One of my greatest dinning pleasures in the last few years has been to find places where I can go and have something other than a salad (as a vegetarian) which is also delicious and healthy. I was recently invited to try the brunch menu as Jaleo, Bethesda and it was one of my most satisfying meals ever.
We had not been here before so this was a new experience for us. The hostess was friendly and greeted us with a big smile. They weren't too busy that afternoon so we were seated fairly quickly. Our server was extremely knowledgable and made excellent recommendations which in turn made our meal perfect.
For starters, we had a house lemonade paired with crispy bread with tomatoes, and a cheese platter about which I cannot rave enough. Just take my word for it and order it. We followed that with soups: Homestyle fish soup for my husband and a delicious Gazpacho for me.
Now to the good part and why I cannot wait to go back ... I was impressed with the vegetarian options that were available. We ordered four dished to share which was plenty to split between two - Escalivada catalana (Roasted red peppers, eggplant and sweet onions), Empedrat de mongetes (Traditional Catalan bean salad with tomatoes, onions, black olives and sherry dressing), Espinacas a la catalana (Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples), and Coliflor salteada con aceitunas y dátiles (Sautéed cauliflower with dates and olives).
I could tell ingredients were fresh and that the dishes were made to order. While I liked all the vegetables, cauliflower was one of my favorite. The portions were tapas style. This is a great place to go with a big party where you can order a lot of dishes and everyone gets to try a little bit of everything.
Last but not the least the desserts ... can we just take a moment and appreciate the presentation? Not only does it look beautiful it was extremely tempting. While I am off sugar, the chef strongly insisted we tried the desserts ... so guess what I did? I made my husband try it. I did take a small spoonful of each just to be polite. I can honestly say that the olive oil ice cream with grapefruit sorbet was absolutely lip-smacking. My husband cleaned that plate of classic Spanish custard with 'espuma' of catalan cream and oranges, clean. Safe to assume it was delicious.
If you have not yet checked Jaleo out, I would highly recommend it. Their menu is diverse and intriguing. There is something for everyone no matter what dietary restrictions or interests. My suggestion would be to come here with a big group and a big appetite so you can try a little bit of everything on the menu. Ask your server for recommendations if the menu looks intimidating; they are all super friendly and more than happy to provide suggestions.
PIN THIS
Jaleo - Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I was invited to try the menu for the purpose of this review. All opinions mentioned are my own.
