was so fresh and juicy it could be a very dangerous drink. I really love passionfruit and this was lovely if you like passionfruit. Matt ordered the magic mojito, which I have had better mojitos, but not better mojitos that melted from being cotton candy with a lime hidden in it. It was definitely fun to watch the drink being made, but they taste better at Zengo.

I had the duck confit entree with corn and fava beans. This was fantastic. The duck just fell apart and it went so well with the veggies underneath so it didn't feel over the top rich. Matt had the pork chop which was of notable size, but very good. It was spicy- very spicy- but in a good way.

We split the cuatro leches dessert, which had a nice light cake, and leche ice cream that wasn't too sweet and toasted almonds. The only let down was that the oranges with it weren't very flavorful, just not very ripe.

We wanted the mexican hot chocolate, but they were out.

Overall I was really happy with the meal. It was different, but well prepared. I think thought went into pairing the ingredients for each dish, and most of the ingredients were very fresh and flavorful (the exception being the oranges). So it was a nice place for date night. And the cocktails were really great. I don't think this place gets enough credit for really good cocktails.

[ulterior epicure]

I'll admit that the length of my regular blog posts are way too long. I view my blog as a safe harbor from editorial limits; a sort of verbal vomit vortex. The following excerpt might still be too long for some of you. If you want more, including pictures, you can proceed with fair warning to my blog.

********

I can’t believe that I lived in Washington, D.C. and never once stepped foot in Cafe Atlantico.

Jaleo, yes. But never Cafe Atlantico.

Neither did I visit Jose Andres’s Mediterranean “mezze” restaurant, Zaytinya, which opened shortly before I moved away, or minibar, which always seemed (and still seems) like too much of a hassle.

Cafe Atlantico’s “Latino Dim Sum,” served only on Sundays, sounds like the kind of cultural collision I generally try to avoid. But everyone raves about it.

There’s nothing tremendously earth-shattering about the food here now, though it might have been slightly more so when the restaurant first opened two decades ago (in 1990).

Andres’s Latino “dim sum” is, basically, a smattering of creative tapas served with chopsticks, a fork, a knife, and a spoon. It’s a mish-mash of tropical ingredients and flavors from around the globe. He calls it “Nuevo Latino” cuisine.

The three of us decided to make ordering simple and opted for the 14-course dim sum tasting menu ($35 per person; $25 for the 12-course vegetarian tasting menu).*

The question of value of the tasting menu is worth considering here. A la carte, the dishes ranged in price between $3 to $8, with the average probably being somewhere around $4.75.

Some of the dishes came with two portions (there were two scallops – large ones – on the “Scallops with Cauliflower Puree” dish, two oysters on the “Oyster with Mango-Lime Oil,” and two conch fritters). Most seemed to come with three pieces to a dish – three cigalas halves, three endives, three pieces of tuna. However, it is difficult to know whether these were their normal a la carte portions, or if they were tailored to our three-person tasting menu format. Our situation was even more difficult to assess since Indo couldn’t have crustacea. Our server ended up bringing out 18 different dishes to accommodate Indo’s allergy. She even brought out multiples of the ones we particularly liked, though I have no idea whether this was the normal course of business, or whether it was her attempt to make up for the cocktail she accidentally poured over half our table. I suspect that individual dish portion sizes for a single person tasting menu would be smaller.

Assuming that the quantity of food we got was normal, then it turns out that ordering the tasting menu was slightly less expensive than if we had ordered those same dishes a la carte.

On top of the 18 dishes we were served as a part of the tasting menu, we also added three savory dishes and two desserts from the a la carte menu.

-

Endive with Queso Fresco Espuma

Walnuts and pomegranate ($3)

Malanga Chips

Plantains and curry ($3)

Tuna Ceviche with Coconut ($4)

Oyster with Mango-Lime Oil ($3)

Mango-Anchovy Ravioli ($3)

Fried Egg with Veracruz Sauce ($5)

Pineapple-Unagi

Avocado sauce ($6.50)

Cauliflower-Quinoa Cous Cous ($4)

Mushroom with 63-degree Egg ($5)

Conch Fritters

With a liquid center($5)

Potato & Vanilla Mousse

American Caviar ($4) (x3)

Hot & Cold Foie Gras and Corn Soup ($5) (x3)

Huitlacoche & Wild Mushroom Quesadilla ($7) (x2)

Grilled Skirt Steak “Carne Asada” ($7)

Coconut Rice

Crispy rice and ginger ($4) (x2)

Fried Egg with Black Beans & Pork ($5)

Pork Belly Confit

Passion fruit oil ($7.50) (x2)

Pan Dulce

Cinnamon syrup ($5)

-

Seared Cigala with Vanilla Oil ($8)

Scallops with Cauliflower Puree ($6)

Beef Empanadas

Date marmalade and queso fresco ($4.50)

Cuatro Leches “Morir Soñando” ($9)

Warm Apples & Raisins ($9)

-

As far as brunch goes, Cafe Atlantico’s Latino dim sum adds a splash of color to an otherwise predictable slate of options.

