Washington, DC: Food

A restaurant experience and recommendation have become a standard for reports on this blog.  The best meal and best dining experience came at an unexpected location.  In China Town, at the corner of 7th and F, directly across from a Metro station is a Mexican restaurant.  High-class dining and fine food just do not seem to match what is experienced in Mexican-themed restaurants.  Fun, interesting, and fiery food maybe, but not fine dining. Rosa Mexicano is a great dining experience.  Beautiful decor, energetic atmosphere, amazing service (4 men served our table of two), and guacamole made right at the table with the desired level of spiciness.  The entrees were delicious -- flavors, texture, aroma, and presentation.  Jill asked for a box to take her leftovers home.  Instead, they took her plate to the kitchen, arranged the food very artfully, garnished it, and brought it back to the table in a box that formed a bow on top.  After eating more than one should, skipping desert was strongly considered.  Giving in was a good decision.  Tres leches cake that created a sensation throughout the body.  The cake was wrapped on top and sides in meringue and toasted to perfection.



The first attempt to try Rosa Mexicano was rebuffed by the hostess's statement that the wait would be over an hour.  It was a hint at the popularity and a suggestion to arrive earlier.  Another indication of the popularity was the number of people willing to accept a seat outside on the sidewalk, on an evening when the weather was not at its nicest.  Recommending a Mexican restaurant in China Town?  Seems odd, but it may be the best restaurant in China Town.













Next to the Capital Yacht Club, on the Washington Channel, the Sea Food Markets operated from early morning to late night.  These markets are on the Washington Channel -- they are floating barges.  The concrete with the poles and chain is the bulkhead, the space in between goes down to the water, and the food display is on a barge.  The tides ranged as much as 5 feet, moving the displays from toe hight at times to eye level at others.

Fine dining this is not.  An experience it certainly is.  Wide varieties of fresh seafood are available from five large vendors.  Other vendors had cooked seafood dinners, which some diners ate sitting on the parking lot or standing behind their car, using the trunk for a table.  At one vendor, you could buy fresh seafood and take it to another barge and have it steamed.  That same vendor had scrumptious desserts, including pies that were cut in four pieces for serving. Washington offers a wide variety of food experiences.