"El Mercat Bar De Tapas is a polished Spanish restaurant led by a paella pro. It filled somewhat of a Spanish cuisine void in the Maryland suburb off I-270 when it opened in early 2022. Rodrigues’ breakout project offers a lengthy list of two dozen tapas, many of which are discounted during daily happy hour. The Brazilian-born culinary vet also specializes in seafood- and chorizo-studded paellas served in 10- or 14-inch circular skillets. Up in Rockville, rotating tapas under Rodrigues’ watch include pulpo con patatas, lamb meatballs dressed with manchego, pan con tomate with an optional anchovies add-on, ham croquetas, and tortilla española. Diners can kick off the meal with a medley of Spanish cheeses and meats." - Tierney Plumb
