The Mediterranean flavors

Seafood Paella

Panache restaurant, Washington DC
This restaurant specializes in French and Spanish tapas. The tapas menu is extensive, and includes both hot and cold tapas. My experience was opposite to the reviews I had read - I found the food disappointing relative to similar establishments in the DC region.

We tried several items - garlic shrimp and Manchego cheese, lamb rack and seafood risotto. I would not try any of it again. The lamb was probably the best of the lot - hard to go wrong if cooked well. The main courses had no flavor, just bulky portions that fill your plate.

Moving on to desserts, the creme brulee was good but tiramisu was sugar-laden and, similar to the entrees, bulky. Not recommended.

Ser, Arlington, VA

Garlic Shrimp at Ser

In contrast, Ser, an upscale Spanish restaurant, was fabulous. The food struck me as authentic to similar dishes that I had tried in Spain. The menu was not very large, but everything we tried was good.

With respect to appetizers, I tried their shrimp covered in olive oil along with manchego cheese and loved them. For the main course, we ordered the seafood paella. The quantity was such that it was easily shared by two people. This dish was delicious, and I could tell that it was cooked in a high quality olive oil. A little pricey but worth it. Definitely recommended.