The food is all very good, and I suppose it’s a novel experience. But it didn’t leave me raving.

True to the dim sum experience, there’s a factory feel to it all.

Here, instead of steaming carts with loud-mouthed drivers, you have servers mad-dashing about the crowded, three-level dining room with trays stacked with dishes. Some might find it festive. I call it chaotic.

The restaurant was packed. They seated us 20 minutes after our reservation time. It might have been delayed even longer had I not checked in with the host about 15 minutes into our wait and mentioned that my friend and I were both needing to catch a flight out later that afternoon. While at no point did we feel rushed, other than by our own time constraints, getting people in and out efficiently seemed to be top-of-mind for the staff. There was a steady stream of diners exiting and entering throughout the two hours we were there.

Dishes were churned out with the same slapdash affect as at a dim sum house. The food wasn’t sloppily plated, necessarily, but most if it looked like it rolled off an assembly line; attempted order.

Yet, almost everything was properly cooked.

My favorite dishes were the more traditional, hearty Spanish ones. The “Grilled Skirt Steak ‘Carne Asada,’” for example, was simple, straightforward, and tasty. The strips of meat were tender and juicy. “Pork Belly Confit” was amazing – the layers of melting collagen and tender meat were almost indistinguishable from each other.

The egg dishes – all of them – were great, especially the one with a delicious layer of pork-stewed beans (“Fried Egg with Black Beans & Pork“).

The “Coconut Rice” was also very good, an unexpectedly savory comfort (I had expected something more akin to sweet rice pudding). And the “Huitlacoche & Wild Mushroom Quesadilla” were great – a toasty tortilla sandwich layered with a beefy, layer of silky mushrooms glued together with melted cheese.

Other than the cigalas, which were mushy (Could they have been frozen? Past experience suggests so.), there were few truly disappointing dishes. The “Hot & Cold Foie Gras and Corn Soup” sounded better than it tasted: warm corn soup with a cold foie gras froth, it tasted like a mistake. I like my soups either all hot or all cold. This just left me feeling lukewarm, literally.

The balance of our fare fell somewhere between forgettable and good. The scallops were good (and, at $6 for two, giant U-8s, the best buy of the day), as were the oysters. The packets of anchovy mousse wrapped in thinly shaved sheets of mango were creative – admirable for the subtlety – but not terribly moving (“Mango-Anchovy Ravioli“). Even less interesting was “Endive with Queso Fresco Espuma,” another casualty of the iSi epidemic. Crunchy endive leaves beg for a hefty partner – a cloud-like foam is not it.

Rave? No.

Pleased? Sure.

Like the refreshing and well-made limeade, our “Latino dim sum” brunch at Cafe Atlantico was a bubbly and fun occasion, much more because of the company than the food. Unless someone lands a reservation to minibar and invites me, I won’t be rushing back.

[DonRocks]

Limp, limp, limp ...

Aria Pizzeria may be open now.

Limp, limp, limp ...

Elephant and Castle was packed, as usual this time of year, both the patio and the bar. I opted out and moved on.

Limp, limp, limp ...

Ollie's Trolley, no.

Tosca, underdressed.

Limp, limp, limp ...

Zaytinya, underdressed.

Ella's, not interested.

Cedar, too recently.

Zola, nah.

limp, limp, limp ...

Penn Quarter Farmer's Market, acknowledged with a reverential nod.

limp, limp, limp ...

Cafe Atlantico.

Mojito ($11) - Reasonably well-made

Chips (Free) - Average at best

Xinghu Black Beer ($7) - An underrated beer, with finesse, not power

Roasted Beet Salad ($12) with seasonal organic baby beets, oranges, cotija cheese, sherry vinaigrette (not to mention lots of toasted seeds on top) - Dominated by an over-application of pungent vinaigrette, the few honorable beets lost in the mix

Glass of Screwtop Rueda ($7) - An overcropped, insipid table wine left 2/3 unfinished.

And out of respect for the kitchen, despite wanting to escape the clutches of JoséVision on the bar TV, Olive Oil Poached Escolar (a painful $27) with an abundance of stewed cherry tomatoes, black olive powder, corn two ways - three poorly cooked, surprisingly dry, pieces of escolar - one of my favorite inexpensive fish - without any bread to soak up the impressively skinned tomatoes served in a clumsy (but modern) bowl.

