Bachelorette Dinner at Jaleo

Jose Andres is pretty phenomenal. He brought an authentic taste of Spain to DC, a city that liked French food but didn't know what in the world a "tapas" was. His restaurant mini-empire includes some of my favorite places: Jaleo, Cafe Atlantico, Minibar (one day I'll win a reservation), Oyamel and Zaytinya. His PBS Made in Spain show and his guest speaking engagements around DC show a man with an incredible passion for food.

Jaleo's a fun place for ordering a few tapas with drinks before heading to a show or movie in DC, or going with a larger group. I hosted a bachelorette dinner at Jaleo in Crystal City and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Luscious Spanish olive oil with rosemary and garlic to dip breads into.

Bunuelos de bacalao (salted cod fish fritters) with a honey aoili. The fritter is hot with a light coating you bite into to experience a fluffy magical texture of cod fish. It's my favorite Spanish tapas and I have a hard time sharing.
Croquetas de pollo - traditional chicken fritters are breaded and fried.

Escalivada catalana - roasted red peppers, eggplant and sweet onions with a Sherry dressing.

Datiles contocino como hace todo el mundo - fried dates wrapped in bacon. Combines a wonderful mixture of salty, sweet, savory and crunchy.

Gambas al ajillo - shrimp sauteed with garlic.

Platter of every pork item under the Embutidos section - Jamon Iberico de Bellota Fermin, Lomo Iberico de Bellota Fermin, Chorizo Palacios, Jamon Serrano Fermin.

Patatas Bravas - fried fingerling potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and aoili (garlic mayonnaise).

Espuma de avenellas y chocolate - a sweet ending.