Anyone who knows me (or has read this blog for longer than five minutes) knows I love to eat. I’ve become passionate about food because I think the cuisine of a city or country is one of the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of that particular destination.  As you can imagine, I’ve been killing myself trying to research as much as I can about Madrid and Spain before I leave, but a couple days ago I decided to take a different approach…

Estadio’s open dining room

FOOD! Washington, DC is known for it’s incredible restaurants because it’s home to so many different cultures and ethnicities, and the chefs here are very talented.  Over the past few years, specialty ethnic restaurants have popped up all over DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood like Le Diplomate, B Too, and Doi Moi just to name a few.  Of all these great places that I’ve seen and read about, there’s only one that I swore to visit before I left DC – Estadio.

Estadio’s kitchen

Estadio (meaning “stadium”) is a contemporary Spanish restaurant located in the heart of Logan Circle.  The first time I saw this place was in passing one evening, and I was immediately drawn to the intricate iron work on the front door and the soft glow of red light pouring through the windows.  As soon as I saw the menu, I was in love.  I’m proud to report that I finally visited Estadio on Tuesday and it did not disappoint!  Remember, these were tapas sizes so don’t judge me! I can eat a lot 🙂 Here’s what I had:

Jumbo Lump Blue Crab with Crushed Tomato & Jalapeño Montadito (open faced sandwich)

Heirloom tomatoes and Goat cheese salad

Grilled Octopus, Potato-Caper Salad, Pimenton

Tortilla Española, Alioli, Sweet Hot Peppers

Roasted sweet corn with manchego, lime and garlic aioli

Scallops, Roasted Cauliflower & Salbitxada

One thing I absolutely love about Spanish cuisine is that it is so ingredient driven.  There are no intense sauces or tons of seasonings, everything is prepare simply so that the taste of the actual ingredient can shine.  The heirloom tomato salad was basically tossed in olive oil and salt and it was one of the best things I’ve ever had in my life. Also, the sweet corn. Good LORD THE SWEET CORN. I’m lucky I didn’t embarrass myself by licking the plate! It was roasted perfectly so there was a slightly charred taste that didn’t take away from the sweetness.  The scallops and roasted cauliflower was another stand out dish.

If you live in DC and want a taste of the Iberian peninsula, I highly suggest Estadio. Everything from the dark wood and iron driven décor to the fantastic cuisine will make you feel like you’re having a night out in Madrid.  Another fun fact: Estadio makes all of their bread in house and it’s shockingly addicting. No matter what you order, ALWAYS ASK FOR MORE BREAD.

What’s your favorite ethnic restaurant? Do you have a favorite restaurant in DC? Do you have a favorite restaurant in Spain? I’m always looking for suggestions. Let me know below!