Copa Kitchen and Bar

Not the first thing which comes to mind for a vegetarian when choosing a restaurant, this sports bar at Ballston has surprisingly good food. One of several stops this summer to explore DC's gazpacho options (American Son was sadly a fail when they neglected to have the gazpacho listed on their menu at lunch last week) the various options were fresh, well seasoned and thought-through. Keeping to their Spanish roots, not only was there gazpacho on the menu but many other items one might find at Jaleo and similar establishments. Bottom line -- the gazpacho was some of the best I have had. Creamy, presumably without the help of dairy products, and containing just a hint of hot pepper, I really had to slow down and savor every sip. I also had the Brava Potatoes, which had an anglicized name but were simply Patatas Bravas. This dish is typically about the garlic aioli, which in this case was very good. The star here, however, were the potatoes, which were high quality (think Yukon Gold) and ever so slightly browned as to be crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The one mistake was putting the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. It meant that the potatoes on the bottom layer got soggy and the tomato wasn't infused throughout the dish. This was a minor complaint. I also had the Arugula Salad which was very simple and quite good. Just arugula (a lot of it), a lemon dressing with currants and pine nuts. My companion got the Salmon Crudo which was basically a decent amount of Salmon Cerviche served in a glass surrounded by fried plantain chips. My friend rated the dish quite good, saying that the salmon was well-sliced and not overly salted. The bar was as expected, extending the concrete floor found in the rest of the mall throughout and employing industrial lights with various woven covers. The open kitchen completed the contemporary look. There are even barn door windows, although I have yet to see them opened. Would I go to this restaurant again? Absolutely, assuming no major games were taking place. Previous to this visit I had strolled by a few times to see screaming beer drinkers facing down one of the many TVs scattered around. That being said, this might be a sports bar but it is definitely unexpected. Choose a non-sporting event time and check it out.

Spanish-themed Sports Bar off the food court in Ballston Quarter
4238 Wilson Blvd, Arlington
https://www.copakitchenbar.com/

Comments

RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place. Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking). My take is mixed. Some of the items were outstanding, some less so. I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful. Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried. On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein. It was half and half. The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch. The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime. Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable. I didn't do additional toppings, although there were plenty. I did get two of the mini s

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch. We compromised and went together. Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is. Across the board. The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud. Conversation was difficult. The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet. Or I tried to. Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice. My companions opted for coffee. It was ice cold. Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well. I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients. It had three. The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teeny slices of tomato past its prime. It wasn't hot or cold, just r

Mezeh

With this new version of a middle-eastern inspired "bowl/pita/wrap" meal the Ballston Mezeh has a lot to praise and a few things it could do better. On the plus side is a ton of options. For a base they move beyond the simple rice or greens selections to specific greens options/mixes and then they have three kinds of rice (including Riced Cauliflower with Bulgar Wheat for the Keto crowd). After that there are two different protein options for veggies -- Falafel and Veggie Kofta. I selected the Kofta just so that I could have something new ... and loved it. But you aren't done there. You can choose up to 12 toppings (TWELVE) out of 27. Then there are the dressings. Again, the choices are overwhelming with eight -- each sounds amazing. I went with the Spicy Mango and was not disappointed. I ordered a bowl and still got a nice big slice of warm pita which was just yummy. The challenge however, is that the bowl I ordered online wasn't really full. There were lot

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