The James Beard award-winning chef José Andrés and his ThinkFoodGroup restaurants are pleased to offer diners an array of festive choices to celebrate the close of 2012, and the arrival of the New Year.
Jaleo Downtown will welcome 2013 with a festive and entertaining brand new interior. The word Jaleo means revelry, fun, noise, and festivity, a feeling reflected in the redesign of the space. Jaleo’s new design is a mix of this festive spirit and of the unique personality of José, one of the most daring culinary creators in the world. Along with Spanish architect, and friend, Juli Capella, José has renovated this space to offer an authentic, bold, genuine, natural environment that invites guests to feel relaxed and comfortable while enjoying an astonishing meal with their loved ones.
To enter the new Jaleo is to enter a place of overflowing creativity, with high quality aesthetic pieces that convey the Spanish culture in the heart of Washington, DC. It is the perfect place to talk, eat, drink and welcome 2013.
For New Year’s Eve, Jaleo will offer a traditional celebration on December 31st at all three locations. From 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the dining room, and all night at the bar, Jaleo will offer an a la carte New Year’s Eve menu featuring some of the most delectable Spanish dishes suitable for this magnificent celebration. At 8:30 p.m., a second seating with unlimited tapas from the New Year’s Eve Tasting Menu will be offered at $89.99 (tax and gratuity excluded) per person at Jaleo downtown and $85.00 (tax and gratuity excluded) per person at Jaleo Crystal City and Jaleo Bethesda.
The unlimited Tasting Menu options include Ostras con caviar, oysters with caviar; Cono de Salmón con caviar, salmon tartar and trout roe cone; Endivias con queso de cabra y naranjas, endives, goat cheese, oranges and almonds; Cono La Serena con Membrillo, La Serena cheese and quince paste cone; Pan con tomate y selección de tres ibéricos, toasted slices of pan de cristal brushed with fresh tomoato and cured meats from the famous black-footed Iberico pig of Spain; Corte de hígado de pato, Foie terrine sandwich; Bogavante con crema de coliflor y cítricos, Lobster with citrics, caviar and cauliflower; Espuma caliente de patata con carrilleras de ternera, hot potato foam with braised veal cheeks; Empanada gallega, fried “empanada” stuffed with stew vegetables and Spanish tuna with mustard foam; Cigala cruda con su esencia y aire de granada, Norwegian lobster carpaccio with pomegranate air; Espinaca a la catalana, sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples; Canelones tradicionales de cerdo, hígado de pato con salsa bechamel y trufa, pork and foie gras canelones with bechamel sauce and truffles; as well as Pluma iberica de bellota con jamon iberico y rossinyols, grilled acorn fed pluma with slices of acorn ham and sautéed chanterelles.
At midnight, guests dining at all three Jaleo locations will be presented with a celebratory glass of cava to toast the New Year. Following the Spanish New Year’s Eve tradition guests will also be presented with 12 grapes for good luck. A live DJ will play continuous music from 10:30pm until 1:30am at Jaleo DC and from 10:30pm to 1am at Jaleo Crystal City and Bethesda. Jaleo downtown is located at 480 7th Street, NW, 202.628.7949; Jaleo Bethesda is at 7271 Woodmont Avenue, 301.913.0003 and Jaleo Crystal City is located at 2250-A Crystal Drive, 703.413.8181. A credit card confirmation is required for booking reservations. Additionally, Jaleo will be open for regular service on New Year’s Day.
Oyamel Cocina Mexicana invites guests for an unforgettable and enchanting Mexican New Year’s Eve. Inspired by José Andrés and his culinary team’s recent journey to Oaxaca City, Oyamel will offer elegant large plates, or “platos fuertes”, as the last savory course of the year. Festivities include live music by Sabor a Salsa, one of DC's most talented latin musicians led by stunning vocal performer, Laura Sosa, who will usher in the New Year with live salsa music from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There is no cover for the performance. At the first dinner seating, from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., guests will enjoy a four-course prix-fixe dinner for $59 per person (tax and gratuity excluded). The second seating, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., features a five-course pre-fixe menu priced at $78 per person (tax and gratuity excluded), which includes a cava toast at midnight.
Menu options include starters such as: Santa Barbara sea urchin ceviche with hibiscus air; Spoons of 36-hour pork belly with quail egg and caviar; ‘Sopa de Oso’ with local crab and head-on Hawaiian blue prawns; Featured tacos include: Taco de Molleja, crispy sweet breads, Mayan king salad and gold leaf; Taco al Pastor, seared foie grass, pineapple, guajillo chile sauce; and Taco de Langosta, butter and caviar poached Maine lobster with preserved sour orange. Entrée options include Pescado Alcaparrado, duck fat poached halibut, caper sauce and Brussels sprout warm salad (Brussels sprouts, parsley, green olives and jalapenos en escabeche); Sopa seca de fideo con hongos, vermicelli pasta with ancho chiles and locally foraged mushrooms (shaved black truffle supplement); Faisan Asado, whole roasted pheasant, mole costeño, huitlacoche rice and refried black beans; Bistec a la Parilla, grilled local rib-eye steak, chipotle foie grass compound butter, mole prieto (huitlacoche mole) and papas locas; Chuletas de Jabalí, broken arrow rach wild boar chop, mole de cacahuate, and a sweet potato/pozole hash; and Barbacoa de cabrito/cordero, traditional Oaxacan barbecue served with broth, meat, tortillas and salsa.
