Zaytinya - Washington, D.C.

I recently went on a spur of the moment trip to Washington, D.C. where I was treated to an overnight stay.  I asked the front desk if there were any good Mediterranean restaurants near the Courtyard Marriott where I stayed, within walking distance of the Smithsonian and Ford's Theatre.  Everybody agreed that Zaytinya was an excellent option.  I looked it up.  The chef Jose Andres was named "Outstanding Chef" by the James Beard Foundation.  That's usually indicative of a pretty good restaurant.  (By some standards...) 

This is the cover of the menu.  I love his ambition! 

 My server explained the concept.  It's recommended to order 2 or 3 small dishes.  The menu was divided into multiple sections.  Among them were spreads, soup and salad, seafood and other meats.  Zaytinya serves Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine.  I started with the sea scallops with a yogurt - dill sauce.  I love restaurants with bright sunlight shining in - they help my photos look pretty decent!

I had to ask what kind of bread this was.  I've never seen pita like this before.  It was accompanied by a pomegranate molasses olive oil dipping mixture.  So delicious!  I tried to take the photos pretty quickly, then stowed my camera away.  Do people think I'm weird for taking pictures of my food?   

Next, I had the Lamb Kleftico.  It's spit - roasted lamb wrapped in house - made phyllo, feta, and dill yogurt.  Delish!!  And the presentation was gorgeous!

I almost always order Escargot when I see it on the menu at French restaurants, so when I saw Snail Kibbeh on the Zaytinya menu, I took them up on their offer.  They're crispy potato crusted snails served with herbed ladolemono heirloom lettuces.  And that was enough to fill me up! 

I loved the restaurant.  It was big and open with huge windows that let you watch the people outside living the good urban life.  I'm ready to go back!

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