by intern Carly Maltzman
Photo credit: Nicole Nicholas
On September 19th, Chef Richard Sandoval and Washington Life Magazine hosted the grand opening of El Centro D.F. in Georgetown.
While eager to delve into warm fish tacos and fresh guacamole, we didn’t make it in. Although a private party, I.D.’s were required and ours didn’t work…..it’s a teen thing. So we tried to be creative by chatting with guests going in and going out and receiving an occasional annonymous photo from an “insider.”
Rep. Ed Royce with wife Marie
We heard: The bar was offering party-goers over 225 (sorry, we can’t confirm that number) different kinds of El Centro’s famous “house infused tequilas” ranging from strawberry-basil to tamarind. On top of that, there are over 40 mezcals and a myriad of margaritas and cocktails.
While guests mingled upstairs in the sleek bar, restaurant, deck and patio while indulging in a variety of gourmet Mexican food and chatting with Chef Sandoval, we enjoyed chips and tacos in the downstairs restaurant of El Centro, otherwise known as “the non-VIP section.”
El Centro Georgetown claims it will offer more than that of its downtown location. Chef Sandoval recently traveled around Mexico with Chef Juan Romero with one mission – to spice up the El Centro Georgetown menu while indulging in tequila shots.
Gina Dakouni and Newsha Aboughaddareh
The two-story building with an upstairs patio is a spacious area that can seat a little over 150 people inside and around 55 people outside. The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner and offers a happy hour during the week from 5-7 PM.
Great atmosphere and great food – what more could a diner ask for, other than to be 21?