This kitchen should be better than this, and has been in the past. Tonight, it was an unimpressive, expensive showing, and a big waste of my money.

A long-overdue downgrade for this tired restaurant.

Cheers,

Rocks

[fuzzy510]

I'm actually glad to see Atlantico get knocked down a few notches not out of any sort of malevolence towards the restaurant, but because I have had a couple of really lackluster meals here, and I was starting to think I was the only one who thought it wasn't that great. I think "tired" really is the best word to describe Cafe Atlantico right now, and if it weren't for Jose Andres' star power or the fact that Minibar is inside, I'm not sure how relevant it'd be.

[ulterior epicure]

Olive Oil Poached Escolar (a painful $27) with an abundance of stewed cherry tomatoes, black olive powder, corn two ways - three poorly cooked, surprisingly dry, pieces of escolar - one of my favorite inexpensive fish - without any bread to soak up the impressively skinned tomatoes served in a clumsy (but modern) bowl.

Ouch. Dry escolar. That's not an easy achievement.

A long-overdue downgrade for this tired restaurant.

I'm nodding with some familiarity.

[Anna Blume]

Limp, limp, limp ...

Hurt your foot, Don?

[Toogs]

Wait, Zaytinya is dressier than Atlantico? Hmm. Maybe because I only seem to go there before or after Wiz or Caps games the crowd is a little different?

[Miami Danny]

despite wanting to escape the clutches of JoséVision on the bar TV

In that case, you may want to pass on 60 Minutes tonite. Yeesh.

[giant shrimp]

Hurt your foot, Don?

what happened to jose andres? maybe it's just my imagination, but wasn't he just here?

many years ago he used to be in the kichen at cafe atlantico cooking, and the food was so good he would promenade in the dining room.

[mdt]

what happened to jose andres? maybe it's just my imagination, but wasn't he just here?

many years ago he used to be in the kichen at cafe atlantico cooking, and the food was so good he would promenade in the dining room.

What happened? You mean besides recently opening a place in LA that is getting huge raves, not to mention running the rest of his restaurants. Oh and there is the planning for new ones in Las Vegas and wherever else they mentioned in the 60 Minutes piece last night.

[giant shrimp]

What happened? You mean besides recently opening a place in LA that is getting huge raves, not to mention running the rest of his restaurants. Oh and there is the planning for new ones in Las Vegas and wherever else they mentioned in the 60 Minutes piece last night.

actually, i was referring to local sightings in the vicinity of cafe atlantico.

[Ericandblueboy]

Latino Dim Sum Tasting Menu (exactly 14 courses)

The first dish is some kind of whipped cheese in endive - nothing special.

The next trio were (1) Tuna ceviche with coconut, (2) Mango-anchovy ravioli, and (3) Oyster with mango-lime oil. Couldn't taste the tuna because it was overpowered by all the other ingredients.

[Ericandblueboy]

The second trio were (1) Potato & vanilla mousse with American caviar, (2) Conch fritters with a liquid center, and (3) Hot & cold foie gras and corn soup. The potatos were great with caviar, could've lived without the vanilla. The foie soup was super (mostly because we love foie gras). And the conch fritter had no conchiness to it...could've been ham.

Pineapple-unagi with avocado sauce. Nicely grilled ell but why pair it with a cloyingly sweet pineapple?

Mushrooms with egg 63 - nice dish of various mushrooms, kinda helped fill me up.

Grilled skirt steak “Carne Asada” - grilled from medium rare to medium well, good flavor and a little chewy at times.

Duo of (1) Pork belly confit with passion fruit oil - it was 2/3 fat, not at all appetizing, and (2) Fried egg with mashed black beans & pork - very tasty dish that helped fill my wife up.

Coconut rice, crispy rice & ginger - their version of congee. I don't really care for congee, it's okay if I'm stuck in a hotel in China with a lousy breakfast buffet, but not as part of tasting menu.

Pan dulce with cinnamon syrup - grilled cheese with syrup - this I can do at home.

Overall - not my cup of tea. I would prefer 14 courses of regular dim sum, which would have cost much less. The service was really good so that was not a factor in my less than stellar opinion. FWIW, I also didn't think much of Minibar (more form than substance IMO).

[Tujague]

Cafe Atlantico is disappearing, at least temporarily, for this, then the long-promised Minibar expansion will happen.

[DonRocks]

The new Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner location of America Eats Tavern opened on Monday, June 2, for breakfast and lunch, and they plan to start serving dinner later this week (via Washingtonian).  The address is 1700 Tysons Corner Blvd, McLean, VA.

[Leave it to José to create an administrative nightmare. I almost *have* to split off the old Café Atlantico posts at this point, and create a separate thread for America Eats Tavern. I'll get to it. Grumble.]