Estadio, DC #3

It had been a few years since I'd been to Estadio, that trendy Spanish restaurant in the heart of Logan Circle, so now seemed like just as good a time as any to give it another shot. Headed up by Haidar Karoum who is also in charge of Proof, this chef keeps the menu of food and wine fresh and exciting. It's never a dull moment at Estadio.

My friend and I headed over to the restaurant around 6 p.m. on a Tuesday hoping to snag a seat. Voila! That plan worked! We were seated at the seats facing the kitchen so we could watch them in action, which is always fun.

They are known for their wine list and I can't say I've ever had a bad glass of wine here. On this occasion, I started with the Garnacha Blend, Vall Llach, Priorat (2012), which was a nice light wine. Later, I tried an unusal Listan Negro, Suertes del Marques, Tenerife (2013) that I loved!

Estadio is all about small plates so we ordered a bunch to share. The server was super helpful in marking up our menus indicating what was vegan, vegan optional, and not. She was great. We stared with my favorite -- the Blistered Shishito Peppers in olive oil and salt. They were cooked to perfection and sprinkled with rock salt -- they were so good.

Next, we tried the Crispy Brussels Sprouts. Wow! These were so unique! They were made with caramelized onions, pine nuts, and currants and likely flash fried, then covered with spice. They were sweet and rich at the same time.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms were also cooked to perfection as they were meaty and firm, yet perfectly cooked with parsley and garlic.

We also had the bread, which was incredibly good.

Lastly, we ordered a Bocadillo, or little sandwich. The Escalivada was made with Grilled Vegetables and Black Olive Puree. It was really good as well.

The service was pretty good, but at one point our server didn't come around for a while and we became anxious to find her. Other than that, she was pretty attentive. The plates ranged from $4 to $9, so pretty reasonable. And the food was really, really good. Best of all is the lively atmosphere. It's just a fun place in a nice setting. Other options include Grilled Scallions, Sauteed Kale, Patatas Bravas, Fried Eggplant, Spinach Salad, Olives, etc. There are lots of vegan options. Highly Recommended.

Previous Reviews
June 19, 2013
March 2, 2012

Estadio
1520 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 319-1404