Cava

Your favorite general here, reporting live from Northern Virginia. Though I might be on vacation from school, there's no reprieve from informing you folks about the tastiest food this world as to offer. And boy, do I have a good one today. Today's review is on Cava, a Greek mezze (read: tapas) restaurant whose owners recently were awarded Restaurateurs of the Year from Washington Magazine. With an established location in Rockville, MD and a new site in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., these visionaries are taking the D.C. metropolitan area by storm.

I visited the Rockville restaurant with my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tso, who had heard of Cava through the grapevine. We tried six dishes in total, along with the free pita and dips. First of all, let me say this: the free pita could have been a meal in itself. It was served along three different dipping options, including EVOO, green olives, and an incredible spicy sun-dried tomato puree that I will definitely try to replicate in the future.

Now, onto the mezzes. We were first treated to the hummus, which is spectacular. Blended to perfection, the hummus had great smoothness and flavor, with the tahini evident but not overpowering. The second dish, the "flaming cheese" appeared to be more for show than flavor...that is, until we tasted it. In a dramatic showcase, a waiter pours what can only be some sort of liquor on top of two bricks of cheese, most likely coated with flour, and lights it on fire tableside. The flames climb to the ceiling before being extinguished by freshly squeezed lemon juice. The now eyebrow-less waiter hands you your cheese and walks away, leaving you with a slightly crusty, melty, gooey creation that embarrasses any mozzarella stick you have ever had.

For more traditional entrees, we opted for the lamb chops, chicken souvlaki, scallops over risotto, and baby octopus, which were all highly recommended from previous reviews. The lamb chops were cooked to medium, and were succulent and tender. The gamey-ness was unapparent as the simple flavorings allowed the best of the meat to shine through. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the souvlaki. I was disappointed to see the chicken served kabob style, as the high surface area to mass ratio almost guarantees a dry finished product, and I was vindicated with each bite. Next time I would go with the filet mignon souvlaki.

The seafood dishes were both hits, in my opinion. The scallops over risotto was perfectly cooked in every way. The scallops had a nice crust but were not overdone, retaining a bit of a bite. The rice was wonderfully flavorful and al dente. Finally, the mushrooms in the risotto were meaty and supplemented the texture of the scallops. I really feel as though this was the best risotto I've ever had. To conclude, we had the baby octopus. Though several reviews said the octopus was tender, I expected the chewy texture of the squid and octopus I have had in other restaurants. But Cava completely changed my expectations of properly cooked octopus. My fork cut through the meat as if it were a marshmellow, and the dish had more flavor than the souvlaki. I was blown away.

In conclusion, Cava ranks up there with some of the better meals I've had, perhaps sandwiched in between Melagrano and Las Bugumbilias. It is a restaurant I definitely wouldn't mind going to again...and again...and again.

Rating: 4.2/5 opa opas

EVOO, Harissa, and Olives

Hummus

Flaming Cheese