Review of Tortilla Coast

Another go at finding a decent Mexican restaurant in DC and another bust. This time we tried Tortilla Coast. This place is known more for happy hour than for food, but you never know.

The only thing authentic about this place were the flies. The taco I had was fatty and rolled in a flour tortilla that was most certainly not "hand made" like it said on their sign. Chris's fajitas came with what looked like Velveeta cheese. My Margarita looked (and tasted like) sugary antifreeze. It was absolutely undrinkable.

The only good thing I have to say about the place is that the beer selection is passable. Still, I recommend you just keep on passing by this place.

The Library of Congress in Washington, DC

Those of you who know me know that I am a complete book nerd. Hard to believe, but it took me almost a year to make it to the Library of Congress. The library is three buildings jammed with millions of books, but most of them are hidden from view.

The main building, The Jefferson Building, goes back to 1897. It's enormous and decadent with marble galore. While you might not think the book heavy exhibits would be interesting, they were - early handwritten accounts of Spanish explorers, gorgeously illustrated maps from colonial times, and Thomas Jefferson's personal library.

We also peaked into one of the main reading rooms, which was like something out of a movie. Any adult can use the library. You just have to get a reading card. The place is a reading nerds dream.

Review of Rosa Mexicano

Rosa Mexicano bills itself as "upscale, modern" Mexican. These are not your standard digs. There are no beer signs on the walls and it does not look like Epcot's version of a hacienda. The bar is modern and funky. The restaurant has great lighting and interesting art. The service is good.

We started off with the guacamole and chips. It was perfectly picante. I had the enchiladas rancheras. I don't believe I have ever had spinach in Mexican food before. The mushrooms were good. The tomato sauce was tasty, but a little too mild. Chris had the arrachera con camarones. Although it still wasn't like Mexico City arrachera, the meat came much closer than others we've had in town. The sauce was very good, although a bit mild as well.

The highlight of the meal had to be the drinks. I had their signature pomegranate margarita, which was perfect. Instead of making it sweet, like most frozen drinks, they kept the lime of your standard margarita and just gave it a kick of pomegranate. Chris had the sangria, which they make with apples and apricot brandy. It was just sweet enough with good body from the brandy. Best of all was the cafe de olla, liquored up coffee topped with orange flavored whipped cream.

All in all, I would recommend Rosa Mexicano for drinks and snacks. If you want the whole meal, you'd do better to go down the street to Oyamel.

Rosa Mexicano, 575 7th Street at F Street NW, Washington, DC

Review of Mixtec

This week, I'm back on my quest for a good Mexican restaurant in DC. Mixtec is a little place in Adams Morgan. It doesn't have much atmosphere, just white tile and sterile furniture. The service wasn't much to speak of. They ignored us for the first ten minutes, even though nobody else was in the place. They don't seem to have a functioning air conditioner. Chris decided that Mixtec must mean people of the sauna.

Things started looking up when the waitress came by. We ordered a couple Pacificos, a ceviche appetizer, sopes with chicken, and tacos. The ceviche was passable, but it didn't have near enough lime. The sopes were authentic, but the toppings were run of the mill. Chris's tacos, on the other hand, were great. He had one beef and one chorizo. They were probably the most authentic tacos we've had in town so far. They also gave us salsa fresca, which for some reason is impossible to find in DC. Unlike Mexico or California, the cost of our meal was about $50 for two - a bit steep.

My suggestion is to go to Mixtec for tacos and get them to go.

Mixtec, 1792 Columbia Rd. NW, Washington, DC