Friday, November 13, 2009

Dish in the District: Lima Restaurant and Lounge




Chicken Croquette
 

Over the summer, three friends and I tried out the Tastings Journal's dinner at Lima. After battling through torrential rain showers (now really, FOUR thunderstorms over the daylight hours? and note that the torrential rain came down while it was bright and sunny... so odd to see a rainbow stretched over the park in front of my office!), I made it inside Lima... which was PACKED. Well, at least the bar and lounge areas were packed with nearby workers happy to be out of the office.

As my two friends and I waited for our fourth to arrive, we decided to treat ourselves to what turned out to be a massive (2 foot tall) pitcher of passion fruit mojitos.  Not bad at all.  Lima, located at 14th and K is tucked in amongst all the office buildings.  It is a fun destination for drinks with a small outdoor patio in the front (best during the warm weather months!) and two floors of "lounge" area inside for drinks and appetizers.  The third floor is where dining takes place.   I've been to Lima a handful of times for dinner (and for lunch when they used to serve lunch!).  Dimly lit with modern decor, Lima serves up South American food with a very tasty twist. 


The Tastings Journal dinner offered a five course menu with a wine pairing for $45 (really, quite the bargain at Lima).  My friends and I tried a variety of the dishes (see menu below), my favorites being the: tuna & ginger ceviche (fabulous flavors), steak churrasco (I always seem to order it when I'm there), and the fried churros (with a lime dipping sauce and a chocolate dipping sauce). 

FIRST: Choice of Whitefish Ceviche, Salmon Chipotle Ceviche, Tuna & Ginger Ceviche
SECOND: Choice of Empanadas, Chicken Croquettes, Cod Fritters
THIRD: Choice of Mixed Field Greens Salad, Jamon Serrano (see above!), Manchego Cheese Plate,
MAIN: (Paired with wine!) Choice of Wild Salmon, Cuban Chicken, Steak Churrasco, Vegetarian Dish
DESSERT: Choice of Warm Chocolate Cake, Fried Churros (see left), or Ice Creams and Sorbets

The feedback from one of my friends?  My favorite part (food-wise) was the ceviche.  Also the mixed greens were spot-on.  I thought it was a little silly though that they did not give us silverware for the croquettes.  The main course was very hearty, I think I was expecting something a little more delicate, but still it was a good steak.  And the mojitos there are always a treat -- it seemed like we got 8 glasses out of that pitcher!   

Thinking about the dinner now makes me quite hungry...  Hmm, what to have for lunch!  In any case, Lima is a fun place for a night out on the town... paired with some tasty food...

Lima Restaurant & Lounge
1401 K St. NW
Washington, DC 20005

1 comment:

OysterCulture said...

Lima was less than a block away from my office when I worked in DC - awesome place!