Before watching the new M Night Shyamalan film down in Georgetown I decided to go and grab a quick bite to eat on the waterfront. I had tried just about every restaurant down in the waterfront area except for Cabanas so I figured it would be a good place. I got there at around 7PM or so and was seated immediately on the front patio, which afforded a nice view of the waterfront fountain. A cool breeze was coming in off the Potomac, moderating what would have otherwise been a somewhat warm Friday evening.

Cost - $$$
I normally don’t go into depth discussing price but you are really paying for the location at this restaurant (as is the case with all the restaurants on the waterfront I suppose). I was fully expecting entrées to be between $20 - $30 but was a little surprised that the moderately-sized margaritas were upwards of $11. Okay - enough whining.

Service - C
I guess they were somewhat slammed but our server didn’t bring us any water and we didn’t really see him from the time he took our initial order to the time he came to leave the check. He was relatively polite but I could tell he was slammed. I think they could staff-up a bit to make sure that every customer has more than two touch-points during the meal.

Food - B+
I had the free range chicken with yucca fries and was not disappointed. Again, 25% of the cost of the entrées is for the location of the venue so I’m not sure the quality matches the pricing exactly (I’m sure there are loads of restaurants to get more authentic and tastier Latin dishes) - but overall the food was definitely solid. Even though I whined earlier about the price of the margaritas I have to admit they packed a nice little punch. I was actually going to give the place a ‘B’ but due to the fact that they had my favorite hot sauce (made with habañeros) gives them a slight boost.

Decor - B+
Cabanas has a nice upscale Mexican venue feel to it. For some peculiar reason the word “willowy” springs to mind when describing the interior.

Feel - B+
After the week I had, sitting on the Cabanas patio with a margarita in-hand was precisely the cure I needed to relax. I enjoyed my experience there and probably would rate Cabanas as one of the better dining experiences on the waterfront. They have a salsa night as well that I can imagine would be a blast.

Cabanas is down at the waterfront at 3050 K Street. They can be reached at (202) 944-4242.

What’s the Buzz:

November 27, 2007 - Cabanas Restaurant Review (Washingtonian) - Owned by the group that runs waterfront restaurants Tony & Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill, this bar and restaurant offers a nuevo Latino menu that’s a mishmash of Spanish and South and Central American influences. On the Tex-Mex side are enchiladas, nachos loaded with guacamole, plus fajitas and chimichangas. Full article…

Ownership of most of the hot spots in DC is consolidated by a handful of club owners. One of those is Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld, whose company Latin Concepts is responsible for some of the top clubs and restaurants in DC including Chi-Cha, Mate, and Gazuza. As with the other Latin Concepts venues, Guarapo offers a trendy, sophisticated combination of food, music, and atmosphere and is one of the top venues in the Clarendon / Arlington area (and the only one I have been to in the area in the past several years).

Cost - $$

Service - A-
The general manager is Sevem Al-Hendi and he has done a good job staffing Guarapo with a combination of attractive, friendly bartenders and wait staff. I have always had a positive experience when interacting with the staff at Guarapo.

Food - B+
Ismael Otarola, the executive chef, is responsible for the menu that features a variety of Latin-infused tapas.

Decor - A-
I like the look and feel of Guarapo quite a bit. It offers a little bit of everything including an outdoor patio, upstairs bar, dance floor and dining/lounge area. It is also a versatile space - I have been there for dinner, happy hour and even a variety of events including fashion shows.

Feel - A-
Guarapo offers a sexy, laid-back ambiance that is conducive to socializing as well as a more secluded, romantic dining experience. I don’t venture into Virginia much on the weekends but if I did, it would definitely be to visit a handful of places and one of them would definitely be Guarapo.

Guarapo is located at 2039 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA. They can be reached at (703) 528-6500.

Cost - $$

Service - A-
Sabores has pretty good service. Actually the people who work there are downright friendly. They are mostly Latin and as much as I hate to stereotype (actually I don’t hate to stereotype at all) I find that Latin people who work in restaurants tend to be friendlier than other ethnicities. At any rate, the service is quite good.

Food - B
The food is quite good. You can choose from a decent array of Spanish Tapas and the quality is much better than some of the other Tapas places in the DC area (like Jaleo for instance, which always leaves me feeling slightly nauseated).

Decor - A-
I arrived at Sabores about ten minutes before the rest of my group and leaned up against the bar and enjoyed a mojito. With its open walls, it has a very tropical feel and in the warm DC night if I shut my eyes I honestly felt for a moment that I was transported to the Caribbean. Now, that may be lunatic tendencies of a man who hasn’t felt much warm weather in the past five months but there is something very perfect about the way that Sabores is designed.

