by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
It seems like sometimes people forget about Chef Todd English, but that’s the last thing they should do.
When Chef English and his team opened MXDC this past summer, they promised inspired Mexican cuisine based on English’s travels to Mexico and that’s just what they delivered. In his youth, the chef actually got his first culinary job working in a Mexican restaurant so this was a full-circle moment.
Todd English
This week English was back at the stove in MXDC to work on the menu, launch the new “Taco Tuesday” special for the restaurant and remind people that when he puts his stamp on a restaurant, he is active and involved and not just a name on the door. English joked that he lives on an airplane these days as he travels the path to his eateries, which stretch from Boston to New York, Orlando to Las Vegas. English has worked hard to create an atmosphere for any visitor from the foodie to the partier.
English says it’s all about highlighting great ingredients. “Amazing pork shoulder, braised meat. Even goat,” he explained about how any protein can deliver bold flavors. Seasonal ingredients bolster any dish and for the cold and snowy DC winter, “Stews and hearty winter food” are a natural fit, but you take those flavors and drop them right into a taco, “we’re doing it now.” The tacos are a must at MXDC; roasted pork belly, soy-ginger carne asada, and even beer battered mahi mahi. And what better than a libation to accompany? Chef English recommends, “tequila, agave, spice, citrus tones. Sweet and acidic drinks to bite through the rich and sometimes fatty Mexican flavors.”
So what’s the one new and different thing you shouldn’t miss at MXDC? English says the new tamales are something special. “Squid ink [in the masa] makes it black. Salsa Verde…” Perfection.
English is tall and imposing, personable and bold, just like his food. He oozes charisma as he walks through the dining room and when you spot him, you’ll be conflicted about whether you want him to stop at your table for drinks or let him get back to the kitchen to lead you to the next stop on the culinary journey. Honestly, how could anyone forget this guy?
