Jose Andres: Zaytinya, with Ladies in Lavender

By JULIETTE ROSSANT No time for a siesta but still gotta eat lunch? A near-perfect solution is Zaytinya, one of Jose Andres' ever-increasing string of superb eateries in Washington, DC. I sat with companion at a high bar table near the center of the lofty room. The menu is inspired by the Eastern Mediterranean's Levantine or Middle Eastern cuisine, though Jose hails from Spain in the Western Mediterranean and has worked with masters like Ferran Adria. The only funny thing about Zaytinya is the spellings in the menu, a weird blend of Turkish, Arabic, and Greek, starting with the name "Zaytinya" -- in Turkish it is spelled with a soft "g", Zaytin yag (Olive Oil) -- but who cares, when the food is this good? Having lived in Turkey for nearly six years, I focused on the Turkish-inspired meze (appetizers). I am often hankering for some Turkish food but wary of trying so-so renditions I find in America that fall flat for lack of fresh Turkish ingredients. Jose does not try to copy: instead, he borrows flavors from different parts of the Mediterranean and recombines them with exquisite technique. Our waiter urged us to try the Hunkar Begendi ($7.50). I usually find this dish pretty unassertive in Turkey, but Jose's rendition is precisely the opposite. The eggplant puree (Eggplant-Kefalograviera cheese ) is smokey and salty, the lamb tender yet spicey. Nestled in its copper serving dish, this meze was an antidote to sleep. Next came a pide, Turkey's answer to pizza. In Turkey, Yumurtali (egg and cheese) pide are big -- big enough for a lunch and then some -- but here the Yumurtali pide ($6.50) with ground lamb are small, a few bites really -- and tasty! The lamb is flavored like merguez sausage, the bread thin and tender. Last we ordered Paula Wolfert mussels, which came with feta cheese in a garlicky tomato sauce that I sopped up freshly baked pita bread. After the meal I felt invigorated and happy, which is just what I wanted after lunch -- that and a matinee of actor / director Charles Dance's new film Ladies in Lavender with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. You may know these two dames better as "Professor Minerva McGonagall" in the Harry Potter series and the latest incarnation of "M" in the James Bond series, but let me assure you that they have proven themselves (as often before) two of the finest living actors, in a film that is picture-perfect beautiful and exquisitely tense. Restaurant: Zaytinya 701 9th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 638-0800 (map) (OpenTable reservation) Movie: Ladies in Lavender (Apple Quicktime trailer) (MovieFone listing) Previous articles: Wilo Benet: Pikayo Perfecto Roberto Trevino: Viva Aquaviva Restaurant Michael Mina Rocks Back to Chubby's Technorati Tags: Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, movies --> back to superchefblog