Oyamel

Yesterday, after I posted that winter had, in fact, arrived, spring came back!  By late afternoon it was 60 degrees and sunny.  Sigh. 

Last night, in the mild January weather, some friends and I went to Oyamel for dinner.  Oyamel is a Mexican restaurant serving antojitos- Mexican small plates.  When we arrived, we had a 7:30 reservation and unfortunately, they were unable to seat us until closer to 8.  Because of the inconvenience, they gave us a free round of drinks.  I was with 3 friends who do not drink, so basically I had a free round of 4 drinks all to myself. 

We had a 5 course meal (not counting chips, salsa, and guacamole) and everything was delicious from the cactus salad to the chicken tacos.  I am eager to go back again to try more dishes. Nearly every dish had avocado and cilantro which made me very happy.

Here are some snapshots of the scrumptious food, as well as an outfit of the day, which is inspired by my older sister, Jen, who can dress up a button down shirt like no other.

Delicious guacamole...

This was probably one of my favorite dishes.  It is ensalada de chayote- squash salad in a hibiscus dressing.  I discovered I could eat hibiscus dressing everyday for the rest of my life and die a happy girl.  SO GOOD.  Almost like a raspberry dressing, only better.

Sopa Tarasca estilo (black bean soup) served with a crispy ancho chile and, of course, avacado!  (That's the second plate in the background... all the soup toppings)

Costilla de res con pipian.  This was NOT my dish, but it was so tasty, I wish I had ordered it!  This is braised short ribs in a cilantro sauce. SUPER tasty!

This was my dish... a traditional tamal verde.  Very good, just not as unique as the short ribs.

Taco course!  I had tinga poblana... by this point in the meal, I was so full, I couldn't eat much of it.

For dessert, Pastel de tres leches con pina.  I didn't touch this because 1. it isn't chocolate and 2. I was about to burst

My many, frothy beverages for the evening

Skirt: Banana Republic, 2011
Button Down: Talbots circa 2004
Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft circa 2006
Boots: Nine West
Socks: J. Crew, 2011

Catching Up at Kellari

Last weekend, for DC Restaurant Week, we had a girls night out dinner that was extra fun; our friend, Jeannette, was visiting from Seattle and was able to join us for dinner!  We went to Kellari Taverna for a delicious Greek meal.  The food was heavenly and the conversation hilarious.  We had an excellent time catching up, overeating, and enjoying some tasty (and perhaps too strong) cocktails.  We began our adventure with a drink at the bar where the restaurant had a HUGE cheese plate (seriously, the thing weighed more than me) and dish of olives to munch on with our beverages.  When we sat down, our friendly waiter brought over some fish for our viewing pleasure.  After dinner, we received a huge cutting board with a sampling of every Greek dessert imaginable.  I would highly recommend Kellari if you've never been!

I told you the cheese plate was huge!  Look at its size compared to Jill and me!

All the girls, before dinner

Dress: Anthropologie, Summer 2009
Purse: Whirly Twirly Clutch, Winter 2010
Shoes: Nine West, Spring 2011
Necklace: Premier Designs, 2010

The girls!  Back row: Jeannette, Courtney, Amy, Jill
Seated: Hyun June, Joanna

Courtney moved the day before our dinner.  She asked her husband to unpack a pair of flats for her to wear, and these are the shoes he gave her

Fresh catch of the day!

Hello dessert plate!

Did you go anywhere for Restaurant Week this summer?