For the perfect pairing, a variety of New Year’s Eve cocktails will be available with prices ranging from $12 to $18 each. Highlights include the Death in Tulum, demi-sec, mescal, Maracuyá caviar; Edible Margarita Station, Siembra Azul “frozen margarita”, pineapple and mago gelee, smoked Oaxacan salt; The Devil’s Whisper, Real Blanco, Leopold maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse, lime, serrano and guava snow; Pacal’s Truffle Fantasy, Wahaka Espadin mezcal, black truffle honey island, pear-rosemary compote; and Aztec Old Fashioned Con Oro, Pierde Almas Dobodan Mezcal, Chipotle, mole bitters and gold. Additionally, a Dom Perignon 2002 will be available for toasting for $32 per glass, and $16 for half glass, as well as four red and four white wine specials with prices ranging from $12 to $18 a glass. Oyamel is located at 401 7th Street, NW. For reservations, call 202.628.1005. Oyamel will also be open for regular service on New Year’s Day.
Zaytinya’s New Year’s Eve lively celebration will feature exotic belly dancers and an outstanding DJ spinning music and energizing guests well into the wee hours of the night. There will be two seatings; the first includes a complete a la carte menu and luxury specials available from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The second seating, from 8:00pm – 10:30pm, will offer a four-course prix fixe menu priced at $65 per person, or $90 with beverage pairings (tax and gratuity excluded), or a five-course Chef’s Experience tasting menu for $80 per person, or $120 with beverage pairings (tax and gratuity excluded). Both menus include a complimentary glass of sparkling wine for toasting, two shows of belly dancers at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., as well as the choice of either artisanal cheese or dessert to complete the meal.
The four-course prix fixe menu begins with the choice of Fattoush Salad, tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, radish, pita chips, and pomegranate vinegar dressing; Htipiti, marinated roasted red peppers, feta, and thyme; Tzatziki, Greek yogurt with diced cucumbers, and dill; or Maroulosalata, heirloom lettuces, dill, mizithra cheese, red wine vinegar dressing, and nasturtium flower petals. Next, guests can select either Garides me Anitho, sautéed shrimp with dill, shallots, mustard and lemon juice; Kotopoulo, chicken with orzo, tomato and Kefalograviera cheese; Aglaia Kremezi Style Crab Cakes with roasted garlic yogurt, or Havuc Koftesi, carrot, apricot and pine nut fritters in a pistachio sauce. Third course options include Falafel, traditional chickpea fritters, and tahini sauce; Piyaz, warm giant beans served with kale in oven-roasted tomato and garlic; Ottoman Pilaf, saffron basmati rice with dates and pistachios; and Beef Keftedes, meatballs with feta cheese in a rustic tomato sauce with cinnamon and allspice. For a final course, guests have the choice of Adana Kebab, skewered ground lamb with house-made harissa, grilled tomatoes, sumac and onions; Shish Taouk, grilled chicken thigh with sumac, onions, garlic tuom and grilled tomatoes; Lamb Kleftico, or the Seared Halloumi, with medjool dates, oranges, pomegranate, pistachios and mint. To finish the meal, guests can choose Mini Greek Yogurt Apricots or Mini Turkish Delights.
The Chef’s Experience menu offers samplings of some of Zaytinya’s most exceptional dishes. The special menu includes delectable mezzes such as: Pharoah’s Foie Gras, Egyptian spiced honey croquant; Caviar Salata Airbread, inspired by the classic taramosalata served with sustainable California caviar; and the Kabocha Squash Dolmades, grape leaves stuffed with short grained rice, pine nuts, tarragon and served on cumin yogurt. For second course, guests will be able to indulge on dishes such as Butternut Squash Hommus, a spread made of zatar and pumpkin seed oil; Portakali Salatasi, orange salad, arugula, red onions, feta, pine nuts and orange flower dressing; Lobster Tzatziki, hard shell lobster, granny smith apple and Greek yogurt. Following up, the third course includes mezzes such as Seared Scallop Avgolemono, meyer lemon avgolemono, pomegranate seeds, and micro arugula; Brussell Sprouts Afelia, Brussels sprouts, coriander seed, barberries and garlic yogurt; Crispy Persian Style Pilaf, basmati rice with pistachios. The last of these courses will consists of an authentic delicacy, Lamb Chop and Braissed Lamb Shoulder Moussaka, grilled lamb chops, potato puree, roasted eggplant, tomato braised lamb shoulder, and kefalograviera cheese. Additionally, an a la carte menu and specials will be available at the bar from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Zaytinya is located at 701 9th Street, NW. A credit card is required for booking reservations please call 202.638.0800. Zaytinya will also be open on New Year’s Day.
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