LAS GEMELAS: SHOULD THIS BE YOUR GO TO SPOT AT DC’S POPULAR LA COSECHA MARKET?
**UPDATE: The name of this restaurant has changed from Las Gemelas to Destino.
The Cost - $38 per person
The Atmosphere – Las Gemelas offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating offers you the opportunity to bring your dog and relax outside, maybe even catch live music or a DJ. It can get quite busy and noisy so maybe not the best spot for a first date or to catch up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while but a great place to go with friends after work or before a night out.
La Cosecha, Washington DC’s contemporary Latin American marketplace, has become a hot spot for foodies. With food establishments serving up Mexican, Peruvian, and El Salvadorian cuisine, among others, the market has so much to offer. One of the main sit down restaurants, Las Gemelas, is where I chose to have dinner.
The Order – La Condesa and Fantasma to drink. Salsa Macha, Enmolada and Mejillones al Chipotle to eat.
The Fantastic - Salsa Macha is a unique salsa from Veracruz, Mexico that is made by frying dried chiles, garlic, nuts and seeds in oil. The Salsa Macha at Las Gemelas is superb - the taste of the sesame seeds and the peanuts in the salsa really come through. Served with tortilla chips, this is a must-have appetizer that perfectly accompanies a cocktail. Also earning this high rating is the Enmolada, a single pork cheek enchilada bathed in mole coloradito. The pork cheek was absolutely delicious as was the mole, which was slightly lighter than a more traditional mole poblano. Served with onions and cilantro on top, this is a dish you shouldn’t miss.
The Great - The Mejillones (Mussels) al Chipotle was excellent. Being used to a typical French preparation, I was surprised (and delighted) that the mussels were cooked in a spicy and flavorful tomato based broth. The presentation was fantastic and the portion large but there were a lot of mussel shells without any meat inside. Both drinks, Fantasma and La Condesa, were also delicious. The Fantasma, a mix of horchata, rum, pineapple and orange, was a tropical rum delight with a Mexican twist. There was a bit too much pineapple and not enough horchata for my liking but i enjoyed it. La Condesa, a modified pisco sour, is a mezcal and St. Germain based cocktail that was foamy because of the egg white. The first taste was sweeter than I expected but the flavors balance out nicely as the smokiness and wood notes of the mezcal come through.
The Verdict – Las Gemelas definitely exceeded my expectations. Every single dish and drink I tried I would recommend ordering. Enjoy this great restaurant and the entire Cosecha market that it is a part of.