The intoxicating aroma of gambas al ajillo—shrimp nestled in piping scorching olive oil infused with garlic, bay leaf, purple chile and Spanish paprika—arrives at my desk nicely earlier than the small earthenware crock holding it does at El Mercat Bar de Tapas. The crustaceans are completely cooked and kissed with spritzes of lemon juice to impart acidity and minimize the richness of the tasty oil, which will get sopped up by three accompanying slices of toasted bread. This good rendition of a Spanish tapa standby retains good firm with many different flavorful dishes on the menu at El Mercat Bar de Tapas, the Rockville City Sq. restaurant opened in January by chef George Rodrigues and his spouse, Wanessa Alves.
“When my spouse noticed the [former] Gumbo Ya Ya house, we checked it out and fell in love with it,” Rodrigues says. “We felt the Spanish vibes. We dwell 5 minutes from there and have been huge followers of La Tasca.” (That Spanish tapas restaurant closed in Rockville City Sq. in Might 2020.)
Rodrigues, 40, has expertise in Spanish cooking. After going to culinary college in his native Brazil, he meant to backpack by way of Europe and work in eating places alongside the best way earlier than returning residence to open a restaurant. As a substitute, a pal informed him a couple of job at Mercat a la Planxa, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Chicago helmed by famous chef Jose Garces, the place he labored for 5 years, leaving in 2010. Later jobs took him to Boston and Washington, D.C., working at chef Michael Schlow’s Tico in each locations. From 2018 to 2021, he was the chef at D.C. tapas restaurant Boqueria.
Alves designed the 1,800-square-foot, 60-seat restaurant, and its title has sentimental worth. Rodrigues proposed to Alves at Barcelona’s enormous outside market, El Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, in 2015. On one white brick wall, two units of darkish purple shutters body work of Barcelona avenue scenes. One other brick wall shows bottles of wine. Uncovered beams, posts coated with Spanish tiles and a yellow neon “Bar de Tapas” signal contribute to the Barcelona vibe. (An outside patio with 28 seats will open when Rodrigues is ready to employees it.)
The menu options 22 tapas (11 vegetarian, six meat and 5 fish), 4 paellas, three entrees and 4 desserts. Standouts we’ve sampled embody Spanish tortilla, the custardy potato-layered omelet served with saffron and garlic mayo; patatas bravas, crispy fried potatoes with tomato sauce and aioli; cod fritters with aioli; and pork ribs braised in duck fats till ultra-tender, then glazed with apple cider. A seafood paella, its starchy Spanish bomba rice black from squid ink, comes teeming with mussels, clams, shrimp and squid. One other wonderful paella is made with roast hen and chorizo sausage topped with salsa verde. Each paellas reveal the hallmark of well-made variations of the dish: socarrat, a crusty layer of rice on the backside of the pan. Don’t miss the churros full of Nutella for dessert. The 32 bottles on the wine and sherry checklist are all Spanish. Cocktails and beer are additionally accessible.
El Mercat Bar de Tapas, 101 Gibbs St. (Rockville City Sq.), Rockville, 240-403-7436, elmercatbardetapas.com
Comings & goings
A New York Metropolis-based bakery and cafe referred to as Maman plans to open this summer time within the Bethesda Row house that housed Le Ache Quotidien, which closed earlier this yr.
Foxtrot, a market and cafe chain with a couple of native outposts, is planning to open later this yr on Bethesda Row, changing Mussel Bar & Grille, which closed in April.
Bethesda-based sushi chainlet Raku is predicting a late fall opening for a second Bethesda location—this one in Wildwood Buying Middle—to be referred to as Rakugaki.
A number of meals shops have introduced plans to open within the Chevy Chase Lake growth in Chevy Chase. Baltimore-based ice cream chainlet The Charmery is slated to open this summer time and fast-casual chainlet Playa Bowls (fruit bowls and smoothies) plans a fall opening. Danilo Simic and chef Colin McClimans, who personal Nina Might restaurant in Washington, predict to open American restaurant Elena James by the tip of 2023.
Hulu Skewer Home, which is able to supply skewered gadgets and Chinese language meals, is hoping for a late summer time opening within the former On the Border house in Rockville.
BabyCat Brewery, which can be Kensington’s first brewery, goals to open by the tip of the yr.
Little Beet Desk, a restaurant with a gluten-free menu, closed in March in The Assortment buying space in Chevy Chase’s Friendship Heights neighborhood.
Goldberg’s New York Bagels closed its location in Potomac’s Cabin John Village in April.
