Zaytinya Turned 10!

One of my favorite restaurants in DC turned 10 this month.  To celebrate, José Andrés and his team at Zaytinya, led by Head Chef Michael Costa, are featuring a special chef’s experience menu with the ten most prominent culinary and wine destinations of the Eastern Mediterranean.  You can taste this menu the rest of the month.

Destinations include the historical Constantinople, now modern-day  Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural and historical heart; the Marmara region, the inland sea that separates Turkey’s Asian and European sides; Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city; Ancient Egypt, once part of the Ottoman Empire; Beirut, Lebanon’s capital; Tripoli, the largest city in northern Lebanon; Keo, a special Greek island and the home of Aglaia Kremezi, an authority on Greek cuisine and friend of the Zaytinya culinary team; Santorini, the largest island of the exotic Greek archipelago and Modern Athens.

This Chef’s tasting Experience features:

Havuc Koftesi (Constantinople), carrot, apricot and pine nut fritters, and pistachio sauce

Midyes (Marmara region) fried mussels, walnut tarator sauce

Portakal Salatasi (Istanbul), a delicious vegetable mezze of orange salad, arugula, red onions, feta, pine nuts, and orange flower dressing

Hommus (Ancient Egypt), a 13^th century recipe of this ubiquitous dish

Kibbeh (Lebanon), Lebanese style beef tartare ground to order, bulgur wheat, radish and mint

Falafel(Lebanon), traditional chickpea fritters, tahini sauce

Fattoush (Tripoli), a salad made with tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, radish, pita chips, pomegranate and vinegar dressing

Aglaia Kremezi Style Crab Cakes (Keo), mini crab cakes and roasted garlic yogurt

Octopus Santorini (Santorini), grilled Mediterranean octopus, marinated onions, capers, and yellow split pea puree

Lamb Rib Chops with Tzatzik (Modern Athens)

Tulum Peynir (Izmir), an artisanal cheese

The special menu is set at $65 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity) and a beverage pairing is available for an additional $30 featuring four perfectly paired wines and cocktails. In honor of the celebration, Zaytinya will offer the festive Z10 cocktail made of cherry cordial, brandy, lemon juice, and verjus grape juice, which be available throughout the month for $12.