Seven Reasons Doubles the Dinner Options With a Parade of Small Plates | Eater DC
"At City Center’s Latin showpiece, chef-owner Enrique Limardo unveiled a revamped and expanded menu (new menu dropped on November 12; 931 H Street NW) designed to make fine dining more accessible as more D.C. restaurants shift to small plates and à la carte options so customers can experiment without a hefty price tag. Among the additions is the arepita threesome, one of 20 dishes under $20: a ménage à trois of cheese, cilantro, and sweet arepitas priced at $11; Limardo says the dish pays homage to the arepa, Venezuela’s staple street food, and explains, "This playful and fun approach led me to the idea of naming the creation 'threesome,' a nod to the trio of flavors and the vibrant, sassy spirit behind the concept," says Limardo. Another highlight from the under-$20 set is the $19 lamb lo mein — lamb loin, rice noodles, red onion, red pepper, shishito pepper, shiitake, scallions, and peanuts — sautéed in a sauce made of guava, passionfruit, peppers from Venezuela, and various spices, including allspice; Limardo, who and his staff regularly hit up nearby New Big Wong after closing and loves eating lo mein, says, "You will have that sensation that you are eating in a Chinese restaurant, but with a different flavor profile." Sides run $6 to $12 and include aligot croquettes, glazed carrots, and arroz congri. Limardo loaded the new menu with many under-$20 items so that diners on any budget can still enjoy "a very fancy and unique place." The larger-plate offerings reflect his Latin America influences from a five-week trip — Manaus in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, Bogotá, Lima, Montevideo, and Panama City — where he sampled piranhas, ants, spiders, and roots of local fruits (he doesn't use those daring ingredients on the menu, but says he had the flavors in his head while creating it). "I ate all of them just to experiment, to create better networking between my tongue and my brain — create new experiences," says Limardo. One of his favorite larger plates is the $70 pulpo anticuchero (whole octopus), influenced by Peruvian anticuchos: after learning that beef heart skewers are eaten with a spicy, savory, and sour sauce, he created his own version of that sauce and roasted an entire octopus in it. Limardo — the restaurateur behind Joy by Seven Reasons, The Saga, Surreal, Quadrant, Chicken and Whiskey, and Michelin-starred Imperfecto — says fine dining is too stiff and that the world craves more fun: "We need to smile more, we need to be more happy," says Limardo. He’s cultivating a Middle East vibe of communal feasting and sharing small plates so two people can probably eat between seven and 11 different plates for a broader, deeper interaction. He is finalizing minor changes to lunch and brunch offerings to be announced in the coming weeks; "My hands are so full," Limardo quipped." - Lenore Adkins
