Macondo

I have now been to this spot three times- and have always really enjoyed myself. The drinks are awesome (My friends SWEAR by the white sangria, if that is your kinda thing), the mojitos kick butt, and the cava is lovely and poured tall.

But more importantly, the tapas-style food is awesome. I've tried several veg plates, including the patatas bravas, which are not soggy at all and served with a nice spicy crema sauce. My favorite dish is a quinoa beet salad with mint and a little cheese. The mint flavor is super refreshing, light, and makes for a great flavor to contrast with the brown crunchy grain and the beet. I also really like the flatbread with spinach, cheese, and golden onions. Again, the combo of texture and flavor is incredibly satisfying!!

Friends have tried dishes of fish and meat and enjoyed them all- but I think the creative veg-friendly cuisine is what really impresses me in this spot (and the drinks!!)

Like ALL tapas experiences, always pricier than you think at first. Sigh, what can I say to this other than... tapas, you entice my palate and steal from my wallet!!!!

Brunch @ Beco

This weekend Ry & I checked out Beco for brunch. A tiny restaurant with a small bar and about eight or nine tables, this place serves up Brazilian fare, and right now, World Cup soccer games. We astutely avoided one of the matches, and snuck in Saturday morning when the place was not insane. We both opted for the prix-fixe menu, which come with a brunch item, a coffee, and a cocktail. Let's start with the coffee: some of the best I've had in the burg. We had americanos, and they hit the spot. I had a caju fruit mimosa, which was also really nice, and Ryan tried a mint pineapple caipirinha, which was "OK, nothing great"- and Ry says "The mimosa I had was better".

I tried the herb omelet and Ryan had the steak and eggs. My omelet had a variety of options- I chose the asparagus, white cheese, and sundried tomato, and was really pleased with the results. They did not shy from the herbs, and the basil flavor came through and was amazing. All the ingredients were well seasoned and the cheese was melted to a delicious gooey-ness, as it should be. On the side were some homefries, topped with a squirt of lemon, that were great, and a little mesclun salad. If I had a complaint, it might be that it was a little salty, but otherwise, I was a happy camper.

Ryan's steak was great, and came with white rice, beans, salsa, and topped with two fried eggs- Ry took them sunny side up. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the steak was flavorful. Again, Ryan complained that the rice was salty, too much for his taste, but otherwise he was quite pleased. We were both bummed that the waitress did not bring us the two sauces we saw at other tables, one looked like a recaito or a chimichurri, and the other some type of red chili... I'm thinking those are good stuff.

Other than the saltiness, my only other complaint is that the service was less than stellar, especially seeing as there were only a few other tables. But I will definitely come back- the eggs benedict also looked great, and for $14.95, the price was right!

Tabare

Ryan and I tried another of the burg's new restaurants for dinner the other night. A uruguayan/ south american flavor and very romantic spot, Tabare was super cute! We sat in the tiny back garden for dinner, but inside and out is very romantic. The restaurant is BYOB, so we picked up a bottle on the way, a huge perk, for sure. I tried the asparagus soup which was delicious, with a nice buttery green flavor, and then a beet salad that was really refreshing. Ryan tried a steak and egg sandwich that came with amazing fries- loved the seasoning on top. We'd love to try some of the pasta and fish dishes next time. But the real highlight of the meal was the dessert. So rarely do I fall in love with sweets- but wow. They gave us a free piece of the flourless chocolate cake, which was rich and chocolaty and sooo good. I tried the dolce de leche flan, which was also super tasty. With a cup of coffee, it was perfect. We will definitely be back!