Feel - B+
Much like with the decor, if I closed my eyes for a few moments in the warm DC night I could almost imagine being in a trendy upscale lounge in Miami surrounded by all sorts of beautiful people. Then I opened my eyes and realized I was in a restaurant in Cleveland Park. That being said, it is not a bad place to start your evening and if you are lucky enough to have a significant other then I would highly recommend Sabores as a venue to take them out on a warm Summer evening.

Sabores is located at 3433 Connecticut Ave. They can be reached at (202) 244-7196.

What’s the Buzz:

January 18, 2008 - The Full Flavors of Sabores (The Washington Post) - Sabores resembles a double-wide add-on solarium. The room is a long rectangle with a marble-topped bar and a row of banquettes along the rear wall. Full Article…

Café Citron is full of Latin heat. From the moment you walk in, it is obvious that the venue is Latin in every way. The Latin beats blare in your ears, people slug down margaritas and caipirinahs around you, and if you stand in one place for long enough you will start getting bumped around by the people throwing their hips around in rhythm to the music.

Cost - $$

Service - A-
The service is great. The doormen are as good as you could ask for (which means they are not overtly rude), the bartenders are good, and the wait staff is top-notch. For a crowded venue in Dupont, the service experience is pretty damn good.

Food - B+
They have a pretty good mix of Central and South American dishes, tweaked to suit North American palettes. They use pretty good ingredients and although most people don’t go there for the food it certainly doesn’t do the place a disservice.

Decor - C
I guess this is the one thing that is fairly average about the place - I don’t think it does anything to really stand out. The things that you remember about Citron are definitely everything other than the visual aesthetics.

Feel - B+
I’ve been to Café Citron a number of times and every time it has been pretty fun. The only time I didn’t enjoy myself was when I was in an introspective mood and some dude next to me was spinning these two girls and their asses kept bumping into me. Now on a Friday or Saturday night that might be the type of thing you want. There is no sense of isolation in the place - from the moment you step in, you are sucked into a club that is like one gyrating, sweaty Latin organism. Definitely a worthwhile visit for a weekend night.

Café Citron is located at 1343 Connecticut Ave. in Dupont Circle. They can be reached at 202-530-8844.

What’s the Buzz:

January 5, 2008 - Cafe Citron (where’d ya eat?) - I didn’t really have a full meal here so much as snacks to compliment the drinks. The mojitos and sangria were good; their happy hour pitcher deal was sweet. Ryanne got a tres amigos appetizer for all of us with salsa, guacamole, and a “cheesy guacamole sauce” which wasn’t very cheesy at all and led us to believe had mantequilla mixed in. Full article…

February 20, 2007 - Cafe Citron Mojito Madness (DCGuide.com) - If you seek a quiet lounge to chat over martinis, Café Citron is not the place for you. This sizzling restaurant and club will have you trying foods and dance moves from all over Latin America. The margaritas, Latin beats, and buena onda cast a spell over its diverse crowd. There’s no question about it -Café Citron knows how to ¡fiesta! Full Article…

Cost - $$

Service - B+
The service is pretty good. I like the bartenders there and the servers are pretty friendly as well. Actually they are as good as it gets in Adams Morgan. That being said, the door men I have dealt with at Bossa are just as prickish as anywhere else in the area (except for Tryst where the doormen are true gentlemen).

Food - B+
Although I can’t figure out why the food here is Brazilian, it is pretty damn good. They are known to have a pretty good menu for people who dig organic so that is something to keep in mind.

Decor - B+
Pretty chill little bar / lounge downstairs. It has a nice, comfortable feel. Upstairs sort of feels dirty to me but I’m anal retentive.

Feel - B
Honestly, I would have given this place a B+ because it is actually a really chill location. If you ever find yourself disgusted or overwhelmed in Adams Morgan you can often come here and decompress for a bit, downstairs. The only reason I had to drop it is because the last time I went there with a buddy of mine it was a sausage bonanza and his girl got hit on every time we turned away, so that left a somewhat bad taste in my mouth.

What’s the Buzz:

January 11, 2008 - Cold, Wet DC Winter: BOSSA Project (Juxtaexposed.com) - BOSSA Project on 18th St in Adams Morgan was a good cure for the seasonal depression that could have occured on a cold, wet, foggy night in January. If you can figure out how to get through the heavy tangle of curtains on the way in, you’ll find a cozy sofa area with lots of pillows to relax upon. Full Article…

January 16, 2003 - The Imperfect Beauty of Bossa (Cultureflux.com) - Organic is not vegetarian, and it’s not vegan. Bossa, a new restaurant and lounge on 18th Street in Adams Morgan, is organic. To owner Rachid Abdallah, that means everything from rack of lamb, to roasted halibut, to fennel-crusted tofu. Full article…