Cava (Capitol Hill)

After being mildly annoyed by my last venture out with a recommendation from Washington Post food critic Tom Seistma, I had to quickly give him a reprieve to help restore my faith in his opinion. And his write up this week of Cava -- the Rockville, Md., cum Capitol Hill Barracks Row restaurant did just that. I did their Greek Mezze during Friday night happy hour with my friend Mike who just moved up from Tampa. The posh atmosphere was sexy and inviting. Dark, candlelit with brick walls that didn't let you forget you're on this historic street, but the contemporary and polished fixtures and warm wood added to the buzz of loud laughter. The front windows slid to the side erasing the line between the sidewalk and the bar, welcoming walkers in for a drink. The one I chose was a twist on a mint julep with apricot puree and liquor in it -- my homage to the Preakness this weekend. Go Papa Clem! Move your bloomin' arse!  As the after work crowd arrived, Cava got ever more livelier with a very hip and refined clientele, although our table for two in the back was perfectly private. The number of options on the menu were all traditionally greek but with some semblance of gourmet twist to them. Different Herbs here or there.  Wanting meat -- we chose the Cava grill, which came with 3 lamb chops, 2 chicken souvlaki, 2 grilled meatballs and 2 pork medallions that melted like butter in my mouth. We also ordered a dish of spanakopita to balance it out.  All of the meat was grilled perfectly -- sometimes kabobs can be dry. Not here. And the lamb chops were FANTASTIC. I feel terrible for those people who won't eat lamb. I've had bad lamb before and know why they don't prefer it... don't fear it at Cava though. All of this food would have been perfect for three people at a happy hour timed dinner as we ended up taking home a few things.  The wait staff was attentive and considerate. When I said we'd be having a drink and were not going to even look at the menu for a while, they didn't bat an eyelash unlike other hopping places I frequent. Definitely a good recommendation by Tom and a place I will add to my list of places to return in the near future. http://dc.cavamezze.com/site/home