"The carryout window with the hot pink facade on U Street NW can barely contain everything chef Teresa Padilla, who grew up in the interior state of Tlaxcala, is excited to cook. Now that she has her own place, the longtime pastry chef under José Andrés imports hubcap-sized tortillas from Oaxaca to make tlayudas covered in pieces of beef tenderloin, chorizo, nopales, gooey strands of cheese, refried beans, and avocado. There are all sorts of tacos, but also bowls of equites (street corn salad) deglazed in a fiery pan, individual containers of chocoflan, and chamoy-tinged go-cups of frozen mangonada smoothies. Additional locales opened in downtown’s Square food hall and near Amazon HQ2 in Arlington." - Tierney Plumb