Within the last week my taste buds enjoyed a world wind of flavors at various ethnic restaurants. It started this past Wednesday, when my husband and I went to Oyamel before the Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game. Oyamel is an authentic Mexican restaurant that serves antojitos (small plates or snacks) and tacos served in hand-made corn tortillas. My meal consisted of familiar antojitos and not so familiar tacos that were made with goat meat marinated in chilies and spices. The flavors were incredibly intense and reminded me of meals I had in Guadalajara and in Monterrey, Mexico. 

For the weekend, I went to New York City to spend time with college girlfriends, Barbara and Stephanie, and Gerold, Barbara’s husband. On Friday, we went to an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn called Saraghina, which served pasta dishes and wood-burning oven pizza. We found the place to be very lively and enjoyed listening to the staff talk in Italian to one another. We decided on a few pizzas and red wine, which was the perfect choice after a three and half hour train ride from Washington, DC. We ended the evening at The Chocolate Room, a chocolate boutique and dessert café also in Brooklyn. The desserts are made with chocolates from all over the world and are perfectly paired with international wines. I ate their delectable signature chocolate cake, which was paired with a Framboise. Let’s just say that I slept very well that night.

On Saturday, during a shopping spree in Soho, we spontaneously went to Boqueria, a Spanish restaurant that serves tapas (small plates). Once again, I ordered familiar dishes but also decided to try lamb meatballs with sheep’s mild cheese for the first time. With a glass of sangria and great conversation with my girlfriends, this turned out to be the perfect afternoon meal. 

In the evening, we went to Sazon, an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant in Tribeca. This place had a great bar and lounge, played pop, hip-hop and salsa music and celebrated several birthdays by having its staff sing Cumpleanos Feliz to patrons. The drinks were named after hot spots in Puerto Rico. I ordered the Loquillo margarita, which is named after my favorite beach outside of San Juan. For appetizers, we decided to share chicken empanadas and yuca crabcakes, and for dinner, I ordered ropa vieja (shredded beef stew with black been rice and sweet plantains). I also could not resist a sample of Gerold’s pargo entero con arroz de coco, which is whole red snapper stuffed with seafood in an enchilado sauce with a side of coconut rice. I left this place with happy taste buds, and once again, I had another good night’s sleep.

What I love about large cities like New York and DC is that they offer an endless variety of ethnic restaurants. However, if you do not have access to a big city, I encourage you to find your local, authentic restaurant to give your taste buds a flavorful, international experience. And don’t forget to be adventurous by trying something new!