Las Gemelas, 1280 4th st. NE, 202-866-0550.
There are two places here, a restaurant and on the other side of the (small) mall is a tacqueria. The tacqueria is the best Mexican food this region has seen. Real blue corn tortillas, everything else authentic, could be mistaken for excellent real Mexican food in Mexico. The morning green chile chorizo tacos are the must-get – one of the best dishes in town – but everything is very good.
The restaurant proper has a small number of truly excellent dishes, and a bunch of “quite good” dishes, noting the menu is pretty small. The first time I went the lamb Borrego soup was the knockout, the second time it was off the menu but the pork cheeks enchilada with mole was an A+, again one of the best dishes in town. I quite liked the toast with honey, though it hardly seemed Mexican (not a complaint, just a warning). If you go to the restaurant, make sure you figure out what you really should be getting. In addition, the visuals and décor are very nice in both, excellent places to sit and take in the crowd and surroundings.
Overall, this is a major advance for this region’s Mexican dining, and the prices are entirely reasonable.
